The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

On 2 August police inspector Mikalai Kudrautsau summonsed human rights defender Siarhei Housha to the Baranavichy District Police Department on the basis of an application of the head of the election commission of Baranavichy-Western election constituency #5. Tatsiana Latyshava.

The operation was conducted by officers of the “Typhoon” unit of the road police of the Vitsebsk region. In the evening of 2 August a car carrying stationery, bags and T-shirts with logos of “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” was stopped by the road police.

According to the schedule of the organizational measures to prepare and hold elections, the nomination of representatives to precinct election commissions must end by 5 August.

Vital Amialkovich, an observer from the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, asks the head of the Central Election Commission to explain whether the action of the Law “On applications of citizens and juridical bodies” spreads on activities of election commissions.

Representatives of democratic NGOs, civil activists and human rights defenders of Belarus paid a visit to the Presidential Administration to pass the petition demanding an immediate and unconditional release of Ales Bialiatski and all political prisoners and cessation of pressurization on human rights and civil society organizations of the country.

Aliaksandr Melnik, a prospective candidate for the Parliament, appealed against unlawful actions of the electoral team of the head of the central department store Viktar Valiushytski (who also heads the district branch of the “state NGO” “Belaya Rus”) to the Brest Region Procuracy.

The Barysau District Executive Committee prohibited the local human rights defenders to hold a picket under the slogan “Freedom to Ales Bialiatski!” near one of large departments store of Barysau on 4 August.

First year of imprisonment for Ales Bialiatski, a sad illustration of the ongoing repression of the Belarusian civil society