The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for November 2010

08.11.2010 Another act of vandalism in Kurapaty

38 crosses were broken in the memorial complex Kurapaty, the place of mass political executions near Minsk on the eve of 7 November.

08.11.2010 Mahiliou region: no changes in staff of precinct election commissions

The district newspapers of the Bialynichy, Kruhliany and Shklou districts started publishing the lists of members of the precinct election commissions. The staff of the PECs changed little since the election to the local councils held on 25 April 2010.

08.11.2010 Central Election Commission agrees to abolish restrictions in work of observers

On 5 November the CEC considered the proposal of human rights defenders about amending of its Ruling #49 of 15 September 2010. The Belarusian Helsinki Committee proposed to abolish the novelties in the direction of observers to election precincts and commissions.

08.11.2010 Brahin: were election commissions dissolved after local election?

The composition of the precinct commissions of the Brahin district differs very little from the local election held in spring 2010.

08.11.2010 Barysau: monitoring of 'working moments' is banned

Observer Aleh Matskevich occasionally saw members of the Barysau Town Election Committee sitting in their room and listening to a speech of its secretary, Tatsiana Stasava. However, he wasn't admitted to this sitting, because the secretary called this assembly a 'working moment'.

05.11.2010 Precinct election commissions: ‘discrimination coefficient’ remains the same

On 5 November the civil campaign Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections held a press-conference on the results of the formation of precinct election commissions. The results that were announced by the Chairperson of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak and the lawyer of the Human Rights Center Viasna Valiantsin Stefanovich are quite disappointing for those who expect some democratization of the election process. It was stated that representatives of opposition structures weren’t included in the commissions five times more often than representatives of the organizations that are loyal to the present authorities. ‘The coefficient of discrimination’, as Mr. Hulak called it, remains the same in comparison to the previous election.

05.11.2010 Zhlobin district: 6 complaints against non-inclusion of people in precinct commissions

6 complaints against the non-inclusion of democratic activists in the precinct election commissions (PECs) of the Zhlobin district have been lodged to the Zhlobin District Court. The trials were scheduled for 7 November.

05.11.2010 Baranavichy: ruling about formation of precinct commissions is appealed at court

On 5 November the Chairperson of the Baranavichy town organization of the Belarusian Language Society (BLS) Viktar Syrytsa (pictured) applied to the Baranavichy Town Court with a complaint against the ruling of the Baranavichy Town Executive Committee (TEC) concerning the formation of the precinct election commissions on the territory of the town.

05.11.2010 Miory: collector of signatures receives phone threats

According to the member of the campaign team of Vital Rymasheuski Iryna Valter, on 4 November she received a phone call from an unidentified man. He stated that she needed to urgently take away from the district executive committee the signatures that had been collected in favor of Mr. Rymasheuski and threatened her with trouble at work otherwise.

05.11.2010 Hrodna: human rights defenders detained at customs office

The equipment of the border guards reacted to the passports of the human rights defenders Uladzimir Khilmanovich and Viktar Sazonau during the passport control at the customs office of the Hrodna railway station.

05.11.2010 Mazyr: human rights defender asks prosecutor to check legality of establishment of ‘working group’

The human rights defender Uladzimir Tseliapun believes that the ‘working group’ that was established at the Mazyr District Executive Committee, takes over the functions of the Central Election Commission and the district commissions, and asks the inter-district prosecutor of the Mazyr district to check the legitimacy of the ruling of the district executive committee concerning its formation.

05.11.2010 Barysau: 112 precinct election commissions formed for 12 minutes

The representative of the Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry Maryna Statkevich was admitted to the sitting of the Barysau District Executive Committee that formed the precinct election commissions (PECs) for the Barysau district. She was very surprised with the fact that this sitting lasted only for 12 minutes.

05.11.2010 Svetlahorsk: precinct election commissions haven’t changed much since local elections

The independent observers who were present at the sittings of the executive committees on the formation of the PECs were surprised and indignant – how can 60 or 70 election commissions be formed for some 10 or 15 minutes, by voting for all lists of commissions at once without any discussion of the candidacies? The naïve observers were explained that the draft compositions of the commissions had been composed in advance by the specially established ‘working groups’.

05.11.2010 Zhodzina Town Election Commission to hold additional verification of signatures for Statkevich, Kostuseu and Tsiareshchanka

On 4 November the Zhodzina Town Election Commission held a sitting for the verification of the signatures that had been passed to it by the campaign teams of 9 pretenders for President of Belarus. The sitting was observed by Aliaksei Lapitski.

05.11.2010 Human rights defenders Pay attention to use of torture in Belarus

A group of human rights defenders from different Belarusian human rights organizations prepared an alternative report to the UN Committee against Torture. The report concerns the international undertakings of Belarus according to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Kinds of Treatment and Punishment. This is the first alternative report on torture that will be presented to the UN in December and will be considered by the Committee against Torture as early as spring 2011.