16.04.2010 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in March 2010

The situation of human rights in Belarus in March showed the extent to which the Belarusian authorities weren't ready to follow the way of democratic reforms. Execution of two death convicts was one of the most important events that month. Human rights defenders are of the opinion that it was consciously done to thwart the requirements of the national legislation and the international undertakings that were ratified by the country. On 23 March, the Human Rights Center Viasna, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Amnesty International, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE adopted an official statement to condemn the actions of the authorities. The international community was indignant that the executions were performed against the background of negotiations between Belarus and the Council of Europe about introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty.

16.04.2010 Young Front activists detained

Five Young Front activists as well as two journalists were arrested by the police following the youth movement’s rally staged in front of the BRSM pro-government youth organization Minsk Office, European Radio for Belarus reports. The detainees have reportedly been taken to Minsk City Police Department and later transported to Leninski police department.

16.04.2010 Pro-government candidate abuses election law

The pro-government candidate running for the Mahiliou Regional Council Viktar Lazarenka uses the Belposhta national post network while maintaining campaigning for voters, says local Belarusian Christian Democracy activist Kanstantsin Tyrtychny. The activist claims that he received the latest issue of the Sovetskaya Belorussia newspaper with the loyal candidate’s leaflet inside.

16.04.2010 Barysau local newspaper ignores election campaign

The latest issue of the Barysau district state-owned newspaper Adzinstva fails to publish a single article on the progress of the local election campaign, with only ten days remaining till the day of the election, local human rights activists say.

16.04.2010 International observers to be accredited for Belarus’ local elections on 19-30 April

International observers will be accredited to monitor the elections to the local Councils of Deputies of Belarus on 19-30 April. The relevant decision was made at a session of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus on 15 April, BelTA has learnt.

16.04.2010 Salihorsk independent candidate subject to negative campaigning

The staff of ideology departments at Salihorsk state enterprises was ordered to persuade the employees not to vote for the local independent candidate Aliaksandr Valabuyeu. Several employees of the town’s state-run enterprises claim they were warned about the inadmissibility of voting for the independent candidate.

16.04.2010 Orsha UCP candidate quits election

Aliaksei Tsikhanenkau, United Civil Party activist, will not be running for the Vitsebsk Regional Council, says the official statement submitted by the ex-candidate to the constituency election commission #32. The statement names lack of opportunities to exercise control over the transparency of the elections and the recent decision by the UCP as main reasons for the withdrawal.

16.04.2010 Vitsebsk opposition candidate warned

Vitsebsk City Eelction Commission issued an official warning to Belarusian Popular Front activist Uladzimir Ramanavich, who is running for the Vitsebsk City Council, following an incident on 9 April on the territory of students’ hostel #2 of Vitsebsk Techological University. The candidate was accused of organising an unauthorized canvassing picket.

16.04.2010 Car of human rights activist robbed

A human rights activist Alena Tankachova does not exclude that the car had been forced opened with the aim of a search.

Alena Tankachova, the chairperson of "Legal technologies development foundation" told to Radio Svaboda that on April 15 in the night the unkown broke the window in her car. Her personal tings were stolen from the car.

15.04.2010 Baranavichy: Ryhor Hryk is not going to put up with lies of city election commission

The member of the For Freedom movement Ryhor Hryk who hadn’t been registered as a candidate for the Baranavichy City Council by the Baranavichy City Election Commission because of ‘invalidity of signatures’, lodged complaints with the Central Election Commission and the Baranavichy City Procuracy after the failed attempt to get the justice at the Brest Regional Election Commission and the Brest Regional Court.

15.04.2010 Status of victims of Nazism will remain unchanged

On 15 April the Central Election Commission denied a group of Belarusian citizens headed by Arkadz Shkuran in creation of an initiative group for preparation of the draft law On Victims of Nazi Persecution and passing it to the National Assembly.

15.04.2010 Information at website of Barysau District Executive Committee is incomplete and inaccurate

The website of the Barysau District Executive Committee has a section dedicated to the upcoming elections. However, the information is incomplete and sometimes inaccurate.

15.04.2010 Hrodna regional prosecutor fails to see any law violations

The Hrodna human rights defender Raman Yurhel, a representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, receive an answer from the Hrodna regional procurator Viktar Maroz to his complaint concerning violations of the electoral legislation.

15.04.2010 Salihorsk ideologists got a scholding

On 14 April a sitting of the Salihorsk ideologists took place. One of the main issues on the agenda is the upcoming elections to the local Councils of Deputies. Despite the evident formality and non-publicity of the elections, two problems were discovered – two democratic candidates who had received official registration and conducted agitation campaign, Aliaksei Valabuyeu and Viktar Yaumenenka.

15.04.2010 Hotsimsk: pro-governmental candidate uses administrative resource

Ivan Kazhemiaka, the head of the Mahiliou Tax Inspection, runs for the Mahiliou Regional Council of Deputies at the Khotsimskaya election constituency #54. As discovered by his rival, candidate of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Valery Karankevich, the pro-governmental candidate used the administrative resource.