Prosecutor-General's Office shut its eyes to mass violations of electoral laws

After about a month and a half the Prosecutor-General's Office answered to the letter of oppositional political parties’ leaders. Facts of violations of electoral laws and exerting pressure on oppositional activists were enumerated in the letter.

The letter was submitted to the Prosecutor-General's Office on July 17 by the chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, the First secretary of the Party of Communists of Belarus Syarhei Kalyakin, the first deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front party Vintsuk Vyachorka and a deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Ihar Rynkevich.

The leaders of the parties asked the Prosecutor General Ryhor Vasilevich to meet with him immediately, and informed about facts of the electoral legislation’s violations against democratic activists by representatives of the executive power and special services. In particular, the letter mentioned the illegal dismissal of the BPF party members Alyaksandr Mekh and Leanid Autukhou for their intention to run in the elections as candidates of the United Democratic Forces’ list; persecution of the UCP members Mikalay Haurylenka, Leanid Sudalenka and his families by tax authorities; detention and 7-days arrest of a youth activist of the UCP Mikhail Pashkevich.

Besides, the UCP leaders demanded to stop political repressions against pro-democracy activists, which particularly intensified after the blast on July 4 in Minsk.

“This crime, which architects and perpetrators haven’t been found, is used by the regime for intimidation of democratic activists. Summons and interrogations of the United Democratic Forces’ representatives in the KGB are numbering in dozens,” the letter reads.

In the answer received from the Prosecutor-General's Office it is stated that no violations of the law have been found during the examination. It is stated in the answer, for instance, that the dismissal of Alyaksandr Mekh which caused a wide public response, took place in strict compliance with the Labour Code.

“In this connection, prosecutors of the region decided to refuse bringing up a criminal action against the director of the enterprise in connection with absence of crime in his actions,” the answer of the Prosecutor’s Office reads.

Examinations by the Prosecutor’s office haven’t confirmed facts of pressure on other democratic activists either.

As for detention of the opposition activists in connection with the blast in Minsk, it follows from the letter that in this way the investigation checked a version of “a crime perpetrated with the aim to destabilize political and social situation in the country”. No irregularities in judicial proceedings have been found by the Prosecutor’s Office.

“These persons were summoned and some of them detained on legal grounds, and norms of the proceedings were followed,” the answer informs.

The party leaders view this answer as a formal reply. Besides, it was received later than in one-month term envisaged by the law “On addresses of citizens”. Thus the Prosecutor-General's Office which is responsible for keeping the law, has violated the law itself.