The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for September 2008

05.09.2008 Hrodna: a leader of the Union of Poles Mechyslau Yaskevich detained

On 4 September Mechyslau Yaskevich, the deputy head of the Union of Poles in Belarus, was detained by the police and guarded to Kastrychnitski district police department.

05.09.2008 Aleh Hulak: in the majority of cases electoral commissions refused to register people as candidates for formal reasons

Observing the consideration of complaints by the Central election commission, the chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak noted that shortcomings of the election laws were revealed during the consideration: ‘The majority of refusals of registration have formal grounds. It is obvious, that many procedures of candidates registration present formal obstacles, that have no relation to ensuring of the right to vote and the right to be elected,’ he said.

05.09.2008 Hrodna: activist of ‘European Belarus’ gets detained for handing out newspaper

On 4 September in Hrodna an activist of the European Belarus civil campaign Yakau Perchyk was detained for distributing of the Vybor newspaper. The newspaper was dedicated to boycott of the oncoming parliamentary election.

05.09.2008 Vitsebsk: calls for early voting

On 4 September a state newspaper Narodnaye Slova, founded by Vitsebsk oblast soviet of deputies and Vitsebsk oblast executive committee, called on the electorate to vote early, from 23to 27 September.

05.09.2008 Central election commission ignores the demand of political parties

The Central election commission didn’t agree on including a question on checking legality of precinct election commissions’ formation into the agenda of its latest session.

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.

04.09.2008 Babruisk: UCP candidate was not allowed to deliver speech to electors

A candidate from the United Civil Party Uladzimir Siamashka was not allowed to speak at the meeting with the official candidate, deputy master of Babruisk town hospital #1 Alena Shamal.

04.09.2008 Slonim: Ivan Sheha demands justice

A member of the Belarusian Popular Front Ivan Sheha, candidate at electoral constituency #58, has addressed the constituency electoral commission and the Central electoral commission with a statement to turn their attention to the fact that in Slonim all precinct commissions were formed of heads of enterprises and their subordinates. This was made by ruling of Slonim district executive commission. At the same time, none of democratic nominees were included in the commissions.

04.09.2008 Svetlahorsk: ‘Ranak’ have chosen its deputy already

The TV channel Ranak and the newspaper Ranak-plius in have again turned their attention to the candidate for deputy of the Chamber of Representatives Valiantsina Kavaliova. At the same time, the official mass media don’t even mention about another candidate running at Svetlahorsk electoral constituency, Siarhei Daineka.

04.09.2008 Baranavichy: unregistered candidate Alexander Valkevich sues to the Supreme Court

The Central electoral commission did not grant the complaint of Alexander Halkevich against non-registration as a candidate for deputy at Baranavichy-Eastern electoral constituency #6. The Central electoral commission confirmed the conclusion of the constituency electoral commission, which had allegedly found 69 invalid signatures among those which had been passed by Halkevich’s initiative group.

04.09.2008 Human rights activist Aliaksei Kolchyn questioned in the case of Minsk blast

On 3 September the human rights activist Aliaksei Kolchyn was questioned at the police department of Mahiliou oblast executive committee. Despite the fact that he was summonsed as a witness, the lieutenant-colonel of police A.Babkou decided to confine himself to questioning only.

04.09.2008 ‘Case of 14’: personal restraint or home arrest?

This year 14 persons were accused of organization of mass riot at the protest action of entrepreneurs which was held on 21 January. One of them, Andrei Kim, was also accused of threatening with violence to a policeman and was sentenced to 1,5 years of jail. Two more, Anton Koipish and Uladzimir Siarheyeu, were punished with fines. One person remains abroad and therefore still has not received any punishment. The rest of the 14 were sentenced to different terms of personal restraint.

04.09.2008 Vitsebsk: printing house refuses to produce agitation leaflets in Tarashkevich orthography

The head of the production department of Vitsebsk state printing house refused to print agitation leaflets for a candidate from the United democratic forces Tatsiana Seviarynets who runs at Vitsebsk-Horki electoral constituency #17, because of the ‘wrong’ orthography.

04.09.2008 Vitsebsk: example of candidates’ ‘equality’

On 3 September the headmaster of gymnasium #4 of Vitsebsk organized and held an electoral meeting of the parents of the gymnasium’s pupils with a pro-regime candidate Siarhei Siamashka, who runs at Vitsebsk Chyhunachnaya electoral constituency #19. The gymnasium hall was overcrowded.

04.09.2008 Polatsk: electors are freed from work for meeting with deputy head of Vitsebsk oblast executive committee

On 2 September at 3 pm a candidate for deputy at Polatsk city electoral constituency #28 Piatro Yuzhyk (deputy head of Vitsebsk oblast executive committee) had a meeting with the electorate at the open stock company Shklovalakno. According to the information received from workers of the enterprise, the workers of two shifts were made to come to the enterprise hall. Organization of such meetings in the working time is a violation of the electoral laws of Belarus.