22.08.2012 Opposition hopefuls denied registration as candidates

Three representatives of the Belarusian Popular Front have been registered as candidates: the BPF leader Aliaksei Yanukevich, Artsiom Liava and Yauhen Rybakou. Anatol Liabedzka, leader of the United Civil Party, has also been registered as a candidate for Parliament. However, Minsk constituency election commissions denied registration to a number of other pro-democratic hopefuls, including For Freedom leader Aliaksandr Milinkevich and the movement’s activist Mikalai Samaseika, as well as Mikhail Pashkevich, member of the Tell the Truth campaign.

22.08.2012 Ales Bialiatski spoken about in Thailand

Mr. Shiwei Ye, activist of the International Federation for Human Rights’ office in Bangkok, attended a meeting on the situation with human rights in Belarus to tell about the FIDH’s imprisoned vice-president Ales Bialiatski.

22.08.2012 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “There are various legal means to release political prisoners”

“Any interference with activities of judges in their administration of justice is inadmissible and is subject to prosecution under the law,” says a reply by the Presidential Administration issued following the petition for the release of Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski ahead of 4 August.

22.08.2012 Electoral Code does not prohibit observers to study election commissions’ papers, says Brest observer Uladzimir Vialichkin

Par. 4 and 5 Art. 13 of the Electoral Code do not state that observers are not allowed studying documents issued by election commissions, says Uladizmir Vialichkin, observer in Brest constituency No. 2, in his reply to chair of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna.

22.08.2012 Tell the Truth potential candidate urges election officials not to register pro-government rival

Leanid Padbiaretski, member of the Tell the Truth civil campaign and Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) running for Parliament in Mahiliou constituency No. 84, has addressed the constituency’s election commission with a demand not to register pro-government potential candidate Uladizmir Vasilenka as candidate.

22.08.2012 Minsk court convicts BCD activists for election boycott pickets

Minsk Savetski District Court has fined two activists of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party – Halina Karzhaneuskaya and Ina Loika – 300,000 roubles each for staging pickets for election boycott.

22.08.2012 European Belarus activist fined

Minsk Kastrychnitski District Court has fined Aliaksei Tsioply, activist of the European Belarus movement, BYR 500,000 on disorderly conduct charges.

22.08.2012 Mikalai Autukhovich has meeting with relatives for first time this year

They were allowed to have a 1.5-hour phone conversation through the glass barrier.

“It's only called a meeting,” Autukhovich says, “We were not allowed to touch or kiss each other. You cannot do anything. It will go away, but memories will live in your soul forever. I don't doubt the guilty people will answer one day for this ordeal... My term expires in less than 20 months.”

22.08.2012 "Hunt" on activists of "European Belarus"

On august 22, about 11 a.m., at the central railway station in Minsk police has detained Mogilev activist of "European Belarus" Victar Boldin.

22.08.2012 Most state-owned newspapers in Brest region ignore elections

The majority of web-sites of government newspapers in Brest region are not covering the current election campaign, say activists of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign.

22.08.2012 Ashmiany court turns down complaint by local pro-dem activist

Ashmiany Court has dismissed a complaint lodged by local pro-democratic activist and human rights defender Mikalai Ulasevich against illegal actions by the customs officers who seized the activist’s personal belongings on 10 April.

22.08.2012 CEC accredits 110 international observers

As of 21 August, the Central Election Commission has registered 110 international observers, including 73 representing the CIS observation mission and 33 – the OSCE’s ODIHR.

22.08.2012 Alena Kavalenka complains about jailers to the prosecutor's office

Information about the health of Siarhei Kavalenka is being hidden from his wife.

Alena Kavalenka wants the prosecutor's office to check the legality of jailers' actions, who in July punished her husband Siarhei Kavalenka with a punishment cell, reports "Radio Svaboda".

22.08.2012 European Belarus activist detained in Minsk centre

An activist of European Belarus civil campaign, Alyaksei Tyoply, was detained in Minsk about an hour ago.

22.08.2012 Baranavichy observer fined on hooliganism charges

The Court of Baranavichy fined last evening local human rights defender Siarhei Housha 1.5 mln. roubles after Judge Vasil Petryu found the observer guilty of "using vulgar words in public" while talking to chair of constituency election commission No. 5 Mrs. Tatsiana Latyshava back on 23 July.