The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2015

27.08.2015 Formation of election commissions in Mahilioŭ: fast, quiet, loyal members only

The administrations of Mahilioŭ’s Lieninski and Kastryčnicki

27.08.2015 Homieĺ region: 1 in 90 representatives of Fair World wins seat on precinct election commissions

The Left Party "Fair World" nominated 90 people to the precinct election commissions of the Homieĺ region: in Homieĺ, Zhlobin, Žlobin, Mazyr, Kalinkavičy, Rahačoŭ, Buda-Kašaliova and Svietlahorsk. However, only one nomination was approved: Halina Hutsko was included in the election commission in Mazyr.

27.08.2015 Mazyr district: political parties represented by pro-government Communists

Today’s meeting of the Mazyr district executive committee formed local precinct election commissions.

27.08.2015 Salihorsk: no oppositionists on precinct election commissions

The sixty-nine precinct election commissions of Salihorsk district were formed in as little as 35 minutes. No representatives of the opposition were included in the election commissions.

27.08.2015 Biaroza observers not allowed to attend signature verification

Two observers accredited at the Biaroza district election commission, Siarhei Rusetski, who was nominated by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, and Tamara Shchapiotkina, proposed by collecting signatures of voters, were not allowed to be present during the verification of signatures collected for presidential contenders.

27.08.2015 Hrodna Regional Court turns down Mikalai Autukhovich’s appeal against police supervision

The Hrodna Regional Court dismissed today an appeal by former political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich filed to challenge a court ruling which extended by six months his preventive supervision.

26.08.2015 “Prisoners in activity therapy centers should not be employed but dismissed”

Local executive authorities have received an obligation to assist the activity therapy centers (medical-labor dispensaries, popularly known as LTPs) in the employment of citizens, and open-type correctional institutions have been charged with the employment of prisoners. The decision is ordered by a resolution of the Council of Ministers of 14 August 2015, Interfax reports, citing the press service of the government.

26.08.2015 Investigative Committee violates presumption of innocence in ‘graffiti case’

The website of the Investigative Committee published on August 22 information about the accused and suspects in so-called ‘graffiti case’, which violates the presumption of innocence of the detainees.

26.08.2015 Navapolack police close probe into attack on election activists

The Navapolack City Department of Internal Affairs has closed an investigation of a claim submitted by Tatsiana Ladukas, a member of Tatsiana Karatkevich’s nomination group.

26.08.2015 Human Rights Watch: Great News from Belarus but has Anything Really Changed?

The news was good, if unexpected: On August 22, Belarus’ President Aliaxander Lukashenka pardoned on “humanitarian grounds” six men imprisoned by the authorities. International and domestic rights groups and organizations had recognized them as “political prisoners” and had been pressuring Belarus for their release, in some cases for years.

26.08.2015 No opposition on precinct election commissions in Baranavičy

On August 25, the Baranavičy city executive committee held a meeting, which approved without any discussion a list of candidates for 68 precinct election commissions of the city.

26.08.2015 Border guards detain human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka

Human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka was detained by the Belarusian border guards as he was going by train from Vilnius last evening.

26.08.2015 Martin Uggla: It’s naïve to think that “liberalisation” started in Belarus

Release of political prisoners changes nothing in the dictatorial system of power, Lukashenka is simply looking for a way out of the dire financial condition.

25.08.2015 Political prisoners released in Belarus

The Danish Institute for Human Rights welcomes the release of six political prisoners by the president Lukashenko.

25.08.2015 Ukrainian Filmmaker Sentenced To 20 Years On Terror Charges

A court in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don has sentenced to 20 years in prison an acclaimed Ukrainian film director who had been accused of masterminding terrorist attacks in Crimea.