The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for July 2012

23.07.2012 Mahiliou HR defender appeals ban on recording at election commission’s sitting

Mahiliou human rights defender Barys Bukhel urges the Central Election Commission to reverse an earlier decision by constituency election commission No. 87 to prohibit audio recording at its sittings.

23.07.2012 CEC sides with constituency commissions

The Electoral Code does not oblige election commissions to provide observers with information on the date and time of their sittings, as well as on decisions taken, says an official reply from Mrs. Lidziya Yarmoshyna, head of the Central Election Commission, received by Aleh Ramashkevich, observer representing the Belarusian Helsinki Committee in constituency No. 56 in the town of Masty, Hrodna region.

23.07.2012 Pickets for election boycott banned in Minsk

Minsk activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Mrs. Nadzeya Iulskaya will not be able to stage two pickets calling voters to boycott the forthcoming parliamentary election, the BCD press-service reports.

23.07.2012 Anton Surapin not released, no suit brought

The journalist's 10-day term of detention in KGB prison has ended today, on July 23. However, the investigation has been prolonged.

23.07.2012 Lyabedzka removed from travel ban list

His complaint about the actions of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not been allowed.

23.07.2012 Ivan Amelchanka goes on hunger strike in jail

Ivan Amelchanka, who was sentenced to 12 days in custody, appealed against a refusal to register his initiative group in the Central Election Commission.

23.07.2012 Pavel Sapelka: “Deprivation of defendants’ right to vote is groundless”

The lists of citizens of Belarus who have the right to vote has about 7 million voters. Ballots are usually cast by more than 5 million. Behind these figures it is difficult to see 40-50 thousand persons deprived of their right to vote in connection with criminal proceedings.

23.07.2012 Prison administration harasses Frantskevich through threats to other inmates

Activist of the anarchist movement Aliaksandr Frantskevich has been subjected to harassment from the administration of penal colony No. 22 in the town of Ivatsevichy, as other inmates have received threats and reprimands for communicating with the political prisoner.

23.07.2012 CEC admits absence of decisions on its web-site

Lack of certain decisions by the Central Election Commission on its official web-site do not infringe on the rights and legitimate interests of voters, says CEC chair Mrs. Lidziya Yarmoshyna in her reply to Mahiliou human rights defender Barys Bukhel.

23.07.2012 FIDH demands to immediately and unconditionally release Zmitser Dashkevich

We are writing to express our concern regarding a new investigation launched against the civil activist, head of the political organization “Youth Front” Mr. Zmitser Dashlevich who was sentenced on 24 March, 2011 to 2 years of imprisonment in a high-security colony No.13 in Hlybokaye and who is expected to be released on December 18, 2012.

Civil activists launch campaign to declare August 4 International Day of Solidarity with Belarusian civil society and human rights movement

23.07.2012 Civil activists launch campaign to declare August 4 International Day of Solidarity with Belarusian civil society and human rights movement

A number of civil activists and human rights defenders of Russia and several other countries have launched an online campaign to mark August 4, the day when Viasna leader and FIDH vice-president Ales Bialiatski was arrested in 2011, International Day of Solidarity with the civil society and human rights movement of Belarus.

23.07.2012 Brest HR defender appeals picket ban in Supreme Court

Brest human rights defender Uladzimir Vialichkin has lodged a complaint with the Supreme Court against a decision by the city’s executive committee to ban a picket of support to the imprisoned leader of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski.

23.07.2012 Baranavichy authorities ban picket for election reform

Baranavichy civil activist Ryhor Hryk has received a letter from the city executive committee, saying that his application for staging a picket to demand a reform of the country’s electoral legislation has been dismissed under Art.5 of the Mass Events Code.

23.07.2012 Weekly Analytical Report on Monitoring Results 4: July 9th – July 22nd

General Conclusions: - Creation of initiative groups for collection of signatures in support of candidates’ nomination does not show any significant difference in intensity from its regular level for parliamentary elections in Belarus: the total of 439 initiative groups applied for registration.

20.07.2012 Minsk court turns down HR defenders’ complaints against foreign travel ban

Minsk Tsentralny District Court has dismissed the complaints lodged by human rights defenders Valiantsin Stefanovich and Andrei Bandarenka against foreign travel restrictions imposed on them for alleged draft evasion.