Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections

Праваабарончы цэнтр «Вясна» беларускі хельсінкскі камітэт

Man disappeares after applying for referendum monitoring

Mikalai Sushkou
Mikalai Sushkou

A resident of Čonki near Homieĺ, Mikalai Sushkou, wanted to register as an observer at the local precinct commission for the referendum.

He collected the required number of signatures of his fellow villagers and on February 18 brought them to the village council, where the election commission is located.

According to the Regulation on the procedure for sending observers and their activities during preparation and holding of the national referendum in 2022, every citizen has the right to be an observer, if he will submit to the commission an application signed by at least 10 citizens, residing in the region, district, city, district in the city, polling station, respectively.

Some time later, Aliaksei Kabzarau, chairman of the village Council, sent him a private message on Facebook and invited him to a meeting on local issues.

After Mikalai visited the precinct commission, his phone number became unavailable.

The next day, on February 19, he did not get in touch either.

Later, the Belarusian Social Democratic Party reported that Sushkou was sentenced to 12 days of administrative imprisonment under Article 9.11 of the Administrative Code for subscribing to extremist channels and disseminating information.

"Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections"