The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 1 Apr 2010

01.04.2010 Homel: rotation in regional Council of Deputies

Deputies of Homel regional Council of Deputies of the 25th Convocation are running for the 26th Convocation, but at different constituencies. Though seven days have passed after the registration of the candidates, their lists haven’t been published in the state-owned press websites. The general picture can be retrieved only from information received from regions.

01.04.2010 Mahiliou: complaints of members of Belarusian Christian Democracy are dismissed

On 1 April, Mahiliou regional election commission considered at its sitting the complaints of Aliaksandra Siianava and Viachaslau Sheleh, members of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy.

01.04.2010 Vitsebsk region: one registration, ten denials

11 pretenders applied to Vitsebsk regional election commission for registration of their candidacies after receiving refusals from lower election commissions.

01.04.2010 Astravets: end of elections

The elections to Astravets district Council of Deputies seem to be over. How can one speak of elections, if there is only one candidate at each of the 25 election constituencies!

01.04.2010 Mahiliou: human rights defender appeals against determination of places for agitation

On 1 April, human rights defender Barys Bukhel lodged complaints with the Central Election Commission and the procuracy of Mahiliou region. He demands the reversal of the ruling of Mahiliou city executive committee on determination of the places for mass actions held by candidates for deputies for the purpose of canvassing.

01.04.2010 Mazyr: defect information about candidates

On 31 March, the socio-political Mozyr newspaper Zhyttsio Palessia printed the list of candidates for Mazyr district Council of Deputies and Homel regional Council of Deputies. It is quite interesting that the surnames of the candidates are published in the alphabet order. The places of work, official positions and information about the income are put opposite the surnames. However, the names and the numbers of the constituencies at which the candidates intend to run aren’t indicated at all. Alternative elections will take place only in 3 out of 40 constituencies on elections to Mazyr district Council of Deputies. 37 constituencies have just one candidate, and the electors can vote only ‘for’ or ‘against’.

01.04.2010 Zhodzina authorities act ‘more delicately, wisely and slyly’

The elections will be non-alternative in 31 out of 34 constituencies for the elections to the Barusau district Council of Deputies, while the authorities of the neighboring city of Zhodzina act ‘more delicately, wisely and slyly’, as it was recommended by Natallia Piatkevich, Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Administration.

01.04.2010 Baranavichy: Mikalai Charnavus addresses prosecutor

Entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus who hasn’t been registered as a candidate for Baranavichy city Council of Deputies, applied to Baranavichy prosecutor on 30 March. He states that he has collected enough evidence of abuses made by members of the election commission during checking of the signatures in his support.

01.04.2010 Detentions of activists of Union of Poles in Belarus

Mechyslau Yaskevich, Deputy Chairperson of the Union of Poles in Belarus, and Veranika Sebastyianovich, Chairperson of the Association of Officers of the Polish Army at the UPB, were detained by police not far from Shchychyn.

01.04.2010 Frantsishak Viachorka faces obstacles in registration of proxies, printing of agitation materials and meeting with electors

After the consideration of the complaint of the ‘political recruit’ Frantsishak Viachorka, candidate for deputy of the Mazyr district Council of Deputies, the military authorities still haven’t granted his request for one-month rest, to which he has a legal right according to Article 77 of the Election Code.

01.04.2010 Complaint against non-registration is being considered at the office of the commission Chairperson

Pensioner Tatsiana Kavazhenka was invited to a sitting of the Minsk oblast election commission at which her complaint against her non-registration as a candidate for deputy by Barysau district election commission. On 31 March in the morning she received a written invitation, which was doubled by a telephone call several hours later.

01.04.2010 Committee to Protect Journalists urges Belarusian authorities to return citizenship to Pavel Sharamet

The international non-governmental organisation with headquarters in New York has made a statement of protest.

01.04.2010 Mass searches of opposition activists in Belarus

Opposition activists are searched under pretence of receiving an anonymous message about a possible terrorist act.

01.04.2010 UN Human Rights Committee deplores recent executions in Belarus

The UN Human Rights Committee has deplored the recent execution of two death row inmates in Belarus, BelaPAN reports.

BELARUS: FIDH Vice President and President of Human Rights Center Viasna and his three colleagues arrested during a peaceful assembly against death penalty

01.04.2010 BELARUS: FIDH Vice President and President of Human Rights Center Viasna and his three colleagues arrested during a peaceful assembly against death penalty

Paris-Geneva, March 23. 2010. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), expresses its deep concern about the arbitrary arrest of Mr. Ales Bialiatski, FIDH Vice-President, along with three other members of the Human Rights Center Viasna.