Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections

Mr. Misnikau was summoned to the Čyhunačny District Police Department of Viciebsk, where the head of the department of law enforcement and prevention, Major Aliaksandr Rybakou questioned him regarding his appeal to the prosecutor's office.

September 30, electoral trainings for the heads of the precinct election commissions of the Lieninski and Kastryčnicki districts of Mahilioŭ were held. The traning that was held at the Kastryčnicki District Executive Committee was attended by the human rights activist Barys Bukhel.

As reported by an activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party in Kličaŭ, Liudmila Hushcha, the police broke into her house at night without any sanction. They explained to the frightened woman that they were “looking for a thief”.

According to the Mahilioŭ human rights activist Barys Bukhel, this is the first case of overt campaigning in the local media in support of Aliaksandr Lukashenka apart from the publication of the electoral programs of the presidential candidates.

Leanid Haravy, an observer in the town of Haradok, Viciebsk region, has noted controversial trends concerning local voters who wish to vote at home.

Leanid Sudalenka and Anatol Paplauny, BHC observers in Homieĺ, have written to the CEC and the Regional Election Commission to complain about the distribution of campaign materials in the city’s Saviecki district that contained signs of violations of the law.

On September 28, the OSCE ODIHR Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw hosted a side event with participation of Belarusian non-governmental organizations: the Assembly of Democratic NGOs, the Center for Legal Transformation Lawtrend, as well as campaigns “Human Rights Defenders For Free Elections” and “Right To Choose”.

On September 27, opposition activist Ryhor Hryk in Baranavičy staged a picket in support of presidential candidate Tatsiana Karatkevich and against the Russian military bases. The protest was held under a white-red-white flag and a Ukrainian flag, as well as a flag of the independent trade union of Radio Electronic Industry (REP).

Observation of the election of the President of Belarus is carried out by activists of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center "Viasna" in the framework of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections".

On September 25, the ninth working meeting of the OSCE Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw raised the problem of democratic institutions, including democratic elections. Uladzimir Labkovich, coordinator of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections", presented the position of Belarusian human rights defenders on the current presidential election.

On September 25, the Homieĺ-based Turyst Hotel hosted a meeting with Siarhei Biaspalau, a trustee of presidential candidate Aliaksandr Lukashenka and editor-in-chief of the local government-run newspaper Homieĺskaja Praŭda.

The Homieĺ city executive committee has banned a street protest that was expected to campaign for the boycott of the presidential election scheduled for October 11.

The monitoring summarises the findings of the second stage of the monitoring, i.e. between 1 September and 20 September, 2015. According to the schedule of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus, it was during this time span that the CEC finished checking the voters’ signatures endorsing potential presidential hopefuls; the candidates were formally registered and launched their campaigns.

Representatives of the civil initiative Social Office have sent petitions to the territorial election commissions in Brest, asking to improve access for the physically handicapped persons at the city’s polling stations.

Observers can record audio and video only if election committees allow it, CEC chairperson Lidziya Yarmoshyna replied to the Movement For Freedom.