17.07.2008 Homel region: political and civic activists interrogated about the blast

On July 12th in Kalinkavichy a local policeman knocked on the doors of Dzianis Rabianok’s apartment. Police officer E. Drabysheuski told Dzianis’s mother that he urgently needed to talk to her son. Dzianis’ mother said he was not at home. The policeman told her he wanted to come inside to make sure Dzianis was not there. His mother refused to open the door and the policeman left.

17.07.2008 Salihorsk: authorities refuse to inform BHC representatives about meetings of district election commissions

On July 15th observers P. batuyeu and M. Sharavar addressed Salihorsk district executive committee with the request to inform them about the date, time and place of the first session of Salihorsk city and Salihorsk rural election commissions. They also attached an extract from the minutes of BHC board meeting which sent them to the meetings of the respective election commissions as observers.

17.07.2008 Brest: because of the high “competition” Siarhei Vakulenka did not get a place in district election commission

Siarhei Vakulenka, agent of Alexander Milinkevich and international observer in the past, was nominated to become member of election commission of Brest-Centralnaya district # 2.

According to Alexander Kaliada, member of the Central Election Commission, head of the main board for organizational work and staff, Vakulenka was not selected as a commission member because of the very high competition in the district: 22 candidates for only 13 seats. He also pointed out: “when forming the commission we primarily were guided by the goal to make the commission efficient and having representation of the wide political spectrum in the country. Vakulenka did not get a seat in the commission in the draft of our ruling. We decided that other representatives are better in meeting our criteria. “

17.07.2008 Deputy head of Baranavichy rural district commission promotes President’s ideas

The first session of the district election commission in Baranavichy rural election district # 7 (Baranavichy and Liakhavichy districts) took place. Piotr Dubouski, deputy director for ideology of Baranavichy poultry factory, was elected head of the election commission. Leanid Kaubasa, head of the ideological department of Liakhavichy executive committee, was elected his deputy.

17.07.2008 Executive authorities represented in almost all of district election commissions of Brest region

Despite the fact that Brest regional executive committee and the Presidium of the regional Council made the decision to create election commissions with maximum number of members (13 people to each of the 16 commissions), some of them were not selected but appointed by the bodies which created the commissions. Thus, out of 208 commission members which were to be selected, 28 (14 from the regional executive committee, and 14 from the Presidium of the regional Council) were appointed.

16.07.2008 Court recognizes detentions under the July 4th blast legally qualified

On July 15th and 16th Centralny court of Minsk heard the complaints against detentions of Andrei Koipish and Tatsiana Pekun. The young people were detained under suspicion of organizing an explosion in Minsk.

16.07.2008 UDF candidate Alexander Mekh receives threatening calls

On July 8th, Kobryn activists Alexander Mekh received a threatening phone call. He tells his story: “At 12.11 someone called me on the cell phone. I received the call. Immediately I heard foul language, insults and threats.

16.07.2008 Mikhail Sharamet detained and kept in KGB investigation department

Today the husband of BAJ board member Aliona Sharamet received a phone call from the KGB department. He was invited to have a “conversation” as a witness in “you know what case we are talking about, the most known case at the moment”.

16.07.2008 Police search Yuras Karetnikau’s apartment

KGB and police officers began to search Yuras Karetnikau’s apartment at about 10.40 a.m. Karetnikau is a member of the unregistered organization “Pravy Alliance”.

The police officers knocked on Karetnikau’s doors for about 30 minutes. When Yuras opened the door, they entered the apartment and showed a search warrant.

16.07.2008 Vitebsk human rights activist taken to police station from intensive care unit

Open Letter of Belarusian Human Rights Defenders

16.07.2008 Brest: K. Sumar supports equal opportunities for all candidates and exclusion of forced early voting

Kanstantsin Sumar is the head of Brest regional executive committee. At the recent meeting of the Brest regional executive committee Presidium and the Regional Council, dedicated to approval of district election commissions, he said: “We have set our main goal for this election – it is to carry it out in the most open way, strictly within the framework of the election law and the Constitution of our country, and to make them the most transparent. We will do everything possible in order to observe the law, in order to receive and satisfy all applications and proposals which will be coming from NGOs and political parties, as well as from candidates.

16.07.2008 Vitebsk human rights defender Paval Levinau arrested for 10 days

The arrest verdict was given on May 26th: court found the BHC representative guilty of disorderly conduct.

For almost two months Mr. Levinau tried to challenge the verdict. He tried to prove his innocence and the fact that the court violated the law when making the verdict – as it was read out in his absence. According to the human rights activist, Pershamaiski district policemen made numerous attempts to deliver him to the arrest and detention center: they stood on duty near his apartment and followed him around the city. Today Paval Levinau was brought to the police station from hospital. He got into hospital yesterday from the prosecutor’s office, where he had another collision with the police.

16.07.2008 Tax inspectors put BPF office on their check list

Secretaries of the BPF office received a phone call from the tax inspectorate. Despite the fact that the tax inspectorate has detailed information about the BPF party, the tax officers were asking about the staff list of the BPF office and if the staff received any salary.

16.07.2008 For Freedom Movement sues Ministry of Justice

Members of the organizing committee of the Movement “For Freedom” filed a complaint to the Supreme Court. The founders of the non-governmental organization believe that the decision of the Ministry of Justice dated June 19th is illegal. The Ministry denied registration to the Movement claiming its members had violated the legislation of Belarus. By such a denial the Ministry restricts the constitutional right of the citizens to form associations.

16.07.2008 Police look for explosives in the house of Vasil Staravoitau’s relatives

The police visited the house of Tatsiana Zhalabayeva several times. Tatsiana is the daughter of Vasil Staravoitau, former chairman of Rassvet collective farm, and Hero of Socialist Labour.

“They came 8 times this week, and were asking questions about my husband Siarhei, who had earlier been convicted for illegal possession of arms. They asked were he was on July 3rd and 4th and if he was hiding any weapons or explosives”, Tastiana said.