The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2014

12.02.2014 Lidziya Yarmoshyna: “CEC doesn't give legal assessment to form of work of executive committees”

A resident of Biaroza Tamara Shchapiotkina appealed to the Central Election Commission to complain about the closeness of the procedure of decision-making at the Biaroza District Executive Committee, which manifested in the DEC's refusal to tell her whether she was included in the PEC No. 11.

12.02.2014 Babruisk: criminal case instigated against blogger Aleh Zhalnou

Babruisk City Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case on the fact of "public insult of a representative of authority in connection with the performance of his duties" (Article 369 of the Criminal Code), reports the press-service of the Babruisk City Police Department.

12.02.2014 Human rights activist, nominated by 15 groups of citizens, not included in a PEC

10,568 people were included in 868 precinct election commissions, among them – seven representatives the Left Party "Fair World", 3 representatives of the United Civil Party, 2 – of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada). 98.6 % of all precinct election commissions don't have any opposition activists among their members.

11.02.2014 Court declares expert examination of “Enlightened by Belarusian Issue”, but bans the book due to “inner convictions”

On February 11, the Ashmiany District Court announced its verdict on the civil lawsuit of the member of the HRC “Viasna” Tatsiana Reviaka against Ashmiany customs.

11.02.2014 Biaroza: election commissions are formed in the same manner

The earlier principle of formation is retained: the commissions are formed of members of the same enterprises and are usually head by their bosses.

11.02.2014 Man gets beaten by police for hanging out a white-red-white flag on his balcony

Viktar Sharshun was at home on February 8 when strangers rang the bell. They said that they were communal services workers. In fact, they were policemen. They did not introduce themselves and ordered Sharshun to remove the white-red-white flag from the balcony, claiming it was an unregistered symbol.

10.02.2014 Belarus still has no intention to invite Special Rapporteur on Human Rights

In the near future Belarus intends to confirm the invitation to visit the country for a number of special rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) . This was stated by the head of the main bureau of of the multilateral diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yury Ambrazevich on February 10 at a briefing in Minsk.o

10.02.2014 Bykhau: Siarhei Antonau complains about dishonesty of his rivals

Contender for a candidate to the Mahiliou Regional Council at Bykhau city constituency No. 14, member of the BPF Party Siarhei Antonau says that members of initiative groups of pro-government candidates misinform electors.

10.02.2014 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in January 2014

In January, human rights situation remained consistently bad with a tendency toward conservation of negative practices that evolved over the previous years. There were no positive changes, either in law or in law enforcement.

10.02.2014 Political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich doesn't get letters from Ukrainian protesters

Postcards and telegrams from Ukrainian protesters haven't been delivered to the Belarusian political prisoner.

10.02.2014 Baranavichy: campaigning is allowed in the old city park

On February 7 the Baranavichy City Executive Committee published its regulation No. 242 for January 31 on the definition of places for campaigning for candidates for local councils. As in the previous campaign, the list of places is quite short and not too diverse.

10.02.2014 Are flaws in the work of the executive committee a fault of the post office?

The head of the Baranavichy organization of the Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry Ryhor Hryk learned about his “receiving” an answer from the Baranavichy City Executive Committee only from an answer of the Baranavichy interdistrict prosecutor's office.

10.02.2014 Baranavichy: elections by order

According to the chairman of the city election commission Viktar Harbaniou, as of February 4, labor collectives nominated 24 contenders for candidates. 47 electoral teams are already working. The newspaper of the executive committee "Babruiskaye Zhyttsio" describes the process of nomination as "fairly active" and reports that 30 percent of the contenders are youth.

10.02.2014 Front Line Defenders launches Olympics campaign on 12 human rights defenders

‘Rights. Risks. Change!’ Campaign to focus attention on targeted human rights defenders.

10.02.2014 BCD co-chair Pavel Seviarynets served a warning

The co-chairman of the organization committee for creation of the party Belarusian Christian Democracy Pavel Seviaryniets was summoned to the Frunzenski district criminal executive inspection of Minsk on 10 February.