The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

24.07.2015 Journalist in Hlybokaje fined 4.5 million

The Hlybokaje District Court has found local freelance journalist Dzmitry Lupach guilty of violating the law on mass media - Part 2 of Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code (illegal production and distribution of media products).

24.07.2015 Baranavičy: Human rights defender appeals ban on observing formation of election commission

Human rights activist Siarhei Housha has complained to the Brest Regional Executive Committee against the district executive committee and the District Council of Deputies, which did not allow him to attend a joint meeting of the two bodies that formed the district election commission.

24.07.2015 Chief editor of independent newspaper to stand trial in Mahilioŭ

The trial of Ihar Barysau, editor-in-chief of an independent weekly called NAŠ Mahilioŭ, will take place in the Kastryčnicki District Court on July 29.

24.07.2015 Biaroza officials allow Independence Day picket for first time in 18 years

The Biaroza district executive committee has for the first time in 18 years allowed a picket that is expected to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty on July 27.

23.07.2015 Homieĺ Regional Court turns down Fair World election complaint

The Homieĺ Regional Court considered today a complaint by Uladzimir Siakerka, local leader of the Belarusian Party of the Left "Fair World", against the Presidium of the Regional Executive Committee and the Regional Council of Deputies who refused to include in the regional election commission a representative of the party Viktar Khomich.

23.07.2015 Let’s mark together the Day of solidarity with civil society and human rights movement in Belarus!

August 4th is the day marked by democratic activists around the world as the Day of solidarity with civil society and human rights movement in Belarus.

23.07.2015 Viciebsk: Human rights defender loses court appeal against ban on election commission membership

Pavel Levinau had been delegated two groups of voters, who wanted to see him among the members of the Pieršmajski district election commission and the Viciebsk regional election commission.

23.07.2015 Maladziečna executive committee violates CEC decision

On Friday, July 17, a representative of the BPF in Maladziečna, Volha Lahvinovich, brought the documents for nomination to the territorial election commission (TEC) of the party representatives and could not find anyone to whom they should be submitted.

23.07.2015 Collecting of signatures for presidential candidates starts today

July 23 is the first day of collecting signatures by initiative groups of the presidential candidates.

23.07.2015 Minsk city election commission: 61.5% of 2014 commissioners

Of the nine nominated representatives of the opposition parties only three will work in the territorial commissions of Minsk. Dzmitry Kaspiarovich (BPF) – Minsk city election commission, Yury Suares (the Party "Fair World") – the Saviecki district election commission, and Nadzeya Shomchanka (the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Hramada) – the Zavodski district election commission.

23.07.2015 Sluck: 8 minutes to form election commission

On July 22, the Presidium of the Sluck District Council of Deputies and the representatives of the Sluck District Executive Committee formed a territorial election commission in just eight minutes. There was no discussion of the candidates, and most of that time was spent on quoting excerpts from the electoral legislation.

23.07.2015 Maryna Adamovich appeals ban on registration of Mikalai Statkevich’s campaign team

Maryna Adamovich, the wife of political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, who is his legal representative and the head of the initiative group for his nomination as a presidential candidate, filed yesterday an appeal in the Supreme Court against the CEC's refusal to register the initiative group. The CEC decision was adopted on 20 July.

22.07.2015 BHC representative not allowed to attend meeting of district election commission in Viciebsk

Leanid Svetsik, representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee in Viciebsk, was not allowed to attend today’s first meeting of the Kastryčnicki district election commission, after deputy chairman of the Viciebsk city executive committee Piotr Padhurski said that his presence was not ‘welcome’.

22.07.2015 Babrujsk: officials elected to election commission under the guise of ‘public representatives’

The website of the Babrujsk city executive committee has published a full list of members of the two district election commissions in the city. The vast number of TEC members are people who have worked in the commissions during the previous election campaigns.

22.07.2015 Government website in Homieĺ supports future presidential candidate?

The website of the administration of Homieĺ’s Čyhunačny district has posted, in addition to the official information of the start of the campaign and the creation of the district election commission, an announcement about the public reception service of the NGO “Belaya Rus”.