The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 14 Jul 2008

14.07.2008 District electoral commissions are formed in Brest oblast

On 14 July Brest oblast executive committee and the presidium of Brest oblast soviet of deputies held a joint sitting on forming of district electoral commissions. 16 district electoral commissions were formed.

14.07.2008 Mahiliou: observers of democratic parties and organizations are trying to get to first sittings of district electoral commissions

In Mahiliou the authorities do not accept the minutes for nomination of observers from Mahiliou human rights center, the Belarusian Popular Front Party, the Party of Communists Belarusian and Mahiliou city charitable organization Otklik. As a result the observers cannot get to the first sittings of the electoral commissions.

14.07.2008 ‘Chemical’ version for Minsk blast?

In 2007 the Belarusian mass media wrote that on 31 May 2007 a blast took place in the apartment of a 21-year-old student. The student got numerous injuries of palms, right foot and thigh, traumatic shock and fractures. In particular, such information was distributed by BelaPAN, Nasha Niva and some other media, (including http://bntu.info) with reference to the main police department of Minsk city executive committee.

14.07.2008 Hrodna: district electoral commissions are formed secretly

The joint sitting of Hrodna oblast executive committee and Hrodna oblast soviet of deputies was to have taken place at 10 a.m. on 14 July, but when representatives of parties, NGos and press came to the specified place, the sitting was already over and the composition of the commission has been already announced.

14.07.2008 Astravets district: police show interest to youth activist Yahor Krasnou in connection with Minsk blast

On 9 July two policemen came to the activist of the United Civil Party Yahor Astravetski’s home. As the activist was absent, they asked his mother, A.Vitkouskaya about his whereabouts on 3-4 July and all ten days before it, in connection with the terrorist act in Minsk. They had quite a large list of suspects in their hands.

14.07.2008 Homel oblast: oppositionists are included in 13 out of 17 electoral commissions

On 14 July Homel oblast executive committee and the presidium of Homel oblast soviet of deputies held a joint sitting on forming of district electoral commissions.

14.07.2008 Campaign on financial persecution of oppositionists and human rights activists continues

After Lukashenka’s statements that oppositionists lived better than all others without working anywhere the tax agencies started persecuting well known human rights activists and oppositionists.

14.07.2008 Police visit apartment of Volha Nikalaichyk’s mother

A police inspector and two persons in mufti wanted to come in the apartment of the mother of the independent producer of documentaries Volha Nikalaichyk. They motivated their visit by the investigation of the blast which had taken place in Minsk on 4 July.

14.07.2008 Mahiliou oblast: only two opposition activists included in district electoral commissions

Mahiliou oblast executive committee and the presidium of Mahiliou oblast soviet of deputies have finished forming the district electoral commissions. They appointed 169 out of 240 candidates to the 13 district electoral commissions of Mahiliou oblast.

14.07.2008 Dzianis Turchaniak is interrogated concerning the blast

Dzianis Turchaniak, an opposition activists from Brest, has been interrogated within the frames of investigation of the blast which had taken place in Minsk on 4 July.

14.07.2008 Two Young Front activists detained on the border

On 13 July in the evening the police detained Artsiom Lastavetski and Piatro Ruzau, activists of the underground youth organization Young Front, who were returning home from Lithuania. They were set down from a bus. The customs officers checked the activists for a long time and even took away their flash cards. Then they called to the police, who guarded the activists to a police station.

14.07.2008 Blast news: some of the detained activists get released from jail

The opposition activists Siarhei Vysotski and Alexander Serhiyenka, detained over the case of blasts on 4 July, were released from the KGB detention center on Saturday, 12 July.

14.07.2008 Police detain two activists of United Civil Party

The activists of the United Civil party Dzmitry Kavalhin and Viktar Piatrouski have been detained for throwing of an address of the democratic forces in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in postboxes. Secret services knew about the rally of the United Civil Party beforehand.