Candidates Kanapatski, Karpovich and Viachorka Appeal Confiscation of Agitation Production

Several days ago the candidates to deputy seats of local deputy soviets Vadzim Kanapatski, Siarhei Karpovich and Valiantsin Viachorka filed complaints with Minsk city election commission and Minsk city prosecutor’s office. They appeal illegal confiscation of their agitation fly-sheets and posters by the police.

Here’s the text of the complaint:

‘On 5 January 2007 in Shabany suburb in Minsk the police detained a car in which I, Karpovich Siarhei Valiantsinavich, transported printed production that was produced in conformity with article #45 of the Election Code of the Republic Belarus. It means that this production was printed for the means that were received from the state budget of the Republic of Belarus in order to agitation for election of me, Kanapatski Vadzim Piatrovich and Viachorka Valiantsin Ryhoravich to Minsk city deputy soviet. This production contained the date-line, as the election laws demand. The detention was conducted by a worker of Minsk Zavadski borough police department, senior lieutenant V. Dunai. We consider these actions as illegal for the following reasons:

1. In conformity with article #45 of the Election Code of the Republic of Belarus all printed agitation production must have a data-line with the name and address of the organization or individual entrepreneur who produced it, the number of copies, the number of the order for printing, the number of the printing license and the date of its issue. In this case all materials contained the necessary information and were produced for the means that were received for it from the budget of the Republic of Belarus.


2. The policemen suspected that the way-bill for transportation of the production was forged. We consider the actions of the police wire-drawn as the legislation doesn’t give them powers to detain production on the basis of mistakes which (provided there really were any) could be made by the organization that printed the production, not by the candidates.


3. The actions of the police interfere with our agitation campaign and violate the electoral rights of citizens as well as our rights and legal interests.


4. According to article #49 part 1 of the Election Code of the Republic of Belarus the persons who interfere with election agitation by means of violence, threats, cheat, bribery or other are to be punished in conformity with the legal norms.
   
   

On the basis of the abovementioned facts and being guided by the Law of the Republic of Belarus About the prosecutor’s office of the Republic of Belarus and article #49 of the Republic of Belarus,

WE ASK:

1. to urgently oblige the police to return the illegally detained printed production;


2. to answer this complaint within the term that is provided by article #49 of the Election Code of the Republic of Belarus.

A copy of the police act for exaction of the printed production is attached.

5 January 2007

Viachorka V.R.

Kanapatski V.P.

Karpovich S.V.