The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 24 Sep 2012

24.09.2012 Yarmoshyna: 109 members elected to the Chamber of Representatives in Belarus

According to preliminary information, 109 MPs were elected to the Chamber of Representatives as a result of the parliamentary election. This was stated by the head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna in the night of 23-24 September, during a press-conference on the results of the voting.

24.09.2012 Baranavichy: “Class supervisors didn’t force students, only informed them…”

The lecturers of the Baranavicy State University Natallia Maiseyenka and Hanna Verameyka didn’t force students to vote early, but just informed them about the possibility to do it on 18-22 September – this is the answer received by observer Siarhei Housha from the head of Baranavichy-Western constituency election commission #5 Tatsiana Latyshava.

24.09.2012 OSCE observers: the election in Belarus cannot be called free and impartial

Competition was limited and many OSCE commitments on citizens' democratic rights to associate, to stand as candidates and to express themselves freely were not respected in the 18-23 September parliamentary elections in Belarus, OSCE observers say in a preliminary report issued on 24 September, BelaPAN says. The organization intends to prepare a full-scale report within two months.

24.09.2012 About 500 electors voted nowhere knows when at a polling station in Brest

Independent observer Valiantsina Shorakh, who monitored the election at polling station #31 of Brest-Western election constituency #1 at the “Vodakanal” enterprise during the whole period of voting, reported substantial discrepancies in the turnout.

24.09.2012 Belarusian state refuses cooperation with the UN Human Rights Committee in Bialiatski case as his detention conditions worsen

The Government of Belarus has responded to a complaint to the Human Rights Committee in the case of Ales Bialiatski, filed on his behalf by his wife, Natalia Pinchuk, and signed by Antoine Bernard, the Chief Executive Officer of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), of which Mr. Bialiatski is vice-president (link http://spring96.org/en/news/53618).

24.09.2012 Dvaretski brothers tried for boycott leaflets

Andrei and Aliaksei Dvaretskis were detained on 22 September in Minsk for posting leaflets with calls to election boycott.

24.09.2012 Youth observers detained in Minsk

Several dozens of activists of the youth project “Election observation: theory and practice” were detained on 24 September in Minsk.

24.09.2012 Manipulation of election results at many polling station of Hrodna

Election commissions of many polling stations of Hrodna artificially increased the turnout by adding some 100-500 votes to the real number in their final protocols.

24.09.2012 Ales Makayeu sentenced to 6 days of imprisonment

The head of the solidarity movement “Razam” Ales Makayeu was tried at the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk for alleged violation of Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Violations. Judge Aliaksandr Yakunchykhin sentenced him to 6 days of imprisonment.

24.09.2012 Mazyr: Paleskaya election constituency, polling station #31 – 386 votes added

386 votes were added by commission at polling station #31 of the Paleskaya election constituency.

24.09.2012 Belarusian Christian Democracy coordinator Dzianis Sadouski wanted by police

A district police officer visited the address where the executive secretary of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Dzianis Sadouski is officially registered.

24.09.2012 Home voting record: 226 people for two hours

At one of the polling stations on Vitsebsk in two hours before the station’s closure 226 people voted at home. Thus, the voting speed made 1 person in 30 seconds.

24.09.2012 Birthday greetings for Ales Bialiatski from colleagues and friends

We would like to thank all those who have joined Ales Bialiatski’s birthday week. Viasna keeps receiving cordial letters and photos with birthday greetings for Ales: from partners, colleagues, friends and other people who are concerned about the fate of the imprisoned human rights defender.

24.09.2012 Belarusian youth: “Ales! You Are Our Talisman!”

The imprisoned Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski shares his thoughts inspired by the letters of solidarity he keeps receiving in prison: ‘I have received quite a lot of letters from young people lately. And there are many postcards from Vilnius, from the School, too. It is really pleasant: it means that the ideas of human rights protection have resonated with the Belarusian youth, which used to be so nobly described in the poetry of Yanka Kupala.

24.09.2012 Election to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus of the Fifth Convocation: Final Report

The “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” campaign comes to conclusion that the election process was marked by serious violations of the principles of democratic and fair elections, as described in the OSCE standards and the Belarusian legislation. The election took place in the atmosphere of political persecution and repression of the opponents of the government; this political environment, as well as the limitations at the stages of creation of election commissions and campaigning had a negative effect on the freedom to make an informed choice. Non-transparency of vote count procedure makes it impossible to state that the election results reflect the will of the Belarusian people.