The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

23.09.2012 Authorities block online resources covering elections

The Belarusian authorities have blocked access to a number of web-sites that have been covering the parliamentary elections, including www.bchd.info (Belarusian Christian Democracy), www.udf.by (United Democratic Forces), and the web-site of For Fair Elections campaign.

23.09.2012 Press photographer detained in central Minsk

Siarhei Balai, photographer of the Salidarnasts online newspaper, was detained by police in Minsk’s central Kastrychnitskaya Square at about 6 p.m.

23.09.2012 Press photographer detained in polling station in Minsk

Dzmitry Lasko, photographer of the “Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belorussii” daily, was shortly detained this morning at Minsk-based polling station No. 704, the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports, quoting the newspaper’s photographer Iryna Kozlik.

21.09.2012 Investigation of libel case against journalist Andrzej Poczobut extended until October 21

The Hrodna regional office of the Investigative Committee of Belarus has prolonged its investigation of a libel case against journalist Andrzej Poczobut until October 21.

21.09.2012 Australian TV reporter detained at Minsk airport

Amos Roberts, reporter of the Australian TV channel SBS, was detained at Minsk international airport this afternoon, press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports.

18.09.2012 Minsk police detain youth activists and journalists

Four activists of the Zmena youth wing of the Tell the Truth campaign have been detained this afternoon in Minsk.

07.09.2012 Homel authorities fine distributor of independent newspaper

On 6 September, the administrative commission of Homel Savetski District executive committee fined Aliaksandr Protska, local distributor of the Novy Chas independent newspaper, 100,000 roubles under Art. 12.17 of the Administrative Code (“violation of trade rules”).

06.09.2012 “Mahiliouskiya Vedamastsi” edit electoral program without candidate's consent

The deputy editor of the stat-owned newspaper “Mahiliouskiya Vedamastsi” Henadz Liakhau crossed out the phrase “one decides for all” out of the electoral program of Liliya Sivakova, a candidate of the “Fair World” Party at Mahiliou-Kastrychnitskaya election constituency #86. The program was published in the newspaper issue #91 of 6 September 2012.

04.09.2012 Candiadte Sodzel allows insulting remarks about his rivals

The electoral program of Zhan Sodzel, a candidate of the Communist Party of Belarus running at Kalinouskaya election constituency #108, has been published in “Minski Kur’yer” newspaper.

04.09.2012 Brest: nobody wants to take responsibility for censorship

Dyiana Kastsiukovich, a candidate for the Parliament at Brest-Eastern election constituency #3, nominated by the United Civil Party, still cannot receive a precise answer to her appeals to different state agencies in connection with the limitations she had faced during the recording of her TV speech.

04.09.2012 KGB continues crackdown on social network groups

The group “We're fed up with Lukashenka” on VKontakte social networking website is again controlled by the KGB after it had been hacked, deleted and restored. The secret services do not delete information from the community, but publish libel against group's administrators.

03.09.2012 Biaroza: candidate is demanded to change name of his electoral program

Two days after a candidate for the Parliament Aliaksandr Kabanau had passed his electoral program “Lukashenka is a deadlock. Fair elections are a way out of this deadlock” to the Biaroza district state-owned newspaper “Mayak” he received a telephone call from the chief editor, Aliaksandr Ivanou, who blankly demanded that the title of the program be changed, saying that otherwise it wouldn’t be published at all.

29.08.2012 Investigation into Poczobut's case extended until September 21

Investigation into the case of Hrodna-based journalist Andrzej Poczobut, a correspondent for Gazeta Wyborcza, has been extended until September 21 “to carry out additional investigative procedures”.

23.08.2012 Journalist Mikhail Yanchuk allowed to leave Belarus

Two journalists are still restricted from travelling abroad.

The State Department on Citizenship and Migration removed Belsat TV journalist Mikhail Yanchuk from the database of persons restricted to leave the country. Two journalists still remain on the list of persons banned from leaving Belarus – chief editor of Nasha Niva newspaper Andrei Dynko and Andrei Sannikov's spokesman at the presidential election Alyaksnadr Atroshchankau, Radio Svaboda reminds.