The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for November 2010

15.11.2010 Activist of Belarusian Christian Democracy detained for stickers

The activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, 24-year-old Anto Kotau was detained in the night of 11-12 November in the Pershamaiski district of Minsk where he was posting stickers with the word ‘Retire!’ He was charged with violation of the sanitary norms under Article 21.14 of the Code of Administrative Violations.

15.11.2010 ‘Fate of Mikalai Autukhovich depends on everyone’

On 10 November in Minsk the film producer Volha Mikalaichyk presented her new documentary Travel across Endless War. The film is dedicated to the veteran of the War in Afghanistan, political prisoner and former entrepreneur Mikalai Autukhovich.

15.11.2010 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in October 2010

In October participants of the campaign Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections observed the following stages of the electoral campaign – the collection of signatures in support of the potential candidates for President (ended on 29 October) and the nomination of candidates to precinct election commissions, one of the key mechanisms of the electoral process that directly organizes the voting and the counting of votes. 11 pretenders for presidency passed more than 100,000 signatures to territorial election commissions. 10 of them were registered as candidates and continued taking part in the electoral race. Observers of the campaign continued registering cases of violation of the electoral legislation by administrations of state enterprises and organs which manifested in collection of signatures during working hours and forcing in the process of collection of signatures. The nomination of candidates for precinct election commissions ended on 31 October. An insignificant number of representatives of oppositional parties were included in them (about 0.25% of the total number). Territorial election commissions denied observers in observing the verification of signatures for the nomination of candidates.

12.11.2010 Hrodna region: courts side with local authorities

Judge of the Leninski District Court of Hrodna Liudmila Zhukouskaya considered as groundless the complaint against the non-inclusion of a 21-year-old member of the United Civil Party in a precinct election commission (PEC). In the Kastrychnitski District Court, Judge Valiantsina Mokhan turned down the complaint against the non-inclusion of 8 members of the UCP, though during the trial it was discovered that the documents for the nomination of representatives of pro-governmental organizations to the PECs were drawn with violation of the legal requirements. By the way, now the UCP members demand a graphologic expertise of these documents and are going to continue struggling for justice.

12.11.2010 Mahiliou: court turns down complaints of oppositionists

On 10 and 11 November the Kastrychnitski District Court of Mahiliou considered three lawsuits against the non-inclusion of representatives of the democratic community in precinct election commissions. The Belarusian Leftist Party sued against the non-inclusion of 9 representatives, the NGO BPF Adradzhenne – 12, and the Mahiliou Human Rights Center - 3 representatives.

12.11.2010 Results of verification of signatures in Homel regiona

On 11 November the Homel Region Election Commission held a sitting to sum up the results of the verification of signatures in support of the potential candidates for President.

12.11.2010 Another person charged of assaults on Russian Embassy and bank

Maksim Vetkin, who had been detained on 4 November in Minsk, was presented charges in the assault on the Embassy of the Russian Federation on 30 August and the assault on the Belarusbank in the night of 30 April – 1 May. Thus, Maksim Vetkin became the third person charged of the hooligan assaults that had been committed this year in Salihorsk and different parts of Minsk.

12.11.2010 Authorities determine places for electoral meetings (information from regions)

The Smarhon Town Executive Committee determined the places for canvassing, electoral meetings and pickets under the agreement of the Smarhon Town Election Commission.

12.11.2010 Central Election Commission confirms that Mazyr DEC violated electoral legislation?

The Mazyr human rights defender Uladzimir Tseliapun received an answer to his complaint concerning the legality of the ruling of the Mazyr District Executive Committee concerning the establishment of the ‘working group’ that had in fact formed the lists of members of the precinct election commission sin the Mazyr district. The CEC Chairperson Lidziya Yarmoshyna admitted that some of the provisions of that ruling ‘don’t completely correspond to requirements of the electoral legislation’, but stated that the observer had no right to observe the actions of this ‘working group’.

12.11.2010 New information about composition of precinct election commissions

The analysis of the personnel of the PECs of the Orsha district shows that there is the greatest representation of the Belarusian Union of Women in them – its nominees were included in 38 out of 43 commissions. There are representatives of the Belarusian republican association of veterans in 35 PECs, and representatives of the Trade Union of Agricultural Industry – in 34.

12.11.2010 Haradok: court marshals seize computer from Leanid Autukhou

The Chairperson of the Haradok town organization of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Leanid Autukhou was deprived of his computer due to the failure to pay the fine to which he had been sentenced last year for a street action with Belarusian national white-red-white flags.

12.11.2010 Youth activist directed to psychiatric hospital for membership in campaign team of Uladzimir Niakliayeu

One of the most known activists of the Salihorsk branch of the campaign team of Uladzimir Niakliayeu, member of the Young Front Andrei Tychyna was detained at a street action on 7 November and guarded to the Salihorsk Military Enlistment Office, where he was issued a writ for medical examination.

11.11.2010 Barysau: people forced to meet with candidate Lukashenka

The potential candidate for President, President Lukashenka is coming for an electoral meeting in Barysau on 12 November. The meeting will take place outdoors, on the construction site of the new stadium. Students of the Barysau colleges and vocational schools are obliged to come there for fear of expulsion from the educational establishments.

11.11.2010 Babruisk: strange manipulations with signatures in support of Uladzimir Niakliayeu

The member of the electoral team of Uladzimir Niakliayeu Alena Miadzvedzeva paid a visit to the Pershamaiski District Election Commission to find about the number of the valid signatures in support of Mr. Niakliayeu.

11.11.2010 Members of BPF Party filed inquiries with Hrodna Border Group

The members of the Belarusian Popular Front Vadzim Saranchukou and Yauhen Skrabutan applied t the head of the Hrodna border group colonel I.Butkevich. They ask to explain why they had been detained and subject to personal examination (Mr. Skrabutan had been detained at the border crossing point Bruzgi (on the Polish border) on 5 November, and Mr. Saranchukou – at Pryvalka (the Lithuanian border).