26.04.2010 Election campaigning by candidates for deputies of Local Councils of Deputies of the 26th convocation. Analysis and Trends.
According to Art. 45 of the Electoral Code, the citizens of the Republic of Belarus, political parties and other public associations, work collectives, the candidates’ proxies have the right to free and full discussion of the election programs of candidates, their political, business and personal qualities, to campaigning for or against a candidate at meetings, rallies, through media, as well as during meetings with voters.
20.04.2010 White-red-white flag is not subject to criminal prosecution
Statement by the Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’
16.04.2010 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in March 2010
The situation of human rights in Belarus in March showed the extent to which the Belarusian authorities weren't ready to follow the way of democratic reforms. Execution of two death convicts was one of the most important events that month. Human rights defenders are of the opinion that it was consciously done to thwart the requirements of the national legislation and the international undertakings that were ratified by the country. On 23 March, the Human Rights Center Viasna, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Amnesty International, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE adopted an official statement to condemn the actions of the authorities. The international community was indignant that the executions were performed against the background of negotiations between Belarus and the Council of Europe about introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty.
09.04.2010 International human rights community condemns execution of Andrei Zhuk and Vasil Yuzepchuk
A wide range of foreign and international human rights organizations addressed Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Siarhei Sikorski with a joint statement to condemn the ongoing use of the death penalty in Belarus. Here we present to your attention the full text of the address.
06.04.2010 Scandalous blunder of Mahiliou vertical
It is a well-known fact that results of elections in Belarus have been determined in advance by high-rank officials of Belarus for many years already. It is not a secret that preparation to election finished in our country before the beginning of the election campaign. However, during these elections this information was announced officially for the first time.
30.03.2010 The results of monitoring of the registration of candidates for deputies of the Local Councils of Deputies of the 26th convocation and the formation of election commissions
The Campaign ‘Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections’ presents the results of monitoring of the registration of candidates for deputies of the Local Councils of Deputies of the 26th convocation and the formation of election commissions.
23.03.2010 Viasna and BHC’s statement on execution of Zhuk and Yuzepchuk
Administration of pre-trial prison № 1 refused to take food, brought for Andrey Zhuk by his mother, and informed her, that death sentences, passed on her son and Vasilij Uzepchuk in summer, 2009, were carried out.
The authorities cynically ignored the demands of the Belarusian human rights defenders and The UN Human Rights Committee not to execute the condemned, while their appeals were considered in the Committee.
22.03.2010 Election campaign: past week in facts and figures
The beginning of the week coincided with the last day of nomination of candidates for deputies of local councils of various levels. Official figures on the number of persons who applied to the territorial and constituency election commissions for registration of their candidacies were made public. Lidzia Yarmoshyna publicly named the scanty rate of nominees from the political parties as the results of the ‘advantages’ given to the parties by the amended electoral law. Against the background of statements by the CEC head on enhancing competition among candidates for deputy seats, the representatives of pro-democratic forces began counting uncontested constituencies in the country.
15.03.2010 Week of election campaign: numbers, events and comments
The last week completely discredited the myth about the 'liberalization' of the election process in Belarus. The results of one of the most important stages of the campaign, the formation of precinct election commissions, just confirmed the pessimistic prognoses of the country's democratic community: the authorities retain the control over the poll. The representation of the democratic community in the precinct election commissions is scanty.
05.03.2010 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in January 2010
In January, the election to the Local Councils of the 26th Convocation started in Belarus. According to Presidential decree #21 of 18 January 2010, the election was appointed to 26 April. It was the first campaign carried under the amended Election Code. As soon as the decree was published, Belarusian human rights defenders started monitoring the electoral process all over Belarus within the frames of the campaign Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections. One of their aims was to analyze the practical implementation of new provisions of the electoral legislation. According to these innovations, the subjects who nominated their representatives to election commissions received the right to appeal their non-inclusion in the commissions. A number of public and political activists used this right and applied to court.
01.03.2010 The Implementation of Freedom of Association in 2009
In 2009 the situation in the sphere of freedom of association in Belarus failed to undergo significant changes, the main problems in the formation and activities of public associations remaining unaltered. The practice of denying registration to public associations and political parties on dubious grounds including the socio-political stand of the associations’ founders was continued. A ban on the activities of unregistered public associations, foundations, political parties and religious organizations was kept in force resulting in criminal penalties for such activities (Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code, ‘Illegal organization of a public association, religious organization or foundation or participation in their activities’ .
23.02.2010 Election campaign week: events, figures and trends
Last week’s main activities within the election campaign related to the submission of applications for registration of initiative groups to nominate candidates to the appropriate constituency and territorial commissions. The week was also marked by an active discussion of the decisions of local executive committees on the definition of places where picketing for collecting signatures and campaign events in support of candidates would be prohibited.
12.02.2010 Materials from Belarusian NPOs prepared for the Universal Periodic Review of Belarus in the U.N. Committee on Human Rights. October 2009
This compilation of materials was prepared in August-September 2009 by a group of NGOs for conveyance to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in conjunction with the preparation of the Universal Periodic Review of the Republic of Belarus' fulfillment of its international human rights obligations. These materials contain references to more detailed reports and publications. The following organizations participated in the preparation of these materials: International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), “Viasna” Human Rights Center, Assembly of Democratic Non-Governmental Organizations of Belarus and Congress of Independent Unions (Belarus).
08.02.2010 Electoral marathon: events, tendencies and figures of the week
The week started with two press-conferences covering the progress of the election campaign. On 1 February Chairperson of the Central Electoral Committee Lidzia Yarmoshyna told the journalists about the successful finish of the first stage of the electoral campaign (formation of territorial election committees), highlighting the main tendencies of the stage.
02.02.2010 Electoral marathon: numbers and tendencies of the week
Elections to local Soviets of deputies of the Republic of Belarus of the 26th Convocation were appointed on 25 April 2010 by Presidential Decree #10 on 18 January 2010. Bear in mind that it is not the first electoral campaign carried out under the electoral legislation containing new amendments that were introduced on the eve on the campaign.
