16.01.2009 Young activist Franak Viachorka to join army on 26 January
As we have reported before, today police using violence detained leader of BPF’s Youth Franak Viachorka. He was taken to Savetski borough military registration and enlistment office and told he was fit for military service. After that he was served call-up papers for 26 January and released. The police also detained his mother who tried to penetrate the military registration and enlistment office. The Human Rights Center Viasna states there are no real grounds for trusting any medical report drawn up under an apparent pressure by the KGB. The Human Rights Center Viasna considers such actions a politically-motivated harassment. We remind Belarusian authorities that such lawless attempts to persecute youth activists do not contribute to the situation in the field of human rights in Belarus.
14.01.2009 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in December 2008
The last month of the year summed up its results and eloquently showed that, despite the demonstrative wish of the authorities to lead a dialogue with the West, the situation of Human Rights remained the same. On one hand, two (only two!) independent newspapers were returned to the state distribution system, the republican Human Rights and the educational association For Freedom was registered (on the fourth attempt). On the other hand, the pressurization of dissidents continued.
09.01.2009 Review-chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in October-November 2008
At the end of September the elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus were over. In October the candidates continued appealing against the official results. The Central Election Commission received 35 complaints. At its sitting on 13 October the CEC rejected the complaints of 27 candidates. On 24 October five more complaints were turned down as well. Mikalai Lazavik, secretary of the Central Election Commission, stated that the plaintiffs had no more instances to complain to: ‘according to the election laws in such issues the decision of the Central Election Commission is final and is without appeal’.
28.10.2008 New political prisoner appeared in Belarus
Statement of the Human Rights Center Viasna in conjunction with the arrest of Alexander Barazenka
09.10.2008 Review-chronicle of human rights violations in Belarus in September 2008
On 2 September the presentation of the report Incarceration conditions in the Republic of Belarus, prepared by the International Federation for Human Rights with the aid of Belarusian Human Rights defenders, took place in Minsk. The report was composed on the basis of an international research mission and is a valuable source of information about the incarceration conditions in Belarus, as there is almost no reliable information on this issue due to absence of supervision over the penitentiary system in Belarus by any national or international agencies and institutions. During the presentation the FIDH secretary general, Louis Peres, welcomed the release of the last political prisoners by the Belarusian authorities, but stated that the situation of Human Rights in Belarus was still disturbing and the incarceration conditions in the country were extremely unsatisfactory and could be considered as a form of inhuman treatment, which is prohibited by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
29.09.2008 Parliamentary Election: Human Rights Defenders draw preliminary conclusions
Human Rights Defenders had a press conference where they shared their assessment of this year's parliamentary election campaign. This is the preliminary conclusions they arrived to:
Minsk, September 29th, 2008
Elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, 4th convocation.
28.09.2008 INFORMATION FOR JOURNALISTS (updated)
On 29 September (Monday) at 1 p.m. a press conference of human rights activists will take place at the office of the republican human rights NGO Belarusian Helsinki Committee. The results of the monitoring of the campaign on elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the fourth convocation will be voiced there.
27.09.2008 Pre-election campaigning. Monitoring: results and conclusions
Human rights defenders traced carrying out of a stage of pre-election campaign within the limits of long-term monitoring of elections.
22.09.2008 Election week: events and generalizations
The main intrigue of the week is a question: will or won’t opposition candidates participate in elections? The integrated approach is not developed, though some of the candidates have withdrawn their candidacies. The quantity of uncontested districts for this week has accrued up to 14, that make up 15 % from total. The elections in the parliament’s upper chamber – Council of the Republic – will pass absolutely uncontested.
17.09.2008 Valiantsin Stefanovic: authorities have another chance to prosecute opposition members
Lawyer and human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovic comments on a number of suits filed by Hrodna KGB asking to recognize that the seized printed editions are of extremist nature:
“We observe unprecedented processes when the regional Committee for State Security (KGB) appeals to court under the Code of Civic Procedures, asking to recognize the legal fact that some printed editions are extremist. Among the editions on their list there is the Chronicle Review of Human Rights Violations in Belarus”, published by Viasna in 2004. According to the plaintiffs, it contains pictures from the rallies of anti-Belarusian nature: the Freedom Day, the Chernobyl March, Ancestors’ day, and others. The KGB also thinks the Review contains calls to overthrow the regime in an unconstitutional way.
Meanwhile, in 2004, when the draft law "about counteraction to extremism" was still considered by the parliament, we warned the Belarusian society about possible usage of the law against the political opposition and dissidents. Now, in Hrodna, we are actually observing the facts when any kind of criticism, including publishing of human rights materials, is assessed as extremist and containing (although it is still not clear, where) calls to anti-constitutional change of state system.
In our opinion, this is a very dangerous tendency. Although the law does not contain any sanctions and is more of a guiding nature, it still can be logically concluded that if the materials (in our case, the Chronicle Review of Human Rights Violations in Belarus -- 2004) are recognized extremist editions containing calls to overthrow the constitutional system, then their authors might be prosecuted.
We have a criminal article “Calls to overthrow the constitutional system”, which provides for criminal responsibility for such actions. This way, the Belarusian authorities have another chance to prosecute dissidents. Now we need to do everything we can to draw the public attention to these lawsuits. Moreover, we are in the election period at the moment. We should not allow for such a persecution now.
15.09.2008 Human rights center
A document entitled ‘Decision for provision of civil security and road safety in Brest oblast during preparation and holding of the elections of deputies to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the fourth convocation’, signed by the head of the head of the internal affairs department of Brest oblast executive committee, lieutenant-colonel V.Krasnichenka, and agreed with the head of Brest oblast KGB department L.Dziadkou and the procurator of Brest oblast, senior justice advisor S.Khmaruk.
08.09.2008 Review-chronicle of human rights violations in Belarus in July-August 2008
At the end of June the parliamentary electoral campaign began. That’s why July and August were defined by numerous violations in this sphere.
05.09.2008 Elections: analysis of the stage of registration of candidates
Human rights activists for free elections have analysed the stage of registration of candidates for deputies of the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the fourth convocation.
01.09.2008 Past week of the electoral campaign: events and generalizations
The main event this week was registration of candidates to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus. According to the Central electoral commission, 276 candidates out of 365 were registered. 76 of the registered ones represent the united democratic forces.
21.08.2008 Formation of election commissions
Legal regulations According to Article 28 of the Election Code, preparation and organization of the election to the Chamber of Representatives is provided for by the district and precinct election commissions.
