The electoral campaign in Belarus started more than three weeks ago. During this time the police detained more than 200 persons. More than 20 of them (including Valiantsin Viachorka, the chair of the BPF Party and the proxy of the candidate to the presidential position Aliaksandr Milinkevich) were sentenced to 15 days of arrest by ‘fair and independent courts’. (13-MARCH-06)
According to the law
According to the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus, after the official registration each candidate begins his electoral agitation and has the right to do it in any place and in any form that is convenient to the electorate. The forms of agitation at the electoral campaign of 2006 don’t differ from the commonly accepted ones. Activists of the headquarters of the candidates to the presidential position pay visits to flats and houses, hand out printed production at streets and different institutions and arrange meetings with the electorate in and outdoors.
Reasons for detention
However, this was only theory. The state newspapers and TV channels tell people that everything is going on ‘in strict conformity with the law and democratic procedures’. In reality we have massive detentions of journalists and activists of headquarters of oppositional candidates. They are accused of hooliganism or participation in unauthorized actions. The judges qualify as unauthorized meetings the legally permitted electoral meetings that don’t demand any official permission. People are also detained for distribution of printed agitation materials. The accusations of ‘resistance to the police, swearing and petty hooliganism’ have already become classic ones and it is hardly possible to prove one’s innocence in the present conditions.
‘Impartiality’ of judges
Belarusian judges easily close eyes to fabricated cases and sentence people to fines and 5-15 days of jail. Such practice is applied both to ordinary activists of the oppositional activists and proxies of candidates to the presidential position. Usually the role of witnesses is played by the policemen. In some cases the trials are closed. It’s quite interesting that sometimes even before trials policemen tell the detainee’s relatives the average punishment and their words are confirmed by the court verdicts.
Nevertheless, to their numerous complaints to procurators’ offices and the Central Election Commission human rights activists receive such come-offs as ‘there are no grounds for consideration’. Pitifully enough, the Belarusian court as the last instance for solution of arguments can’t be considered independent and impartial, which is proved by the practice of the three last weeks.
By HRH/ Belarus
