The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2010

03.12.2010 Braslau: Kastus Shytal detained for handing out leaflets

The activist of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy was handing out electoral leaflets of the presidential candidate Vital Rymasheuski in Braslau.

03.12.2010 Barysau: detention of activist of Sannikau’s electoral team

Alesia Yasiuk, was detained by police in Barysau. On 2 November in the morning Alesia Yasyuk was detained by policemen, while pasting a poster with the portrait of Andrei Sannikau at the Barysau railway station, in a place specially intended for that. The woman was taken to the community police office, where she was kept for more than half an hour, while policemen were discussing something over the phone. Then the detainee was released.

02.12.2010 Chairperson of Vitsebsk Region Executive Committee calls to ‘save the country’ at the election

The Chairperson of the Vitsebsk REC Aliaksandr Kosinets held a press-conference at which he reported about what he did during the two years of work at his position.

02.12.2010 Shklou: threats of dismissal for electoral meeting with Niakliayeu and herding to Lukashenka’s meeting

This information was voiced by Niakliayeu’s proxy Piatro Mihurski, a dweller of the village of Dabreika.

02.12.2010 Homel region: state press knows ‘ideologically correct answers’

The independent electronic media published information that the ideological department of the Homel Region Executive Committee sent to the editorial boards of the local state-owned newspapers a letter with the proposal to hold a poll among the local dwellers concerning the upcoming election. The letter offered the newspapers not only questions, but also ideologically correct answers to them.

02.12.2010 Chairperson of Homel Region Executive Committee advises students to ‘elect the one you know well’

Aliaksandr Yakabson, the Chairperson of the Homel Region Executive Committee, a proxy of the candidate for President Aliaksandr Lukashenka, delivered a speech before students of the Mazyr Pedagogical University.

02.12.2010 Barysau: state-owned press keeps silence about democratic candidates or mocks at them

The printed issues of the mouthpiece of the Barysau District Executive Committee Adzinstva for 1 December 2010 says nothing about oppositional candidates for president. However, the electronic version of the newspaper offers to readers mocking reports about the electoral meetings of Yaraslau Ramanchuk and Andrei Sannikau.

02.12.2010 Salihorsk: ideological work of vertical intensified

The ideological activities of the Salihorsk authorities have become far more intense during the last weeks.

Lelchytsy: <em>Svetlaye Zhyttsio</em> agitates for Lukashenka

02.12.2010 Lelchytsy: Svetlaye Zhyttsio agitates for Lukashenka

The state-owned socio-political newspaper Svetlaye Zhyttsio started promoting the incumbent President. The agitation is carried out on behalf of his most reliable electors – pensioners. The 27 July issue of the newspaper contains the article To Make The Right Choice by a former teacher Valiantsina Siutsiukava.

02.12.2010 Pavel Seviarynets was met with provocative questions

Pavel Seviarynets, the head of the electoral headquarters and a proxy of the presidential candidate Vital Rymasheuski, holds electoral meetings in the Vitsebsk region. On 1 December he had such meetings in Hlybokaye, Pastavy and Miyory. Two meetings passed quite calmly, but the Pastavy officials tried to disrupt the meeting in the Pastavy House of Culture.

01.12.2010 Procuracy to instigate no criminal case on Aleh Biabenin’s death

The Minsk Region Procuracy won’t bring a criminal case on the death of the journalist Aleh Biabenin. This information was given to the information agency BelaPAN by the senior assisting prosecutor of the Minsk region Tatsiana Kalinkina.

01.12.2010 Election-related detentions

The human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka was detained at Kamenny Loh border crossing point on his way from Lithuania with 10 copies of instructions for observes on him.

01.12.2010 Authorities are forming army of ‘pocket observers’

The heads of the precinct election commissions received the errand to form brigades of observers. The latter ones are instructed how to counteract ‘curious’ journalists and observers during the count of the poll, neutralize the personal opinions entered by observers and witness another ‘elegant victory’. The observer of the NGO BPF Adradzhenne saw it all at the training seminar for the heads of the precinct election commissions of the Maskouski district of Minsk on 30 November.

01.12.2010 Babruisk: state-owned mass media agitate for Lukashenka

The state-owned mass media of Babruisk are keeping to the tactic of silence during the present electoral campaign and publish only general information on elections. The only exception is the mouthpiece of the Babruisk Town Executive Committee Babruiskaye Zhyttsio, which dedicatedly promotes just one candidate, the incumbent Lukashenka.

<em>Homelskaya Prauda</em> publishes only ‘ideologically correct’ opinions about opposition’s candidates

01.12.2010 Homelskaya Prauda publishes only ‘ideologically correct’ opinions about opposition’s candidates

What are your feelings about the speeches of the presidential candidates? – an article with such a title was published in the front page of the newspaper issue for 30 November. Meanwhile, the incumbent Aliaksandr Lukashenka refused to deliver and electoral speech. Hence, the article concerns only other candidates.