The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for September 2012

05.09.2012 Went to election — deprived of status of individual entrepreneur

A parliamentary candidate Illia Dabratvor was deprived of the status of individual entrepreneur.

05.09.2012 Viktar Karniayenka got stripsearched at the border

One of the coordinators of the campaign "For Fair Elections" was released only at 2 a.m.

05.09.2012 Brest: missing activist found at detention center

Vital Koush was found by his parents and wife. This was reported by human rights activist Raman Kisliak. According to him, the relatives of Vital revisit Brest district police department and the city detention center. There the staff confirmed that Vital Koush is into custody, reports "European Radio for Belarus".

05.09.2012 Leanid Padiaretski released for TV debates

Candidate from the Belarusian Social Democratic Party "Hramada" Leanid Padbiaretski was released from the police to record the TV debates, reports RFE/RL.

04.09.2012 Bykhau: electoral meetings with pro-governmental candidates held during working hours

According to information which was received by a candidate of the Belarusian Popular Front Siarhei Antonau, his rival, a candidate for the Parliament at Bykhau election constituency #81, head of the Slauharad Ditrict Council and the Slauharad district organization of the “Belaya Rus” Tatsiana Kananchuk has held an electoral meeting with the labor collective of the Bykhau bread-baking plant during the working hours.

04.09.2012 Supreme Court turns down appeal against non-registration of candidate

On 4 September the Supreme Court considered an appeal of Aksana Samuilava, an activist of the “Tell the Truth” civil campaign from Mahiliou, against the decisions of a constituency election commission and the Central Election Commission not to register her as a candidate for the Parliament.

04.09.2012 Candiadte Sodzel allows insulting remarks about his rivals

The electoral program of Zhan Sodzel, a candidate of the Communist Party of Belarus running at Kalinouskaya election constituency #108, has been published in “Minski Kur’yer” newspaper.

04.09.2012 Brest: nobody wants to take responsibility for censorship

Dyiana Kastsiukovich, a candidate for the Parliament at Brest-Eastern election constituency #3, nominated by the United Civil Party, still cannot receive a precise answer to her appeals to different state agencies in connection with the limitations she had faced during the recording of her TV speech.

04.09.2012 Zelva district: head of village soviet prohibits electoral meeting

On 3 September dwellers of the villages of Yelka and Kazlovichy didn't manage to meet with the pro-democratic candidates for the Parliament Ivan Sheha and Mikhail Karatkevich running at election constituency #58.

04.09.2012 Political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich transferred from Hlybokaye to Vitsebsk

Political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich, sentenced to another year of imprisonment for regular violation of the prison regime, was transferred to the Vitsebsk pre-trial prison in the night of 3-4 September. This information was distributed in the social networks by his fiancée Nasta Palazhanka.

04.09.2012 Lidziya Yarmoshyna: agitation meetings in yards can shatter peace and quiet of citizens

Ivan Shyla, an electioneering agent of a Salihorsk candidate for the Parliament, Viktar Malochka, has received an answer from the Central Election Commission to his appeal against the ruling of the Salihorsk District Executive Committee “To determine places for mass events, organized by candidates for the Parliament in the Salihorsk district, in the notification order”.

04.09.2012 Zelva: electoral meetings of opposition candidates are disrupted

In the morning of 4 September an electoral meeting with Ivan Sheha (a candidate of the Belarusian Popular Front Party) and Mikhail Karatkevich (a candidate of the Belarusian Leftist Party “Fair World”) were to have taken place at the engine yard of the “Synkavichy” enterprise in the Zelva district. The local mechanics knew about the meeting, which was to have take place before the beginning of the working hours.

04.09.2012 Registered as candidate, but lost time for agitation

Viktar Tsiareshchanka managed to get registered as a candidate for the Parliament only after applying to the Supreme Court. Now he also has to apply to the Central Election Commission in connection with some issues: the late registration limited his opportunities in comparison to his rivals: ten days of agitation period have passed already, and the time for TV and radio appearances is running out.

04.09.2012 Babruisk KGB threatens election public activist

Public activist Halina Smirnova was summoned to the local branch of the KGB. The conversation with officer of special services Pavel Silkou lasted about two and a half hours.

04.09.2012 KGB continues crackdown on social network groups

The group “We're fed up with Lukashenka” on VKontakte social networking website is again controlled by the KGB after it had been hacked, deleted and restored. The secret services do not delete information from the community, but publish libel against group's administrators.