The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2012

13.08.2012 Zhlobin activists of “Fair World” are threatened with dismissal

The reason is that party activists tried to become members of district election commissions. Employers press on members of the Belarusian leftist party “Fair World”. Valery Rybchanka from Zhlobin, the head of the district party branch and a possible parliamentary candidate, said:

13.08.2012 Radio “Racja” journalist summonsed to prosecutor's office

Henadz Barbarych was handed a summons ordering to appear in a prosecutor's office on the previous day.

13.08.2012 Siarhei Kavalenka put into penal cell

Siarhei Kavalenka, activist of the Conservative Christian Party BPF from Vitsebsk, was thrown into a punishment cell in Mahiliou penal colony No. 19.

10.08.2012 Mahiliou: hostel dwellers are forced to sign in support of pro-governmental candidate twice

At first the canvassing with the use of the administrative resource was conducted by the warden and the upbringer of the hostel in Kasmanautau Street, 45. Using threats, they forced the people to come to the office of the warden with their passports and sign in support of the nomination of the prosecutor of the Mahilio region Eduard Siankevich as a candidate for the Parliament.

10.08.2012 Minsk Region Court turns down appeal of beaten Maladechna citizen

On 10 August the Maladechna Region Court turned down the appeal of the Maladechna citizen Alesia Sadouskaya against violations in the police report concerning the violation which had been allegedly committed by her in the beginning of the year.

10.08.2012 “Homelskiya Vedamastsi” inform readers about formation of commissions ahead of time

The district executive committees of Homel held their sittings to form precinct election commissions on 8 August. However, journalists of the “Homelskiya Vedamastsi” informed their readers that the commissions had been formed and even called the number of the people in the commissions already on 7 August, which again witnesses that such sittings are a mere imitation of the democratic procedure.

10.08.2012 Ales Bialiatski: “I am a persistent violator!”

Back in the middle of June the imprisoned head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski wrote in his letter to Valiantsin Stefanovich: “It seems to me that the reprimands I have received are not the last ones”. The new information from Babruisk, where Ales is currently kept, confirms these words. Thus, in his letter to Valiantsin Stefanovich of 5 August he writes about more reprimands, issued to him by the administration of penal colony #2.

10.08.2012 Correspondents of “Deutschlandradio” denied accreditation

Gesine Dornblüth, a correspondent for “Deutschlandradio” working in Moscow since January intended to elucidate the pace of the parliamentary election in Belarus. However, the Belarusian MFA refused to issue her an accreditation without explaining the reasons.

10.08.2012 Homel: teachers to count votes in support of school's sponsor

As it became known on 9 August, 10,691 people were included in the precinct election commissions of the Homel region. 4,557 are representatives of civil organizations.

10.08.2012 Mahiliou democrats appeal non-inclusion in precinct election commissions

Activists of the Mahiliou regional organization of the NGO “Belarusian Popular Front “Adradzhenne” and the Mahiliou regional organization of the Belarusian leftist party “Fair World” applied to the Leninski District Court of Mahiliou.

10.08.2012 Orsha: “Fair World” sues executive committees

The Vitsebsk regional committee of the Belarusian leftist party “Fair World” filed a lawsuit to the Orsha District and City Court against against violation of electoral rights by the Orsha City Executive Committee.

10.08.2012 Biaroza: establishment of PECs takes just 6 minutes

The Biaroza District Executive Committee held a record short sitting to form precinct election commissions for the upcoming parliamentary election – it lasted for just six minutes.

10.08.2012 Head of district executive committee runs for the Parliament, the head of the organizational department accepts signature sheets

A representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Vasil Berasneu applied to the Central Election Commission and the Orsha procuracy against the events taking place at Dniaprouskaya election constituency #27 in Orsha.

10.08.2012 “BelSat” journalist issued with a warning

This is the eighth warning of the prosecutor’s office of independent journalists in this year.

10.08.2012 Political prisoner Statkevich prohibited to read opposition press

Siarhei Skrabets, a party fellow of imprisoned Mikalai Statkevich, received a package with newspapers he had earlier sent to the political prisoner in a prison in Hrodna.