The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2010

03.03.2010 Zmitser Kaspiarovich is summoned to tax inspection

On 2 March, opposition activist Zmitser Kaspiarovich was questioned by the Zavadski district tax inspection in Minsk n connection with ‘repeated crossing of Belarusian-Lithuanian border in 2008’.

03.03.2010 Statements of Belarusian officials about safety of nuclear power plant are ridiculous

“I guarantee – it is a lie,” stated the chairman of the Lithuanian UNESCO commission.

03.03.2010 Babruisk KGB instigated criminal case against BCD activist

KGB officers fulfilled their threat to instigate a criminal case against Volha Siiyanava, a Babruisk activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy. Volha Siiyanava is also a member of the initiative group of her mother who is running for the local Soviet of Deputies as a BCD member.

03.03.2010 Salihorsk: collection of signatures in student dormitories is banned

On 1 March the Salihorsk district commission didn’t grant the complaint of the initiative group of Aliaksei Valabuyeu against actions of workers of Salihorsk mining chemical technical school and declared it groundless.

03.03.2010 Pretenders to candidates pass signatures to election commissions

The Mahiliou activists of the organizing committee of the Party of Freedom and Progress have already finished colleting signatures for their candidates and passed them to the election commissions. As stated by Yury Stukalau, a leader of the organizing committee of the PFP, a total of eight persons were nominated as candidates to the local Soviets of Deputies – five to the Mahiliou city Soviet and three – to the Mahiliou oblast Soviet.

03.03.2010 Ivan Shyla is not registered as observer at district election commission

On 1 March, the Salihorsk district election commission adopted a negative answer towards the address of the electors who nominated the youth activist Ivan Shyla as an observer to the commission.

03.03.2010 Barysau: lists of precincts published in limited circulation

The latest edition of Adzinstva, the newspaper of the Barysau district executive committee, contains decision #213 of the executive committee On establishment of precincts for the elections to the local Soviets of deputies of the 26th Convocation, adopted on 22 February.

03.03.2010 Assembly of pro-Democratic NGOs: third registration attempt failed

According to information of the press-service of the Assembly of pro-Democratic NGOs, the Ministry of Justice for the third time refused to register the Assembly of pro-Democratic NGOs. The reasons for the registration don’t differ from the reasons given during the previous registration attempt.

03.03.2010 Activists of ‘Young Belarus’ summoned for interrogation

Artur Finkevich, the leader of the underground youth organization Young Belarus, was summoned by an investigator of the police department of the Minsk city executive committee for giving explanations on 3 March. The reason for the summons is the application of Illia Shcharbitski’s mother, who states that members of Young Belarus try to involve her son in unlawful destructive activities that can violate the public order.

03.03.2010 Babruisk KGB looking for foreign sponsors of elections

On 2 March Yury Hryniavetski, Chairperson of the Babruisk organization of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada, paid a visit to the local KGB department to which he was invited as a ‘person who knows about circumstances that are important for ensuring the national security’.

03.03.2010 Procuracy explains to Taisa Danilevich that teachers can have political convictions

M.Plinkevich, acting prosecutor of the Minsk oblast, answered the complain lodged by Natallia Illinich, a teacher from the secondary school in Talka, concerning politically motivated harassment from the side of Taisa Danilevich, Chairperson of the Minsk oblast education bureau.

03.03.2010 Chairperson of Central Election Commission ‘explains’ why collectors of signatures aren’t let in student dormitories

Democratic candidates and members of their initiative groups are banned from entering student dormitories. In particular, on 28 February it happened to members of the initiative group of Uladzimir Ramanovich.

03.03.2010 Vitsebsk oblast: only 1,75% of initiative groups collect signatures for members of political parties

Initiative groups for collecting electors’ signatures in support of candidates to the local Soviets of all levels were registered by less than a half out of the 15 party structures possessing the legal status in the Vitsebsk oblast.

03.03.2010 Chairperson of Babruisk town election commission is ‘not ready to answer questions’

On 21 December 2009 a session of the Babruisk Soviet of Deputies determined the new boundaries for election constituencies. The change was explained with construction of new suburbs, which resulted in migration of the electorate.

03.03.2010 Protestant Pastor Viachaslau Hancahrenka addresses President Lukashenka with open letter

In this letter Viachaslau Hancharenka, pastor of the Protestant Church New Life, calls on the head of the state to establish a commissions on resolution of the conflict between the church and the Minsk authorities.