The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 1 Feb 2010

01.02.2010 Interesting facts about Polatsk town election commission

7 out of 13 members of the Polatsk town election commission were members of this very commission during the previous parliamentary elections.

01.02.2010 Östgruppen condemns sentence to Ivan Mikhailau

The Swedish human rights organization Östgruppen submitted to the Parliaments of Sweden and the EU a protest note concerning the sentence to Ivan Mikhailau, 21, conscientious objector to army service in Belarus.

01.02.2010 Homel: member of Belarusian Association of Journalists is summoned to oblast procuracy

Larysa Shchyrakova, member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, received a writ to come to prosecutor Alesia Rabtsava at 10 a.m. on 2 February.

01.02.2010 Orsha: opposition activists consider unlawful forming of district election commission

As it follows from a publication in Arshanskaya Hazeta, there are no representatives of political parties among the 13 members appointed to the Orsha district election commission. Three persons were nominated by NGOs: the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM, pro-governmental ‘state NGO’), the Belarusian Women’s Union and the Belarusian Union of Veterans, one person – by the district organization of the trade union of workers of agroindustrial complex. All other candidacies were nominated by collecting signatures or by their working collectives.

01.02.2010 Tiral of entrepreneur Andrei Bandarenka to continue on 3 February

On1 February the Pershamaiski District Court in Minsk started the retrial of the criminal case over entrepreneur Andrei Bandarenka.

01.02.2010 New legislation on tightening control over Internet

The Belarusian telecommunication operators have been obliged to keep information on services rendered to their clients for five years.

01.02.2010 Mahiliou oblast: number of deputy seats decreases. No opposition members in election commissions

This change was brought about by the decrease of the number of village soviets and election constituencies compared to the previous elections to the local Soviets. According to Liudmila Makaranka, Chairperson of the organization and personnel work department of the Mahiliou oblast executive committee, a total of 3099 deputies are to be elected at the upcoming elections.

01.02.2010 Election commissions in Hrodna oblast to be ruled by reliable representatives of authorities

The first sittings of Hrodna oblast and Hrodna city commissions for elections to the local soviets have taken place. The electoral constituencies were created and the administration of the commissions was elected.

01.02.2010 Three months of arrest for wish to perform alternative civilian service

Ivan Mikhailau, member of the Messianic Jewish congregation New Testament has been sentenced to 3 months of arrest. According to the European Belarus website, Ivan Mikhailau was found guilty of a criminal offence ‘for draft evasion’

01.02.2010 Ministry of Education refuses to reinstate Tatsiana Shaputska at Belarusian State University

The first deputy minister of education at last replied to Tatsiana Shaputska, spokesperson for the Young Front, expelled from the Law Faculty of Belarusian State University in connected with her participation in the Eastern Partnership civil forum.