The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for July 2015

21.07.2015 Shulhan and Kanavalchyk released, fined Br5.4 million each

The potential presidential candidate was detained near the CEC on July 17.

20.07.2015 Freelance journalists Ales Dzianisau and Ales Kirkevich face fresh administrative charges

The police department of Hrodna has opened a new administrative case against local freelance journalists Ales Dzianisau and Ales Kirkevich. Both are again accused of violating Article 22.9, Part 2 of the Administrative Code of Belarus (illegal production and dissemination of information).

20.07.2015 BHC representatives not allowed to attend electoral meetings in Viciebsk

Human rights defenders Leanid Svetski and Pavel Levinau will not be allowed to attend the meetings that are expected to form election commissions in Viciebsk. The BHC observers were told that "monitoring meetings is not permitted by law."

20.07.2015 Tax authorities interested in Homel human rights activist

Tax inspection for Homel district required information about Leanid Sudalenka's salary in the public association Legal Initiative.

20.07.2015 CEC registers 8 campaign teams

The Central Election Commission completed today the registration of initiative groups to nominate candidates for the presidency, the BelTA news agency reports. As a result, the CEC has authorized a total of eight campaign teams to participate in the collection of voters’ signatures.

20.07.2015 Co-founder of Platform Innovation NGO Mikhail Zhamchuzhny in punishment cell, prepares appeal to Supreme Court

Mikhail Zhamchuzhny, a co-founder of the Platform Innovation human rights NGO, was sentenced by the Viciebsk Regional Court to six years in a penal colony. It is known that at the moment Mikhail Zhamchuzhny is preparing an appeal to the Supreme Court, while he is held in solitary confinement in the Viciebsk-based pre-trial prison No. 2.

20.07.2015 BHC representative not allowed to observe formation of district election commission in Baranavičy

Today, a joint meeting of the Presidium of the Baranavičy District Council of Deputies and the District Executive Committee was held to form the regional territorial election commission. However, Siarhei Housha, a representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, was not allowed to attend the meeting.

20.07.2015 Homieĺ regional election commission formed: no opposition

Representatives of the opposition, member of the United Civil Party Zinaida Shumilina, and activist of the Left Party "Fair World" Viktar Khomich were not included in the Homieĺ regional election commission.

20.07.2015 Hrodna: no representatives of opposition parties on TECs

Hrodna observers report that the formation of territorial election commissions at joint meetings of the district administrations and the presidiums of local councils brought no surprises. Nominees from the democratic forces were not included in the election commissions. Moreover, their candidacies were not even put on a vote.

20.07.2015 Lists of banned campaigning locations announced in all but one districts of Viciebsk region

All the official websites of district executive committees in the Viciebsk region have published information on places prohibited for organizing pickets to campaign for the nomination of presidential candidates. The only exception is Orša district.

19.07.2015 Presidential contender Shulhan taken from CEC to police station

Government House guard called the police on suspicion that Mr Shulhan had come to the CEC to register the nominating group being under the influence.

19.07.2015 Not all government websites in Mahilioŭ region publish lists of prohibited campaigning locations

As of July 18, five out of 21 official websites of district authorities in Mahilioŭ region have not published decisions by local executive committees on places prohibited for staging campaigning pickets.

19.07.2015 Drahičyn: authorities fail to announce list of prohibited campaigning locations

According to the schedule of the election campaign, local executive and administrative bodies should have been no later than on July 17 announced the list of places where it is forbidden to hold pickets in order to collect signatures in support of a candidate for President.

19.07.2015 Officials in Sluck and Pinsk districts also ban campaigning in crowded places

As in the other regions of Belarus, the executive committee of Sluck and Pinsk district have prohibited to organize campaigning pickets in the most crowded places.

19.07.2015 Smarhoń: government moving campaigners away from its buildings

Before the presidential election that took place in 2010, the Smarhoń district executive committee prohibited holding pickets in order to collect signatures in the places impeding the movement of vehicles and pedestrians; posing a danger to the life and health of citizens; at railway transport facilities; at the entrances to the organizations and religious institutions.