Minsk: members of electoral teams of opposition candidates not let in hostels of enterprises

Bohuslau Unhur, a member of the electoral team of Uladzimir Niakliayeu, said he wanted to collect signatures in the dormitory of the Minsk factory of silicate products in Prylukskaya Street, 50.

’When I came to the hostel, the janitor started phoning to the commandant of the hostel, Nina Mikalayenka. The commandant told her not to let me in. I told her that I would go through the check-point anyway, because it was a profanation ...’, says the activist.

However, he was proposed to put a picket in the lobby of the hostel, near the check-point. Mr. Unhur refused, as in this case he would meet a student once in an hour.

’I told her that it was a profanation, an obstacle to collecting of signatures and a violation of the electoral legislation and the constitution. Why can I collect signatures in apartments, but not in hostels?’

When Mr. Unhur was looking of the telephone numbers of members of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee in his notebook, the janitor made another call to the hostel commandant and told her that he still wanted to go to the hostel and was phoning to somebody. After a short telephone talk she said that if he would insist on coming through the check-point, she would push the alarm button, and the riot police would arrive. The activist had to go away, as he wanted to collect signatures, not to spend hours at the police station.

A similar situation happened in the next building on the same street, on which there was a sign ‘Dormitory #6’. Mr. Unhur didn’t manage to get their either – the way was blocked by the janitor and an educator. His talk with the commandant of this hostel, Alena Bianko, didn’t bring any results either.

According to the activist, he also learned from the coordinator of the movement Speak Truth in the Maskouski district of Minsk that collectors of signatures weren’t let in any hostels in this area.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections