Reports

Election Report

Elections*2024. Preliminary analytical report on the results of monitoring the elections of deputies on a single voting day on February 25, 2024

BHC & Viasna

The expert election* 2024 observation mission was organized by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Viasna Human Rights Center as part of the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign. The mission collects and analyzes information about the election campaign based on open sources and messages from voters from Belarus.

*The term "elections*" in relation to the 2024 election campaign is used with an asterisk by the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign to emphasize the perfunctory nature of this term, since any free and fair election campaign presupposes, first of all, conditions where rights and freedoms are fully realized, which is currently practically absent in Belarus.

 

Election Report

Elections*2024. Analytical report on the results of monitoring the election campaigning

BHC & Viasna

The expert election* 2024 observation mission was organized by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Viasna Human Rights Center as part of the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign. The mission collects and analyzes information about the election campaign based on open sources and messages from voters from Belarus.

*The term "elections*" in relation to the 2024 election campaign is used with an asterisk by the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign to emphasize the perfunctory nature of this term, since any free and fair election campaign presupposes, first of all, conditions where rights and freedoms are fully realized, which is currently practically absent in Belarus.

 

Election Report

Elections*2024. Analytical report on the results of monitoring the nomination and registration of candidates

BHC & Viasna

The expert election* 2024 observation mission was organized by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Viasna Human Rights Center as part of the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign. The mission collects and analyzes information about the election campaign based on open sources and messages from voters from Belarus.

*The term "elections*" in relation to the 2024 election campaign is used with an asterisk by the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign to emphasize the perfunctory nature of this term, since any free and fair election campaign presupposes, first of all, conditions where rights and freedoms are fully realized, which is currently practically absent in Belarus.

 

Election Report

Elections*2024. Analytical report on the formation of precinct commissions

BHC & Viasna

The expert election* 2024 observation mission was organized by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Viasna Human Rights Center as part of the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign. The mission collects and analyzes information about the election campaign based on open sources and messages from voters from Belarus.

*The term "elections*" in relation to the 2024 election campaign is used with an asterisk by the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign to emphasize the perfunctory nature of this term, since any free and fair election campaign presupposes, first of all, conditions where rights and freedoms are fully realized, which is currently practically absent in Belarus.

 

Election Report

Elections* 2024. Analytical report on the formation of territorial and district election commissions

BHC & Viasna

The expert election* 2024 observation mission was organized by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Viasna Human Rights Center as part of the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign. The mission collects and analyzes information about the election campaign based on open sources and messages from voters from Belarus.

*The term "elections*" in relation to the 2024 election campaign is used with an asterisk by the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign to emphasize the perfunctory nature of this term, since any free and fair election campaign presupposes, first of all, conditions where rights and freedoms are fully realized, which is currently practically absent in Belarus.

 

Election Report

Situation on the eve of the elections*2024. First report of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”

BHC & Viasna

The expert election* 2024 observation mission was organized by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Viasna Human Rights Center as part of the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign. The mission collects and analyzes information about the election campaign based on open sources and messages from voters from Belarus.

*The term "elections*" in relation to the 2024 election campaign is used with an asterisk by the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign to emphasize the perfunctory nature of this term, since any free and fair election campaign presupposes, first of all, conditions where rights and freedoms are fully realized, which is currently practically absent in Belarus.

 

Manual for the media identifying fake election observers

EPDE

This manual helps journalists identify politically biased or "fake" election observers during election processes.

 

EPDE Publication

Media and Freedom of Expression in the EU – Eastern Partnership and Russian Federation

EPDE

This report is published at a time of Russian invasion of Ukraine. It underscores the central role of freedom of expression in the maintenance of democracy at home, as well as international order and security abroad. This report provides the analysis and conclusions on the state of freedom of expression and the work of the media in seven countries of the EU Eastern Neighborhood, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia.

 

Election report

Referendum 2022: Final report

BHC & Viasna

Significant violations of national legislation and the fundamental principles of holding fair and democratic elections during the referendum, including depriving observers of the opportunity to witness the vote count, does not give grounds to trust the election results announced by the CEC.

 

Belarus

Constitutional referendum – findings and conclusions

BHC & Viasna

The constitutional referendum took place against the backdrop of a profound socio-political crisis that began immediately after the 2020 presidential election and the pervasive atmosphere of repression targeting those disloyal to the authorities, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections issued their preliminary report of their expert mission to this referendum, examining the lack of any electoral reforms since the 2020 post-election crisis; the intransparent manner in which the draft amendments were presented and discussed publicly without outside critical involvement; the numerous violations of international standards and national legislation in preparing and conducting the referendum. There was no independent monitoring of all types of voting or the vote count due to the CEC restrictions on the number of observers at polling stations.

 

Belarus

No opposition nominees selected for PEC seats

BHC & Viasna

The Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center "Viasna" within their joint campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" released an analytical report on the formation of precinct election commissions for the National Referendum scheduled for February 27, 2022. None of the nominated opposition representatives (42 persons) secured a seat on the commissions.

 

Election Report

Belarus: Discrimination of opposition and NGOs in formation of TECs ahead of constitutional referendum

BHC & Viasna

The process of forming territorial election commissions (TECs) ahead of the constitutional referendum in Belarus has started. Entities eligible to nominate their representatives to the TECs were given an extremely short period of time, only one working day, which could seriously affect the nomination process. The bulk of nominees to the TECs are representatives of the five largest pro-government organizations. Of the 20 nominees from the opposition parties, none was authorized.

 

Election Report

Belarus: first report on the eve of the National referendum

BHC & Viasna

The Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center "Viasna" within their joint campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" released the first report on the eve of the National referendum sheduled for February 27, 2022.

 

 

Analytical Review

Human Rights Situation in Belarus in 2021

Viasna

Viasna released an analytical review on the human rights situation in Belarus in 2021. Human rights observers state that criminal and administrative persecution, arbitrary arrests, dismissals and expulsions have become the main tools of authorities for retaining power and repressing opponents, critics of the regime, and dissidents.

 

Presidential Election

What are the minimal conditions under which a free and fair presidential election could be conducted in Belarus?

EPDE & DRI

In the context of Belarus’ current political crisis, demands for minimal conditions needed for the holding of free and fair presidential elections in Belarus could be made by the Belarusian public and the opposition if snap elections were to be called. This paper proposes recommendations for all stages of the election cycle and concludes that a competitive election could be held in Belarus without changes to existing laws if the government demonstrates the necessary political will to safeguard certain minimal conditions.

 
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