The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 21 Feb 2014

21.02.2014 Results of registration of candidates in regions

A meeting was held yesterday in Homel to approve the registration of candidates for the Homel City Council of Deputies. According to observer Anatol Paplauny, 108 candidates were registered, 16 nominations were rejected, including those of pro-democratic candidates (5 UCP candidates, one – “Fair World”) and civil society activists Kastus Zhukouski (coalition “Our Alternative”) and Halina Krauchanka (initiative “Homel Democratic Forum”).

21.02.2014 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “We will go back to debate on restricted access to spring96.org website”

Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich sent a private complaint to the Board of Civil Cases of the Minsk City Court to challenge a decision of the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk, who dismissed his lawsuit against blacklisting Viasna’s website.

21.02.2014 41 candidates for 40 seats in Mazyr District Council

Mazyr district election commission met yesterday to register of candidates for the District Council. 45 applications were submitted in 40 constituencies, and 41 candidates were eventually registered.

21.02.2014 Why is higher education inaccessible to the majority of people with disabilities?

Only 10 percent of people with disabilities in Belarus have higher education. What is preventing these people from getting higher education and how to overcome these barriers?

21.02.2014 Zelva district commission denies registration to opposition candidate

Zelva district election commission ruled yesterday to deny registration to local opposition activist Yauhen Skrabutan, who was running for the district council. The activist was told the commission had received written explanations of those who signed for his nomination, saying that the dates were not written in person.

21.02.2014 Candidate’s mandate revoked 4 hours after registration

Yaraslau Bernikovich, activist of the "Tell the Truth" campaign running for the Hlybokaye District Council, received yesterday a certificate of registration from the district election commission. However, at about 3 p.m. the same day an election official phoned him to report that his registration would be canceled.