Valery Karankevich, a coordinator of the “Speak the Truth” civil campaign and a prospective candidate for the House of Representatives, says members of his electoral team face pressurization from the side of the law machinery and the local authorities.

“Recently, a number of our activists have been visited by law machinery officers and forced to sign warnings about liability for participation in unauthorized mass events,” says Valery Karankevich. “Officers of the procuracy held a two-hour talk with me about it. The head of the my electoral headquarters Piatro Vaseika was visited by a KGB officer at home and at work. The district state-owned newspaper “Shliakh Kastrychnika” suddenly published excerpts from the Law “On mass media” and the Code of Administrative Violations concerning liability for unlawful production and distribution of media, which is evidently aimed against the low-circulation newspaper “Belaruski Uskhod”, which we produce and distribute in conformity with the law. To put it short, a constant pressurization is exercised on our people. I think that this open pressurization is connected to my intention to run for the Parliament at Krychau election constituency #83, which law machinery officers and local authorities are trying to prevent.”

“Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”