The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2014

21.03.2014 Salihorsk resident wants access to customs examination of Lukashenka biography

Aliaksandr Malochka, a resident of the town of Salihorsk, has petitioned Ashmiany customs department with a request to open access to the results of an examination of Valery Karbalevich’s book "Aliaksandr Lukashenka. A Political Portrait." seized from him on September 14, 2013.

21.03.2014 Cases of forced voting registered in Mahiliou

Students and residents of dormitories in Mahiliou are being forced to vote early, local observers say.

21.03.2014 Students in Orsha vote under supervision

Polling station No. 6 in the Orsha-based constituency No. 8 was visited by a woman who asked the Election Commission for permission to see the students of a local medical college vote, says observer Yauhen Anishchanka.

21.03.2014 Voters in Vitsebsk taught how to vote

A number of voting booths in Vitsebsk now have sample ballots ticked just in the places where the “right” candidates’ names are printed in the real ballots, says local observer Vadzim Kuzmin.

21.03.2014 Candidate in Mikashevichy isolated from voters

Chairman of the Mikashevichy Town Executive Committee Anatol Davydovich has been blocking the election campaign of an independent candidate for the Town Council Leanid Dubanosau.

21.03.2014 Home of Smarhon resident searched over bulletin about election boycott

Uladzimir Shulzhytski was detained for handing out human rights bulletins.

20.03.2014 Early voting: coercion, exaggerations and pressure on observers

During the first two days of the early voting campaign in the elections to the local councils, observers of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" documented numerous and diverse violations: there were facts of coercion to vote early, inflating the number of voters, and instances of pressure on the observers.

20.03.2014 Candidate in Baranavichy denied radio airtime

A candidate in the elections to local councils, Mikalai Charnavus, has been unable to appear on Baranavichy state-owned radio channel. He filed a complaint with the chairman of the CEC, saying that he was at a disadvantage with other candidates.

20.03.2014 Death convict Lykau’s appeal to be heard on 15 April

It has become known that the cassation appeal in the case of Eduard Lykau, who was sentenced to death, will be considered by the judicial board for criminal cases of the Supreme Court on April 15. The hearing will open at 9.30 a.m.

20.03.2014 Staff of detention center in Akrestsin Street refuse to accept parcel for Homel activists

Activists of "Young Front" from Homel, Stanislau Bula and Dzmitry Karashkou, were detained on March 11 outside the Russian embassy in Minsk while displaying posters saying "Putin, Hands Off Ukraine" and "No to War! Putin is an Enemy".

20.03.2014 Klimavichy Court quashes termination of administrative proceedings against police inspector

On March 17, Judge Tatsiana Ivanenka of the Klimavichy District Court considered a complaint by a resident of the village Damamerychy Alena Marchanka who demanded to cancel a decision by Klimavichy police department of January 28 to dismiss the case against police inspector Vadzim Panasenka.

20.03.2014 Biaroza police refuse to guard Freedom Day rally

Biaroza human rights defenders Siarhei Rusetski and Tamara Shchapiotkina have been unable to enter into a contract with the local police department in order to hold a picket scheduled for March 25. Police representatives referred to the fact that the Executive Committee had not written to them after it received an application for holding the picket, as provided by a Decree of the Council of Ministers of March 5, 2012, in order to discuss the possibility of maintaining public order at the mass event.

20.03.2014 Brest candidates believe that use of ballots without imprint provides opportunities for fraud

In particular, a candidate for the Brest City Council, Aliaksandr Melnik, writes about this to the Regional Prosecutor's Office, asking to investigate into the use of such ballots at a polling station in electoral district No. 31.

20.03.2014 Observer in Rahachou reports electoral abuse

On March 17, an observer Ms. Razumava was denied accreditation at polling station No. 12 in Rahachou.

20.03.2014 Turnout overstated by 10 times at two polling stations in Homel, observers say

Observers report that at two polling stations in Homel turnout has been already boosted by 10 times. Observers of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" have been monitoring polling stations Nos. 8 and 9 in the Savetski district of Homel.