The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Following the hard criticism of the local human rights defenders the Salihorsk District Executive Committee introduced changes to its previous ruling that determined the places where it was banned to hold electoral pickets.

Astravets Court fined local UCP activist Mikola Ulasevich for disobeying fire inspection officials, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

Ivan Kruk, a former deputy of the Astravets District Council of Deputies, addressed the General Procuracy of Belarus with an open letter, asking the Prosecutor General to ‘give a legal assessment to unlawful actions of the Astravets district territorial commission for elections to the local Councils of Deputies of the 26th convocation and bring the guilty persons to criminal responsibility.’

A new administrative case against Ivan Kruk, a local civil activist, is being considered in the town of Astravets.

Ivan Kruk, an activist of the For Freedom movement, lodged complaints with the Chairperson of the Hrodna Region Executive Committee and the Hrodna Region Procuracy a complaint concerning violations that were committed by the local officials who had headed the Astravets Town Election Commission during the latest election.

On 31 May, having returned to work from vacations, the member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Uladzimir Tselyapun, a former candidate for the Homel Regional Council of Deputies at Palesskaya election constituency #43, received a notice about the termination of his labor contract since 30 January 2010.

Seven opposition candidates, including representatives of the United Civic Party Mikalai Rasiuk, Yury Novikau and Siarhei Niarouny, members of the Freedom and Progress Party Aliaksandr Silkou and Yury Stukalau, as well as independent candidates Larysa Shukaila and Tamara Maskaliova, who were running for the local councils of Mahiliou region, received replies to their appeals against alleged electoral violations, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

The US Embassy calls on the Belarusian authorities to carry out an “open and unbiased” the facts of violations during the local council electoral campaign.

As BelaPAN learnt from the press service of the American diplomatic mission, as far as the embassy knows, there have been reports about violations on the election day and during the electoral campaign. In particularly, there were reports about “harassment of and pressure on independent candidates, restrictions during electoral campaign, violations at early voting and vote count, restrictions of activity of local and international observers.”