Electoral marathon: events, tendencies and figures of the week
The week started with two press-conferences covering the progress of the election campaign. On 1 February Chairperson of the Central Electoral Committee Lidzia Yarmoshyna told the journalists about the successful finish of the first stage of the electoral campaign (formation of territorial election committees), highlighting the main tendencies of the stage.
09.02.2010 How Belarusian riot militia impedes and threaten journalists
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Riot militiamen were threatening bodily harm to journalists during dispersing an opposition demonstration on February 8. This can be seen and heard on the footage by Radio Svaboda journalist Aleh Hruzdzilovich. Riot militiamen didn’t react to a journalist’s request to stop hindering him to perform professional duties, but continued pushing him and close camera with their hands.
09.02.2010 Opposition rally in Minsk disbanded
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20 persons have been detained on February on October Square 8 in Minsk. Riot policemen again prevented journalists from doing their work, acting in thuggish methods. Opposition activists were set to hold a rally of solidarity with political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich and Uladzimir Asipenka, who are kept in the remand prison for a year already.
09.02.2010 Militia seized Polish House in Ivyanets
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The militia forced activists of the Union of Poles, mainly elderly people, out of the building. On February 8, militiamen and officers of court burst into the Polish House, owned by the unrecognized by the Belarusian authorities Union of Poles. The website charter97.org learnt this from journalist Andrzej Poczobut, a Union activist.
08.02.2010 Electoral marathon: events, tendencies and figures of the week
The week started with two press-conferences covering the progress of the election campaign. On 1 February Chairperson of the Central Electoral Committee Lidzia Yarmoshyna told the journalists about the successful finish of the first stage of the electoral campaign (formation of territorial election committees), highlighting the main tendencies of the stage.
08.02.2010 Brest Young Front activist charged with hooliganism
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Brest Young Front member Ivan Stasiuk is faces prosecution under Article 339.1 (hooliganism) of the Belarusian Criminal Code. The activist had been initially summoned by the police to testify in a criminal case over a street fight in downtown Brest on 23 January. However, he was later officially declared suspect in the case and imprisoned.
05.02.2010 “Narodnaya Volya“ fined for advertising BelSat TV
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The independent Belarusian newspaper will have to pay a fine of 700,000 rubles. On February 4, the Leninski district court of Minsk found the paper guilty of violating the Law on Advertising and fined it.
05.02.2010 Picket against “inaction of authorities” suppressed in Talachyn
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Dwellers of the town of Talachyn (the Vitsebsk region) tried to block a street, but were dispersed by the militia.
05.02.2010 PACE welcomes creation of task group on death penalty at Belarus’ Parliament
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Mevlut Cavusoglu, the chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) welcomes the creation of the task group to study death penalty at the National Assembly of Belarus. He made this statement in his speech to the members of the assembly, BelTA learnt from the PACE press service.
05.02.2010 Young Front activist in prison
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On 30 January, a Young Front member Ivan Stasiuk was detained while interrogated as a witness in a criminal case, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports, quoting the Young Front press-secretary Tatsiana Shaputska.
05.02.2010 Belarusian civil society activists should be invited to Euronest, believes Pro-dem NGO Assembly
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The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly should invite representatives of both Belarusian political parties and the civil society, says the Assembly of Belarusian Pro-Democratic NGOs. The composition of the Belarusian delegation is currently under consideration. However, due to the absence of a legitimate Parliament in the country, any Belarusian delegation will be unofficial.
