Mahiliou Regional Court turned down lawsuit of ‘Fair World’
On 7 October the judge of the Mahiliou Regional Court Sviatlana Stalmakhova considered the lawsuit of the Belarusian Leftist Party Fair World concerning the non-inclusion of its representative Anatol Zauyalau in the Mahiliou Regional Election Commission.
The ruling of the Mahiliou Regional Executive Committee and the Presidium of the Mahiliou Regional Council of Deputies about the formation of the commission was left standing and the lawsuit was turned down. The court verdict is not appealable.
The human rights defender Barys Bukhel points that the representative of the Presidium of the Mahiliou Regional Council Uladzimir Shepialevich demonstrated contempt for court by coming to the court hearing an hour after its beginning.
’The hearing started an hour later than it should have started because of the late arrival of this person. The judge had to phone to the Mahiliou Regional Executive Committee and persuade Mr. Shepialevich to come to the trial,’ commented Mr. Bukhel. ‘The judge pointed that the arguments about violation of the rights of representatives of oppositional parties were groundless as the UCP representative Uladzimir Parfionau had been included in the commission.’
By the way, some interesting details were revealed during the court sitting. In particular, the list of members of the election commission had been prepared by the organizational and personnel department and the protocol and juridical department of the executive committee and was agreed with the head of the Mahiliou Regional Executive Committee, Mr. Pantsiukhou, and the Deputy Chairperson of the REC, Mr. Malashka. ‘It means that the real decision about the formation of the election commission was taken by just two persons,’ comments Mr. Bukhel.
Bear in mind that a similar trial took place several days ago concerning the non-inclusion of a representative of the NGO BPF Adradzhenne in the Mahiliou Regional Executive Committee. The lawsuit of the BPF Adradzhenne was turned down as well.
Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections
