The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2012

28.08.2012 BCD Secretary Dzianis Sadouski sentenced to 10 days' arrest

Dzianis Sadouski, Secretary of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, has been detained by Minsk police this afternoon, as he was transporting printed materials campaigning for election boycott.

28.08.2012 Zmitser Dashkevich sentenced to one more year in prison

Zmitser Dashkevich, leader of the Young Front movement serving his two-year sentence in a penal colony in the town of Hlybokaye, Vitsebsk region, has been sentenced to one more year in jail on charges of violating prison regime.

28.08.2012 Smarhon court upholds ban on picket of solidarity with political prisoners

On 27 August, Judge Alina Kindra of Smarhon District Court dismissed a complaint by local human rights defender Ales Dzerhachou, who appealed a ban on holding a picket of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners imposed by chairman of the district’s executive committee Mechyslau Hoi.

28.08.2012 Election campaigning banned in most villages of Kalinkavichy district

Election pickets can be hold in only 20 out of 130 villages of the district of Kalinkavichy, Homel region, as ordered by a decision of the district’s executive committee.

27.08.2012 Zhlobin authorities refuse to expand campaigning locations

Valery Rybchanka, candidate representing the Fair World’s Zhlobin office, has received a reply from the district’s executive committee, rejecting his proposal to expand the list of locations authorized for holding election campaigning events.

27.08.2012 Authorities arrange concert to campaign for pro-government candidates

A concert has been reportedly arranged by the executive authorities of Minsk to campaign for pro-government candidates representing the Belaya Rus NGO, activists of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign report.

27.08.2012 Hrodna state-owned newspaper campaigns for pro-government candidates

The Hrodna-based “Hrodzenskaya Prauda” state-run newspaper is engaged in campaigning for local pro-government candidates Vasil Mikhno and Aliaksandr Siahodnik, says human rights defender and observer Raman Yurhel.

27.08.2012 Ales Bialiatski nominated for Europarlament's Prize

The imprisoned Belarusian activist has been nominated for the annual Sakharov Prize.

27.08.2012 Barysau: pro-democratic candidate denied registration

Anatol Bukas, editor-in-chief of the Barysau-based “Barysauskiya Naviny” independent newspaper running for Parliament in constituency No. 62, has been denied registration on the ground that he reportedly failed to report on the car he had sold back in 2011.

27.08.2012 Brest observer sues election commission over lack of transparency

Human rights defender Uladzimir Vialichkin, registered as observer in constituency election commission No. 2, has lodged a lawsuit with the Judicial Chamber for Civil Cases of Brest Regional Court, demanding to reverse an earlier ruling by Brest Maskouski District Court.

27.08.2012 Maladechna: Who’s the Liar?

Maladechna observer Ales Kaputski has received a reply to his complaint of posting a leaflet in one of the town’s schools campaigning for local pro-government candidate Mr. Kulesh three days ahead of his registration as a candidate.

27.08.2012 Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections: Procedure of signature verification absolutely non-transparent

The procedure of signature verification is totally closed to observers, say activists of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign at a press-conference held in Viasna’s Minsk office on 27 August. Observers were allowed monitoring the submitted nominations in only 4 constituencies out of 110. In other constituencies signatures were not verified at the sittings of election commissions, despite the fact that the Electoral Code does not provide for the type of election activities. As a result, observers say they cannot be sure whether the procedures of signature verification met the requirements of the election legislation.

27.08.2012 Palitviazni.info presented in Warsaw

On August 24, the Belarusian House in Warsaw hosted a meeting on the situation of Belarusian political prisoners in the context of elections. During the event, the presentation of the site palitviazni.info was held by Dzmitry Salauyou and Aliaksei Trubkin of the Human Rights Centre "Viasna".

27.08.2012 Riot policemen with guns capture Ukhnaleu’s car

The car of Deputy Chairman of the party "Fair World" and the candidate to deputies was stopped by the security services.

27.08.2012 Report on Monitoring Registration of Candidates to the Chamber of Representatives

Registration of candidates for the parliament is the important stage of the election campaign, as it results in the list of the persons who will take part in the election. The essential task of the observers at this stage is to assess the conditions in which candidate registration was held, and to determine if the registration process was transparent and in compliance with the principles of free and democratic elections.