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It was another mission within the project “Election Observation: Theory and Practice”. This time students of EHU and other Lithuanian higher schools, as well as members of Belarusian and Swedish NGOs were accredited as international observers at Parliamentary Election in Norway on 14 September. After observing polls in Eastern Europe, some participants were impressed by the “nearly perfect” Norwegian style of elections. Still, some things remain to be improved.

As a result of a founding congress of the Brest Viasna human rights organization on 18 September, the NGO members arrived at a decision to apply for state registration for the fifth time. However, some of the activists say the application is likely to be turned down again.

An opposition rally was brutally disbanded on September 16 in Minsk. Riot policemen prevented journalists from videoing violent arrest detention of demonstrators.

Students of European Humanities University and other higher schools of Lithuania, and members of Belarusian and Swedish NGOs have arrived in Norway to observe the parliamnetary elections that will take place on 14 September.

In police custody, Aleh Surhan, an opposition activist from Viciebsk, Northern Republic of Belarus, was beaten with his head on a lavatory pan, hanged handcuffed in a cell, and stamped on his head. And only because he was suspected of flying the banned national white-red-white flag in the streets of the city. The flag, which used to be the official symbol of Republic of Belarus from 1991 to 1995, is now largely associated with the opposition movement.

A rare, if not the first, case in the vast practice of Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) was registered recently – it was asked to defend two officials who fell victims of a law enforcement agencies struggle – KGB versus police. Relatives of two police officers from the Homiel region (south-east Belarus), who were arrested during the so-called ‘hunting’ case, asked BHC to defend their interests. Plaintiffs believe that KGB violated the rights of the said police officers.

It took the Supreme Court of Republic of Belarus a week to respond to the letter of concern by Belarusian Human Rights House (HRH) and HRH Foundation considering the non-registration of their partner in the Republic of Belarus. Unfortunately, the call “to abide by the laws of the Republic of Belarus and international obligations” was ignored.

Reporters of Russian NTV were making a movie about missing Belarusian public figures. Two prominent Belarusian oppositional politicians and a businessman were abducted and allegedly murdered in 1999, a journalist of Russian ORT television – in 2000. 10 years after the tragedy, relatives of the missing urge the world to force Republic of Belarus government to tell the truth about their destiny.

Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Lithuania and the Human Rights House Foundation sent a letter of concern to the Belarusian authorities today, expressing their deep disappointment with the decision of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus to turn down the appeal against non-registration of the human rights organisation Nasha Viasna.