28.01.2010 No room for oppositionists in Minsk regional electoral committee, Vitsebsk city electoral committee and Homel regional electoral committee

As a result of a joint meeting of the presidium of Vitsebsk city council of deputies and Vitsebsk city executive committee, none of the four representatives of political parties nominated for joining Vitsebsk city electoral committee was allowed to become its member.

28.01.2010 BHC representative not allowed to attend pre-electoral meeting in Hrodna

Raman Yurhel, head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee’s Hrodna office, was not allowed to be present at the meeting of nomination for regional electoral committee, due to lack of permit by Hrodna city executive committee.

28.01.2010 Another oppositionist, Syarhei Kavalenka’s friend, arrested in Vitsebsk

Aleh Surhan, accused of disobedience to militia during detention for hanging out a national flag, was detained by officers of the Kastrychnitski district militia department of Vitsebsk on January 27.

The incident, which will be considered by court, took place on September 3, 2009. Aleh Surhan and his younger brother Taras Surhan were detained by militiamen at a bus stop near the medical university, where a national white-red-white flag was hung out,” Radio Svaboda reminds.

28.01.2010 Autukhovich and Asipenka’s period of detention extended

Period of detention for Vaukavysk businessmen extended till February 28.

It was said by Uladzimir Asipenka’s daughter, Liudmila Asipenka, who received a letter from her father in the beginning of the week.

28.01.2010 Interior Minister justifies total lawlessness by riot policemen

Today the Interior Minister of Belarus has stated that during the opposition rallies journalists provoke brutality of riot policemen themselves.

At today’s press-conference in Minsk journalists grumbled to the minister of the Interior Affairs Anatoly Kulyashou at brutal actions of policemen during opposition rallies, when photo reporters and cameramen are hindered from performing their professional functions, Radio Svaboda informs.

28.01.2010 The Death Penalty in Belarus in 2009

The year of 2009 failed to become a turning point in the abolition or the declaration of a moratorium on the death penalty in Belarus. Belarus is still the only country in Europe and in the ex-Soviet area that keeps passing and executing death sentences. At the same time, for the first time in the history of independent Belarus the issue of the death penalty appeared in the forefront of wide public attention.