30.07.2008 Hrodna KGB persecutes democratic candidates

On July 30th about 11 a.m. Hrodna representatives of BPF Party Vadzim Saranchukou and Siarhei Antusevich (both are members of BPF Soim) received phone calls from Hrodna KGB directorate. Both were invited to come to the local department of KGB.

Vadzim saranchukou told the KGB officer who failed to introduce himself that he had no time for such a meeting until Monday. Siarhei Antusevich said he could come to the office of Hrodna KGB directorate on July 31st, at 10 a.m. Formally the BPF representatives are summoned to give explanations about Minsk blast on July 3rd. In fact, KGB is persecuting activists for their participation in the elections.

30.07.2008 The Times: Zeltser tortured in KGB jail in Belarus

A closed trial over the case of US lawyer Emanuel Zeltser has begun today in Minsk.

As British The Times writes, Emanuel Zeltser, who once testified on Capitol Hill about the Russian mob, is a key character in a wrangle over the $12billion (£6billion) fortune of a Georgian oligarch found dead at his country home in Surrey.

He was arrested after flying to Belarus and accused of possessing false documents. According to Amnesty International, he has been tortured in custody.

30.07.2008 Anatol Liabedzka: “Unfortunately, prosecutors and taxation bodies are not interested in illegal arms supplies”

Head of the United Civil Party has faced a wave of the third check of taxing authorities.

Leader of the United Civil Party was told on the phone the activity of the Belarusian Euro-Atlantic Association, headed by Anatol Liabedzka long time ago, would be checked soon. Then inspector Yauheniya Paltavets visited the party office. She had an order for carrying out a field tax inspection. The order was signed by deputy head of Minsk inspection A. Ramashevich.

30.07.2008 KGB interested in Valiantsin Stefanovich’s family

Alina, wife of human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich, received a telephone call from KGB department in Minsk and Minsk region with a proposition to come to the KGB office for a conversation.

29.07.2008 Vileika: Zmitser Vinahradau submits complaint to CEC

On July 26th head of the regional BPF branch Zmitser Vinahradau filed a complaint to CEC about the decision of Vileika district election commission # 64. On July 24th the commission denied registration to his initiative group. The reason for denial was a statement from one of his team members that he had been included in the team against his will. According to head of Vinahradau’s initiative group the statement was written under pressure of the local “vertical”.

29.07.2008 Homel: Piotr Kuzniatsou’s initiative group not registered again

The decision not to register Piotr Kuzniatsou’s initiative group again was made by Homel-Centralny district election commission # 33 on Friday, July 25th. The reason was the refusal of two initiative group members to participate in the process. The commission states it has the appropriate statements from these two people. However, they failed to provide the documents to Kuzniatsou for either reading or copying.

29.07.2008 Early campaigning continues in Barysau

The executive committee’s Adzinstva newspaper published an appeal of the local veterans’ organization in its Saturday issue. The appeal which focused around the upcoming parliamentary elections was also broadcast on the local radio.

29.07.2008 Homel: Signatures for incumbent candidate collected with violations of the law

The team of Larysa Kuzniatsova collects signatures in support of her nomination in Homel-savetskaya district # 34 with serious violations of the election law. Members of Kuzniatsova’s initiative group use the administrative resource and misinform the voters. The facts were revealed by observer Andrei Tolchyn:

Staff member of a children’s institution located in the district told me, a signature collector came to the daycare she works at. The staff was proposed to sign for Kuzniatsova. It is worth mentioning, that the signature collector works in Savetski district administration of Homel. The signature collector proposed to sign in support of Kuzniatsova. When the staff member refused, the daycare director highly recommended to put the signature otherwise she would have “difficulties” at work. The staff member of the daycare wanted to remain anonymous.

29.07.2008 Barysau: Signature collection begins

On Monday, July 28th, Barysau rural district election commission # 63 registered two initiative groups for nomination of parliamentary candidates. The registered groups are the group of Vasil Huryanau, general director of Barysaukhlebpram state company, and the group of Siarhei Salash, member of BPF Party. On July 29th Salash’s initiative group consisting of 22 people, began to collect signatures.

29.07.2008 Observers denied registration in Hrodna

Hrodna-Zaniomanskaya district commission # 49 denied registration to two observers, Maksim Hubarevich and Yauheniya Vasilyeva, who gathered signatures in their support. They were told, the forms on which they collected the signatures do not comply with the norms. In particular, they failed to indicate full birthdates of the citizens. However, other commissions registered observers who collected signatures on the same forms without a problem. That is why the observers suspect that was not the real reason for the denial of registration. Maksim Hubarevich managed to register as an observer later – through nomination by the BPF party.

29.07.2008 Analysis: Formation of district election commissions

Formation of district election commissions for holding elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus

29.07.2008 Democrats called to KGB in blast case

Some democratic activists were called for questioning in the KGB in Minsk blast case.

The oppositionists were called for questionings by phone. As activist of the “European Belarus” civil campaign Maksim Vinyarski told to the Charter’97 press center, a man who named himself “KGB officer Alyaksandr Mikalaevich” phoned to him and strongly recommended to visit the KGB directorate on Minsk and the Minsk region. He said a ground for questioning was 4 July blast in Minsk. The KGB officer refused to say his surname and send an official summons to the activist. Besides, he “strongly” recommended that Maksim Vinyarski not to “inform anybody” about the questioning.

28.07.2008 Babruisk authorities keep information about meetings of election commissions in secret from observers

Observer Viktar Kachan says: “I addressed Babruisk Pershamaiskaya district commission many times. I made numerous phone calls and came personally with the request to inform me about the time and place of the commission’s session. Every time they told me they could not do that because “the sessions take place in the way of business, and are gathered when needed”.

28.07.2008 Babruisk: employees of law-enforcement bodies ordered not to sign for independent candidates

Wife of Babruisk policeman told human rights defenders her husband and his co-workers were ordered by their boss not to put their signatures in support of independent candidates. The woman wanted to remain anonymous because she does not want to create problems for her husband. However, such facts already prove that the election might take place with violation of the election legislation.

28.07.2008 Orsha: results of initiative group registration published

Results of initiative group registration were published in Orsha