INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

BELARUS UPDATE

Edited by Victor Cole
Vol. 3, No. 22

May 2000

IN THIS ISSUE:

-Belarusian Opposition Leaders Visit U.S.; Meet Sen. Jesse Helms; Rep. Benjamin Gilman
-OSCE, EU, US Condemn Chigir Sentence
-Jail Terms for Protesters; Legal Aid Office Raided; Trade-Union Activists Harassed
-State Controls 80 Percent of Media, Says OSCE
-Lithuania Protests Belarusian Military Appointment

--HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS--
UNITED BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION DELEGATION VISITS U.S.
At the invitation of the League, four Belarusian opposition leaders visited the U.S. from May 16-27, travelling to several U.S. cites to meet with émigré community groups, human rights organizations, and the press, then spending a week in Washington, DC, to see U.S. State Department officials and members of the U.S. Congress, notably the chairs of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the House Committee on International Affairs, and the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The Belarusian delegation included Anatoly Lebedko, chair of the 13th Supreme Soviet's Commission on Foreign Affairs and newly elected chair of the United Civic Party; Vintsuk Viachorka, chair of the Belarusian Popular Front Adradzhenne (Renewal Movement); Pavel Zhuk, editor-in-chief of Nasha Svaboda, a leading independent newspaper; and Dmitry Bondarenko, coordinator of the Charter 97 civic movement. The purpose of the trip was to discuss conditions for parliamentary elections in Belarus; support of the democratic opposition; the dangers of the Belarus-Russian Union; and the urgent need to put Belarus on the agenda of the Clinton-Putin summit in Moscow in June.

From May 19-21, Lebedko and Viachorka met with Belarusian diaspora and press in New Jersey and Ohio, respectively. Bondarenko and Zhuk travelled to Denver, where they were received by the Colorado Republican Business Coalition and also spoke before an émigré audience at the Glendale Public Library arranged by the Denver Guild of Russian Journalists and Horizont, a local newspaper. They also met with Prof. Tom Farer of the University of Colorado, a League board member; were hosted at a luncheon at the Denver Press Club by Holger Jensen, Rocky Mountain News international affairs editor; and honored at a fund-raiser for the League arranged by Jean Caldwell, a local business consultant and Democratic Party supporter. On May 22, the Belarusian visitors met with Mark Brzezinski, Director of the Office of Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian Affairs of the U.S. National Security Council and spoke at a luncheon arranged by the Heritage Foundation. On May 23, the delegation met with Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR), member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, who was shocked to see the flyers about disappeared opposition leaders and vowed to support the Belarus resolution on the Senate side.

At a meeting following a Congressional hearing on Russia attended by the Belarusian visitors, Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission) and Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) assured the opposition leaders that the U.S. Senate is sure to favorably consider H CON Res. 304 RFS on the situation in Belarus, previously passed by the House of Representatives, and now awaiting approval at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

At meetings with Dr. Harold Hongju Koh, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and Amb. Dan Fried, former U.S. envoy to Poland and Acting Special Advisor to the Secretary of State, the Belarusian delegation discussed persistent human rights violations in Belarus and the Belarusian government's failure to meet OSCE conditions for genuine elections. Mary Orlick, director for Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova and John Armstrong, Belarus Desk Officer of the U.S. Department of State, also attended the meetings.

On May 24, the Belarusian delegation met with Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rep. Sam Gejdenson (D-CT), initiator of H CON RES 304; and also visited former national security advisor Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, in their effort to raise the profile of Belarus in U.S. foreign policy. That evening, at a reception hosted by the International Republican Institute, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), former Republican presidential candidate, expressed support for the democratic forces of Belarus, adding that their struggle for freedom had always been welcomed by the U. S. "Belarusians should know that they've got true friends in Washington," noted Sen. McCain. Rep.Benjamin A. Gilman (R-NY), Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, applauded the Belarusian opposition leaders for their courage in standing up to the illegitimate government of Alexander Lukashenko. The Belarusian opposition leaders were also greeted by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who stressed the bi-partisan Congressional support for freedom and democracy in Belarus.

In a speech at the IRI reception, Rep. Gilman stated: "The situation in Belarus today is nothing less than dictatorship - dictatorship supported by the Russian government. It is shocking that leading opposition figures disappear, that a large police force is deployed against the people, that people are arrested and beaten for no reason, and that the mass media is controlled by the state while the independent press is subject to restrictions and censorship. What is more shocking is that this issue has held such a low place in the agenda between Washington and Moscow. President Clinton should recognize that this dictatorship in Belarus is a cancer that is eating at the heart of our efforts to support democracy not just in that country, but all across the states of the former Soviet Union." The Belarusian visitors also met with the Union of Councils of Soviet Jewry, Voice of America, and Radio Liberty, and conducted a half-day briefing seminar attended by representatives of EU embassies, the State Department, party institutes, NGOs and foundations. More information on the opposition trip will be included in the next issue of the Belarus Update (ILHR, May 25)

CONGRESSIONAL ROUND TABLE ON BELARUS
On May 16 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, Rep. Sam Gejdenson (D-CT), ranking Democrat member on the Committee of International Relations of the U.S. House of Representatives, convened a round table attended by 40 people actively involved in work on Belarus to discuss the urgent political situation. Congressional members and staff, State Department officials, USAID officials, party institutes, and NGOs discussed ways of increasing and better allocating support to Belarusian civil society, including assistance to NGOs, democratic movements, trade unions, and the independent media. Gejdenson called on participants to cooperate with Belarus' neighboring states, in order to return the Belarusian nation back to the path of democracy. (ILHR, May 18)

BPF CHAIRMAN VISITS UK
On May 14-19, BPF Chairman Vintsuk Viachorka visited Great Britain at the official invitation of the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BPF Adradzhenne Press Service reported. During the visit, BPF leader met members of the House of Commons of the British Parliament, staff of the East department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Office of the Conservative Party, Royal Institute of the International Affairs, Christ Church College in Oxford, the BBC World Service, the editors-in-chief- of the international news departments of the Sunday Times, the Financial Times, and the Guardian. They discussed the human rights situation, democratic process, elections, independence of the media in Belarus, the Lukashenko regime's control of the economy, possibilities of protection the countries independence from Russia and setting up of the Britain-Belarus deputies' club. (BPF press service, May 22)

FORMER PRIME MINISTER NARROWLY ESCAPES RETURN TO PRISON
The highly controversial trial of former Prime Minister Mikhail Chigir, 52, once again called into question the independence of the judiciary in Belarus, Amnesty International said May 22 in a statement at the conclusion of Chigir's 6-month trial. [On May 19, Chigir was sentenced by the City Court in Minsk to three years' imprisonment suspended for two years for alleged abuse of power relating to a position he held as a bank chair before becoming Prime Minister in 1994 (see Belarus Update Vol. 3, No. 21]. The Court also barred Chigir from holding any political office. Since his participation in scheduled elections could trigger his sentence, the authorities have effectively precluded him from running for parliament in the fall. "That a leading opposition figure is banished from all political activities is not a mere coincidence. Nor can it be a coincidence that he was first arrested shortly after agreeing to run for presidency in the unofficial elections held May 1999," noted AI. (Amnesty International, May 22)

EU CONDEMNS CHIGIR SENTENCE
In a statement May 25, the European Union condemned the sentence imposed on Mikhail Chigir, saying the measure was designed to prevent the opposition leader from playing "a proper part" in upcoming elections. Following is the full text of the statement: "Bearing in mind that Mr. Chigir's return to prison would have put paid to any hope of establishing the climate of confidence necessary for the holding and observation of democratic elections in Belarus, the European Union notes with satisfaction that he was set free. However, his sentence was clearly designed to prevent him from playing a proper part in politics and in the coming elections in his country. The European Union regrets this further instance of the use of legal proceedings against opposition figures for political purposes, because it (i) illustrates the blurring of powers in Belarus, although separation of powers forms a basic principle of all European democracies; (ii) impedes efforts to establish the conditions deemed essential to the organization of free and democratic elections; (iii) casts further doubt on the credibility of the national dialogue process publicized by the authorities, just as they agreed to hold serious discussions with opposition parties. The European Union, which since Chigir's arrest in 1999 has constantly denounced the political exploitation of this case, truly hopes that the hearing of the appeal lodged by Chigir before the Belarusian Supreme Court may provide an opportunity to reverse the judgment against him and thus facilitate the holding of the coming elections in an acceptable manner. (USIA, May 25)

OSCE DEPLORES CHIGIR SENTENCE
The OSCE AMG in Belarus has condemned the sentence imposed on Mikhail Chigir. On May 22, the AMG notified the Belarusian authorities of a number of serious procedural violations committed during his pretrial investigation and trial. The OSCE AMG also noted that the sentence "neutralizes the political potential of the Former Prime Minister at a crucial moment of the development of the country and puts into doubt the readiness of the government to create a situation of trust and peace in the interest of the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections." The OSCE mission called on the authorities to review the sentence and thus "contribute to the restoration of the credibility and independence of the judiciary in Belarus." (Belapan, May 23)

U.S. LINKS CHIGIR SENTENCE TO ELECTION CONDITIONS
The U.S. government reacted critically to the sentencing of Mikhail Chigir which "effectively prevents him from assuming any political office or taking part in political activities" and thus makes it difficult to conceive that elections in the fall will be free and fair, as Ambassador David T. Johnson, head of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE, told the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on May 25. "We note that one of the four conditions that the OSCE Troika identified during its recent visit to Minsk in order to recognize the forthcoming elections is respect for human rights. It is imperative that the Belarusian authorities make rapid progress to meet this condition, as well as the three others -- opposition access to state media; modification of the electoral code; and giving the Parliament real power -- before we can further consider the question of whether to recognize the parliamentary elections this fall," the Ambassador said. (USIA, May 25)

BORISOV OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS GET JAIL TERMS AND FINES
On May 21, a local branch of the Belarusian Social Democrat Party (BSDP) held an unauthorized solidarity picket in support of Mikhail Chigir in Borisov, a town in Minsk Region. The protesters shouted: "Lukashenko to Prison, Freedom for Chigir!" and "Chigir is our President!" On the next day, Alexander Abramovich, chairman of the BSDP Borisov branch, was sentenced to 15 days' administrative detention for allegedly organizing and actively participating in "mass actions violating the public order." BSDP member Telezhnikov was sentenced to 10 days of jail. Activist Yasyuk was fined 150,000 Belarusian rubles (about $160). On May 19, two other local opposition activists demanding freedom for Chigir were arrested near the court building in downtown Borisov. They were found guilty of violating public order and fined two minimum wages each. (Charter 97, May 22-23)

PROSECUTOR GENERAL URGES FURTHER INVESTIGATION
On May 25, Oleg Bozhelko, Belarusian Prosecutor General, told journalists in Minsk that the investigation in the case of Mikhail Chigir is continuing and the investigators are now working on "newly discovered episodes of the ex-Premier's illegal activities." The Prosecutor General "did not rule out" that his office would also appeal the sentence as "too lenient." He added that the investigators have no information about the whereabouts of missing opposition leaders Yury Zakharenko and Victor Gonchar. (Belapan, May 26)

STATE-RUN MEDIA CONTROL 80% OF BELARUSIAN MEDIA MARKET
State-run media control over 80% of the domestic media market, reported the OSCE AMG after completing a study of the situation in the Belarusian press in 1999. "The fact that most of the 739 registered periodicals are private does not mean that freedom of expression exists in Belarus," write OSCE experts. For example, the circulation of Sovetskaya Belarus, the official newspaper (331,000 copies), exceeds the overall circulation of fifteen leading independent publications. The state-owned TV and radio company enjoys unlimited monopoly over coverage of domestic politics and presents solely the official vision of the situation. The State Press Committee is also authorized to punish independent newspapers for "misbehavior": two reprimands within one year are sufficient grounds to shut down a periodical. In 1999, alone the Committee issued 76 reprimands to 52 newspapers. Censorship, now disguised as reprimands and libel suits, led to the closure of Imya and Naviny, two independent newspapers. "The pressure exerted on the independent mass media is escalating and many editors are waiting for even stricter limitations ahead of the parliamentary elections in the year 2000," says the OSCE report. (Charter 97, May 24)

PUBLIC LEGAL AID ASSOCIATION'S OFFICE BURGLARIZED
The Minsk office of the Public Legal Aid Association (also know as the Assistance Association) located on Partizansky Avenue, was burglarized on May 20, Viasna Human Rights Center reported. The office rents a space in a building with security guards which is owned by the Presidential Administrative Department. The thieves stole the legal aid group's computers, which contained much of their files on an independent investigation of the disappearance of Gen. Yury Zakharenko and the Nemiga metro stampede in Minsk. [More than 50 people, mainly teenage girls, were trampled to death in a stampede at a festival in Minsk on May 30 (see Belarus Update Vol. 2, No. 23).-Ed]. The incident happened prior to a conference organized by the Legal Aid Association and the Viasna Human Rights Center to commemorate the first anniversary of the tragedy. The Legal Aid Association assessed the damage at $3,600. Legal Aid Chair Oleg Volchek links the burglary to his organization's active participation in the defense of opposition activists' rights and their defense of persons beaten by police in a series of freedom marches in the last year. The May 20 raid was not the first criminal attack on the organization. A similar incident occurred last year, although police have still not found those responsible. The Zavodsky District Police Department in Minsk has opened an investigation into the case. (Viasna, May 21)

TWO NGOS PUBLISH BOOK ABOUT NEMIGA TRAGEDY
On May 24, the Viasna Human Rights Center and the Nemiga 99 Social Defense Center commemorated the first anniversary of the Nemiga metro stampede in Minsk by presenting a documentary book titled "Nemiga Tragedy: Events, Facts, Commentaries" at the Maksim Bogdanovich Museum of Literature in Minsk. (Viasna, May 24)

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER IN BREST RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL AWARD
The editorial board of the Brest Courier, a local independent newspaper, has been awarded by Der Zeit, the German daily, for its professionalism and courage in the struggle for democracy, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported. The ceremony took place in Hamburg. (BAJ, May 25)

REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT SEEKS CONSOLIDATION
On May 18, the first meeting of the Coordinating Council of Belarusian Regions, a newly established NGO that was founded by a local NGO Initiative took place in Grodno, Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta reported. The group vows to coordinate the activities of the regional human rights, youth, women's associations and trade unions in their efforts to return Belarus to democracy. Semyon Domash, deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet and chair of the Grodno Initiative, was elected chair of the Council. In an interview with BDG, Vitaly Vasilkov, member of the Mogilev branch of the Council, said that the organization was established to support the democratic movement in Minsk and make it reach the Belarusian provinces. (BDG, May 23)

INDEPENDENT TRADE UNION LEADERS HARASSED
Mikhail Marinich, former leader of the Independent Trade Union of Steel Workers, was refused a position with the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAP) after he served a term in office as a trade union leader, Charter 97 reported. In such cases, the labor code mandates employers to provide the former employee with a new job similar to the one previously occupied before election as a full-time trade union representative. On March 29, Marinich asked the human resources department for another position within the plant, but his application was again rejected, this time on the pretext that it was not completed properly. Marinich brought the case to the Zavodsky District Court in Minsk as a violation of his labor rights. On May 23, during the hearing, lawyer Ludmila Kasyak, representing MAP in court, said that the plant's leadership considers the trade union an illegal organization and, consequently, the labor code provisions should not apply. Judge Irina Mardovich disagreed, holding that MAP's administration had to comply with the current regulations. George Mukhin, deputy chair of the Belarusian Free Trade Union, experienced similar harassment when he was fired last year by the administration of the Minsk Tractor Plant for his active involvement in the labor movement. Officially, Mukhin is listed as an employee of the Minsk Engine Plant, but he is unable to obtain an identification card which would give him the right to enter the factory grounds to work, Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta reported. The activist has also filed a complaint with the Zavodsky District Court in Minsk. (Charter 97, May 24, BDG, May 26)

LUKASHENKO TOO WEAK ON ANTI-SEMITISM, SAY JEWISH, RIGHTS GROUPS
According to Belaruski Rynok, an independent newspaper, the Association of Belarusian Jews and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee have condemned the Lukashenko regime for not doing enough to crack down on anti-Semitism, notably in connection with a publication by the Orthodox Christian Initiative Publishing House. The organizations believe that the book incites ethnic hatred for political reasons. In March, the ABJ filed a complaint with the Sovetsky District Court in Minsk, citing anti-Semitic statements made by the book's authors and saying they fostered an unfriendly attitude toward Jews and provoked religious intolerance. The judge ruled that the book was "a product of academic polemics" and dismissed the case. On May 11, the Minsk City Court upheld his ruling. The ABJ plans to appeal the decision in the Regional Court. The Belarusian government refrained from comment. It should be noted that many members of the Russian National Unity, the self-proclaimed fascist movement, were in the courtroom during both hearings and enthusiastically supported the judgement. (Belaruski Rynok, May 20-28)

NO PROGRESS IN BROAD PUBLIC DIALOGUE
The May 24 meeting of the participants in the so-called "nationwide public dialogue" has been postponed until early June, Belapan reported. The opposition, which is not participating in the Lukashenko-initiated talks, intends prompt talks between the Consultative Council of Belarusian Opposition Parties and the authorities regarding the forthcoming parliamentary election, but no decision on the opening of talks has been made. (Belapan ,May 25)

--AT HOME IN BELARUS--
LUKASHENKO ASKS RUSSIA TO HELP FIND MISSING OPPOSITION LEADERS
On May 18, during a meeting with Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Rushaylo, Lukashenko asked for Russian assistance in obtaining some information on missing opposition leaders, Belarusian state TV reported. Rushaylo promised to help. [On May 8, U.S. State Department once again urged the Belarusian authorities to account for the disappeared Belarusian opposition leaders General Yuri Zakharenko, Victor Gonchar, and businessman Anatoly Krasovsky (see Belarus Update Vol. 3, No. 20]. On May 6, the 166th session of the Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Amman, had expressed deep concern at the lack of findings in the investigation into Gonchar's disappearance, and urged the authorities to make every effort to establish his whereabouts (see Belarus Update Vol. 3, No. 21).(BBC, May 23)

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS: DO NOT PAY WAGES IN DIAMONDS
The Belarusian Council of Ministers has issued a resolution prohibiting employers from paying their employees with certain products-"fuel, lubricants, medicines, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, narcotic substances, non-food products that contain more than 7 percent of ethyl alcohol, precious metals, precious stones, and explosive and poisonous substances." The decision was made on April 28 but was not published in local newspapers. Because of the lack of cash, some enterprises in Belarus have had to resort to paying their workers with their own products. Although there have been no reports so far about payments in diamonds, TNT, or morphine, the Cabinet apparently decided to be on the safe side. (Belaruski Rynok, May 22)

--BROTHER SLAVS-
SIX-NATION CIS SECURITY COUNCIL REINFORCES TREATY
On May 25, leaders from six of the 12 nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) signed a memorandum in Minsk to reinforce the 1992 Collective Security Treaty, in an attempt to tighten security in the region, Itar-Tass reported. After a four year pause in meetings, the heads of state of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan were reunited by the escalating threat of international terrorism and extremism and by the increasing drug trafficking and illegal arms trade plaguing the region. In a joint statement, the leaders noted that the adapted treaty "sets up a reliable basis for collective actions against new threats, including those posed by international terrorism and extremism," the statement said. In an interview with Russian television, Alexander Lukashenko noted that since last year, when Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan pulled out of the treaty, new threats had emerged in the southern CIS area, which prompted countries to appeal to the council. "Now Uzbekistan is changing its stance by asking Moscow for help in protecting its borders, and this weekend, I will try to change the mind of Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma," Lukashenko told RTR, the Russian state tv channel. "Russia, Armenia and Belarus all border NATO and we are not going to sit and wait for something to happen. We are going to arrange our own security and that is why we are strengthening and adapting the treaty to a changing world," said the Belarusian leader. During the session, the leaders also signed the statute of the Defense Ministers Council and formed a new body, the Security Secretaries Council.

The meeting came at a significant time for Russia, which has been waging a war of words with Afghanistan's Taliban regime, accusing it of training guerrillas who are fighting Russian federal troops in Chechnya. Moscow had warned the Taliban that it may launch pre-emptive strikes against suspected training camps in Afghanistan. However, later in Florence, Ivanov told his US counterpart, Madeleine Albright, that the whole question was a "misunderstanding" and that Russia did not envisage launching any strikes, Reuters reported. Lukashenko supported the Russian comment, saying "there is no question of any strikes against Afghanistan. This problem was never discussed and we have no plans to attack anyone," RTR reported. (Itar-Tass, Reuters, May 24-25)

-INTERNATIONAL NEWS-
LITHUANIA PROTESTS APPOINTMENT OF NEW OFFICIAL
On May 22, Vladimir Garkun, Belarusian ambassador to Lithuania, received a letter of protest from the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with regard to the appointment of Lieutenant-General Vladimir Uskopchik, deputy Belarusian Minister of Defense, Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta reported. "The appointment of Uskopchik, who faces legal action in Lithuania, does not correspond to the spirit of friendly atmosphere between our countries and may have a negative impact on the bilateral relations," said a Ministry statement. In 1991, Uskopchik was a commander of a Soviet army division which took an active part in the bloodshed in January 1991 in Vilnius, when tank troops suppressed a demonstration against deployment of the Soviet troops in the country, leading to the deaths of six protesters and serious injuries for many others. Lithuania launched the legal proceedings against Uskopchik but he fled to Belarus and soon became a commander of a military corps in Bobruisk (Minsk region). In an interview with BDG, Sigitas Gedvilas, Lithuanian Prosecutor General, said that Uskopchik's involvement in those events is confirmed by numerous sources, which are now available for the Lithuanian prosecutor's office. He is charged with a murder and a brutal beating under Articles 105 and 111 of the Lithuanian Criminal Code. Twice, in 1992 and 1994, Lithuania demanded Uskopchik's extradition, but in both cases Minsk responded with a refusal. The Fraternity of Victims of January 13, an NGO founded by relatives and friends of the victims of the 1991 events in Vilnius, are determined to appeal to the Hague Court in order to have Uskopchik declared a war criminal. (BDG, May 26)

MAKING WAVES
Broadcasting from the safe-haven of a more democratic Lithuania, Radio Baltic Waves, a small station broadcasting independent news from Vilnius across the border to Belarus, has had a much easier time of it than its counterparts in Belarus who are generally not tolerated. The five privately owned and operated FM radio outlets in Belarus face having their licenses revoked or having the plug pulled on their programming for any aired criticism of the government or the president. At the same time, state-run radio stations offer virtually no information about the activities of the Belarusian opposition, unless that information shows the opposition in a negative light. But it has been against much protest from Belarusian authorities that RBW has offered four and a half hours of news per day to its listeners across the border.

From Vilnius, RBW reaches Minsk, most of western Belarus, and regions up to 300 kilometers away, including Russia's Kaliningrad region. Though it has been broadcasting for nearly five months now, a lack of funding, low support from Lithuanian journalists, pressure from Lukashenko, and the hesitancy of Lithuanian officials to rock the boat with their highly militarized neighbor have the station walking on thin ice. Still, so far grants from the United States and Western Europe, coupled with encouragement from the European Union to nurture a free press, have kept the small station going. Since the tumult surrounding the creation of Radio Baltic Waves, the atmosphere has changed. Following EU accession talks in December, Lithuania has been attempting to bring its policy toward Belarus in line with that of the EU, which has strongly condemned Belarus's poor human rights record, and in particular, Lukashenko's controversial 1996 referendum. Semyon Sharetski, chairman of the disbanded Belarusian parliament, is an ardent supporter of the station who says that Belarusians can hear uncensored news only from foreign radio stations, and the birth of one more radio station in Vilnius is very welcome. (Transitions Online, May 22)

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The Belarus Update is a regular news bulletin of the Belarus Human Rights Support Project of the International League for Human Rights. The League, now in its 59th year, is New York-based human rights NGO in consultative status with the UN. The Belarus project was established to support Belarusian democratic leaders in making their case before the U.S. government and public and as well as intergovernmental organizations regarding Alexander Lukashenko's wholesale assault on human rights and the rule of law in Belarus.

For more information e-mail belarus@ilhr.org or call (212) 684-1221 or fax (212) 684-1696 or visit our web site at www.ilhr.org

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