04.02.2010 Orsha town electoral committee loses constituency

According to a list of constituencies published in the Arshanskaya hazeta local newspaper, 3,385 voters are ‘lost’ by Orsha town electoral committee, as compared with the previous election campaign.

04.02.2010 Belarus national released on demand by Strasbourg Court

Ihar Koktysh, 29-year-old Belarusian activist and rock musician, charged with a grave crime by the Belarusian authorities, has been released from a pre-trial detention center in Simferopol, Crimea peninsula, Ukraine, after 2.5 years of imprisonment, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

04.02.2010 Siarhei Kavalenka’s case reaches General Prosecutor

The criminal case of Vitsebsk Conservative Christian Party BPF member Siarhei Kavalenka reached General Prosecutor’s Office, after over a week of uncertainty about the investigation, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports, quoting the activist’s legal counsel Piotr Kavalenka.

04.02.2010 European Union condemns decree on Internet censorship in Belarus

The European Union thinks the decree puts more restrictions on freedom of speech in Belarus.

Lutz Guellner, a spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, commented on the decree regulating activity of websites in Belarus, Radio Svaboda reports.

04.02.2010 Statement by the Union of Belarusian Writers on harassment of the Union’s members

After the formation of the Public Association ‘The Union of the Writers of Belarus’ (UWB) in 2006, the Association’s management, assisted by the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Culture, together with their departments, have been taking numerous purposeful measures aimed at the suppression of the activities by Belarus’ oldest writer’s union – the Union of Belarusian Writers (UBW).

03.02.2010 Civil activist fired over run in elections

Mikalai Rasiuk, Mahiliou civil activist, faces dismissal by Lavsanbud Ltd. ahead of running for in the local council elections. The activist says he is not going to panic and will run in the forthcoming elections.

03.02.2010 Slauharad town authorities get tough on ideological maintenance of elections

Slauharad town executive committee is going to intensify the ideological control over the local elections campaign, states a special plan released by the authorities. The precautions will include arranging meetings at state-owned enterprises and educational institutions

03.02.2010 Scandal: How opposition activists expelled from universities

Professors of the Belarusian National technical University were forced to low grades to an opposition activist to expel him from university.

03.02.2010 Amnesty International: Another political prisoner in Belarus

Believer Ivan Mikhailau, convicted on February 1, has been recognized prisoner of conscience.

The court of the Minsk district sentenced Ivan MIkhailau to three months in jail.

03.02.2010 Criminal case of Yury Kazak to be considered by court of appeal

The criminal case of the Belarusian Christian Democracy’s Navahradak activist Yury Kazak will be considered under appellate proceedings by Hrodna Regional Court on 18 February, says Mr. Kazak’s legal counsel Pavel Sapelka.

03.02.2010 Chairperson of Central Election Commission distorts norms of electoral legislation

According to information of state media, by 14 February the local authorities must determine the places for holding pickets on collecting signatures in support of candidates. Lidziya Yarmoshyna, Chairperson of the Central Commission on elections and holding of republican referenda, voiced this information on 1 February at press-conference in Minsk. However, human rights defenders state that such demand contradicts to Article 61 of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus, where it is stated that ‘…collection of electors’ signatures can be conducted in the form of picketing. No permission is needed for it unless the picketing is held in places that are banned for picketing by the local executive and regulatory authorities.’

02.02.2010 Court didn’t grant complaint of Homel city UCP organization against non-inclusion of its member in election commission

On 2 February Siarhei Shytsikau, Judge of the Tsentralny District Court in Homel, didn’t grant the complaint lodged by the Homel city organization of the United Civil Party against the decision of the Homel city executive committee and the Presidium of the Homel city Soviet of deputies by which the UCP member Yury Varonezhtsau hadn’t been included in the commission. The court ruled that the decision had been taken in line with the legislation, without any violations.

02.02.2010 Baranavichy: reliability proved by time

On 1 February the first sitting of the Baranavichy city election commission took place. Siarhei Housha came to it as an observer from the Belarusian Language Society. Yury Shastsiarniou, former army officer who used to head election commissions during earlier elections, was unanimously elected Chairperson of the commission. At present Yury Shastsiarniou is Deputy Chairperson of the TV Company Intex. Tatsiana Zhytko, Chairpersons of the ideological department of the Baranavichy city executive committee and constant member of election commissions, was elected his deputy. By the way, she was nominated to the commission by the trade union of workers of state organs. Almost a half of members of the commission are pensioners. One of them, Ivan Dzehilevich, is 83.

02.02.2010 Babruisk: in search for apolitical members of election commissions

The Babruisk officials engaged with staffing for members of precinct election commissions. Administration of enterprises and state institutions already tells the workers they must become members of these commissions.

02.02.2010 Vitsebsk: political activist Taras Surhan sentenced to a year of preventive supervision

The reason for supervision is that the Vitsebsk activist Taras Surhan had been detained three times and convicted for participation in oppositional actions. The Chyhunachny District Court in Vitsebsk sentenced the activist to a year of preventive supervision.