The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 10 Feb 2014

10.02.2014 Belarus still has no intention to invite Special Rapporteur on Human Rights

In the near future Belarus intends to confirm the invitation to visit the country for a number of special rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) . This was stated by the head of the main bureau of of the multilateral diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yury Ambrazevich on February 10 at a briefing in Minsk.o

10.02.2014 Bykhau: Siarhei Antonau complains about dishonesty of his rivals

Contender for a candidate to the Mahiliou Regional Council at Bykhau city constituency No. 14, member of the BPF Party Siarhei Antonau says that members of initiative groups of pro-government candidates misinform electors.

10.02.2014 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in January 2014

In January, human rights situation remained consistently bad with a tendency toward conservation of negative practices that evolved over the previous years. There were no positive changes, either in law or in law enforcement.

10.02.2014 Political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich doesn't get letters from Ukrainian protesters

Postcards and telegrams from Ukrainian protesters haven't been delivered to the Belarusian political prisoner.

10.02.2014 Baranavichy: campaigning is allowed in the old city park

On February 7 the Baranavichy City Executive Committee published its regulation No. 242 for January 31 on the definition of places for campaigning for candidates for local councils. As in the previous campaign, the list of places is quite short and not too diverse.

10.02.2014 Are flaws in the work of the executive committee a fault of the post office?

The head of the Baranavichy organization of the Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry Ryhor Hryk learned about his “receiving” an answer from the Baranavichy City Executive Committee only from an answer of the Baranavichy interdistrict prosecutor's office.

10.02.2014 Baranavichy: elections by order

According to the chairman of the city election commission Viktar Harbaniou, as of February 4, labor collectives nominated 24 contenders for candidates. 47 electoral teams are already working. The newspaper of the executive committee "Babruiskaye Zhyttsio" describes the process of nomination as "fairly active" and reports that 30 percent of the contenders are youth.

10.02.2014 Front Line Defenders launches Olympics campaign on 12 human rights defenders

‘Rights. Risks. Change!’ Campaign to focus attention on targeted human rights defenders.

10.02.2014 BCD co-chair Pavel Seviarynets served a warning

The co-chairman of the organization committee for creation of the party Belarusian Christian Democracy Pavel Seviaryniets was summoned to the Frunzenski district criminal executive inspection of Minsk on 10 February.

10.02.2014 Political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok denied food parcel

The administration of Mahiliou prison, where Mikalai Dziadok is kept, refused to accept a food parcel for him. The information came from the political prisoner’s spouse, Valeryia Khotsina, RFE/RL reports.

10.02.2014 Problem points of correctional facilities for juvenile offenders

In the monitoring of places of confinement of juvenile offenders human rights deffenders pointed at the lack of proper legal regulation of closededucational-correctional and medical-correctional institutions guarantteing the observance of human rights in them.