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ILHR
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Belarus Updates, 2000
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INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS BELARUS UPDATE
Edited by Victor Cole
Vol. 3, No. 25 June 2000
IN THIS ISSUE: --HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS-- BELARUS DOES NOT ACCEPT
"CUBA OF EUROPE" LABEL
The Lukashenko retime, accused by the West of failing to
embrace democratic and market reforms, struck back at the U.S. on June 9 after
Michael G. Kozak, Ambassador-Designate to Belarus, compared the isolated former
Soviet state to communist Cuba, reported Belapan. Kozak told the U.S. Senate
Foreign Relations Committee that he fully supported the description of Belarus
by U.S. politicians as "the Cuba of Europe," adding that the Washington's
priority in Minsk should be restoration of democracy (See Belarus Update Vol. 3,
No. 24). The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Kozak's speech
was an interference in Belarus' internal affairs. "With the naked eye one can
see Kozak's desire to keep in line with the dominant tone of the U.S. Senate,"
it said. "Hasty declarations about the country are unlikely to be a good
starting point for a possible future U.S. ambassador in Minsk." Having frosty
relations with most Western states, Belarusian authorities have sought to
establish stronger ties with Iraq and Iran. Itar-Tass reported on June 8, Ural
Latypov, Belarusian Foreign Minister, handed a personal message from Alexander
Lukashenko to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi calling for closer ties. (Belapan,
Itar-Tass, June 8)
U.S. WELCOMES BELARUS ASSURANCES ON OPPOSITION LEADERS
The United States
welcomed assurances by the government of Belarus that the opposition leaders who
visited Washington in May at the League's invitation (See Belarus Update Vol. 3,
No. 22) will face no reprisals for meeting with administration officials and
Congressional leaders, Richard Boucher, State Department Spokesman, said on June
9. Following is the text of Boucher's statement:"During the week of May 22-26,
Belarusian opposition leaders Anatoly Lebedko, Vintsuk Vyachorka, Dimitry
Bondarenko, and Pavel Zhuk met with State Department and National Security
Council officials as well as Congressional leaders in Washington. Following
these meetings, Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko, whose legal term in
office as President of Belarus ended on July 20, 1999, reportedly threatened to
treat these opposition leaders as 'possible security threats.' Subsequently, the
State Department expressed concerns in Washington and Minsk about these alleged
threats and received assurances from the Belarusian authorities that Lukashenko
had been misinterpreted and that opposition leaders would face no reprisals on
the basis of the meetings they had held in Washington."The United States
seriously concerned about the safety and liberty of these individuals and
welcomes these assurances. The resolution of the political and constitutional
crisis in Belarusrequires open dialogue between the opposition and the
authorities, something that cannot occur in a climate of fear. To create a
climate conducive to dialogue, the United States urges Belarusian authorities to
immediately release all political prisoners, including Vladimir Koudinov, Andrei
Klimov, and Vasily Leonov; to terminate the political trial of Nikolai
Statkevich and Valery Shchukin; to account for disappeared opposition leaders
Yury Zakharenko and Victor Gonchar, and to refrain from taking new steps that
would lead the country further from democracy." (USIA, June 9)
INTERNATIONAL
HELSINKI FEDERATION ISSUES HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2000
On June 1, the
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) published the 488-page
report "Human Rights in the OSCE Region: the Balkans, the Caucasus, Europe,
Central Asia and North America." The report covers the main human rights
violations in 44 countries during 1999 and is based mainly on research by the
national Helsinki committees of the IHF and its secretariat. "Twenty-five years
after the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, and over 10 years following the
collapse of the communist system in Central and Eastern Europe, the human rights
problems in the OSCE region are in a number of ways worse than they were before
1989," said Aaron Rhodes, Executive Director of the IHF. "1999 was a year of
brutality in the OSCE region," Rhodes said. The political dynamics of many of
the post-communist states indicate a trend toward autocracy, disrespect for
religious, ethnic, and political minorities. The judicial and electoral systems
continue to be politically manipulated and are part of a massive pattern of
corruption. With democracy faltering and poverty deepening, most of the citizens
of these countries have not greeted the "New Millennium" with much hope.
Countries cited for denials of press freedom include Russia, Kyrgyzstan,
Belarus, and Turkmenistan. "In Belarus, the government continued to trample upon
the fundamental principles of civil society, democracy, the rule of law and
human rights. The standard of living continued to fall. Alexander Lukashenko's
legitimate term in office expired on July 20, 1999, although he did not step
down," the Report says. The full text of it can be found at:
http://www.ihf-hr.org
AI REPORT FOR 1999 OUTLINES HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BELARUS
The Amnesty
International's annual report for 1999 documents the heightened protest activity
by the Belarusian opposition during 1999 against Lukashenko and questions the
legitimacy of his tenure. Prominent figures in the opposition who spoke out
against the regime were imprisoned for exercising their rights to freedom of
expression and peaceful assembly, the human rights organization said. Political
opponents of Lukashenko and human rights defenders were subjected to harassment
and intimidation. The number of prisoners of conscience increased in 1999. There
were numerous allegations of police ill-treatment. The death penalty continued
to be imposed on a frequent basis. Many prominent human rights defenders came
under increased pressure in 1999 to cease their human rights work. The
independent media was the subject of considerable state attention in 1999 and a
number of journalists were subjected to intimidation by the authorities.
Conditions in prisons and pre-trial detention centers fell well below
international minimum standards and amounted to cruel, degrading or inhuman
treatment. Prisoners are poorly fed, receive inadequate medical care, and are
housed in overcrowded, poorly heated and ventilated cells. Prisoners are often
physically ill-treated by prison guards. As a result of a presidential decree
issued in January, all political parties, trade unions, and NGOs were forced to
re-register; a number of organizations were refused registration in the process.
Several prominent independent newspapers critical of the government also had
their registered status revoked. In other instances, independent newspapers were
closed down for alleged tax violations or after losing expensive libel cases for
criticizing senior government figures. The full text of the report can be found
at: http://www.amnesty.org
UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON INDEPENDENCE OF JUDICIARY VISITS BELARUS
Dato Param
Cumaraswamy, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers,
visited Belarus on June 12-17 to study the state of the independence of the
judiciary and the legal profession. During the mission, the expert of the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights met with government officials, including
representatives from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs; members of the judiciary, including judges of the Supreme Court and the
Constitutional Court; and with Belarusian attorneys. He also met with
representatives of the prosecutor's office, law professors and several
representatives of human rights NGO's. The Special Rapporteur has received a
number of complaints concerning infringements on the independence of the
judiciary and the legal profession in Belarus. Cumaraswamy says he sees the
visit as an opportunity to gather first-hand information concerning the issues
raised in those allegations. A report of the mission is expected to be presented
to the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Human Rights in April 2001.
(UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, June 9)
TRIAL OF
OPPOSITION LEADERS POSTPONED
The Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta reported on June 16
that the trial of Valery Shchukin, deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet, and
Nikolai Statkevich, chair of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party, was
postponed until June 19. The opposition leaders are charged with "organizing and
actively participating in mass actions which violated public order" during the
October 17, 1999 Freedom March in Minsk (See Belarus Update Vol. 2, No. 42).
Prosecutor Galina Goncharova demanded a sentence of two years in a hard-labor
colony for Statkevich, and one and a half years of a suspended sentence for
Shchukin under Art. 168, paragraph 3, of the Belarusian Criminal Code.
Statkevich is also charged with the same offense for a July 27,1999, opposition
protest in Minsk. Video tapes filmed by police, KGB and Russian TV channels
during the Freedom March, show how the opposition leaders did their best to
prevent bloodshed. Statkevich believes that the hearing was postponed due to the
huge political outcry. "I received a phone call from the court 15 minutes after
NTV had reported about our case," he said. NTV is Russia's leading independent
national tv station accredited in Belarus. (Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, June
14)
OPPOSITION: LUKASHENKO DIALOGUE - PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN
On June 12, the
Coordination Council of the Belarusian Democratic Forces released a statement
characterizing the Lukashenko-initiated "broad political dialogue" as "a
propaganda campaign". The Council condemned the continued egregious violations
of human rights in Belarus, the lack of progress toward the establishment of
democracy and the rule of law, and the conviction and sentencing of Andrei
Klimov, Vasily Leonov, and Vladimir Koudinov on politically motivated charges.
The Congress called for the restoration of a democratically elected government
in Belarus. (Belapan, June 13)
BHC LEADER REPROACHED FOR PARTICIPATING IN LUKASHENKO'S DIALOGUE
The Board of
the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, a Minsk-based NGO affiliated with the
Internaitonal Helsinki Federation, has accused BHC Chair Tatyana Protska of
having discredited the organization by joining the dialogue initiated by
Lukashenko. The board has demanded her resignation, reported Belaruskaya
Delovaya Gazeta. The Board members believe that the BHC should not participate
in a dialogue designed to legitimize the Lukashenko regime. In the interim,
Protska has suspended her service as chair . [On March 18, in an interview to
the Belarusian state TV, Protska had said that the dialogue illustrated the
government's readiness to improve the human rights situation in the country. She
called on all Belarusian political forces to regard the dialogue as a very
serious matter. "It is in the course of the dialogue that our government will
win back the confidence of the international community. A compromise that the
government and the opposition may reach would give us mutually acceptable
electoral regulations. Elections held by such regulations would be recognized by
the international community," Protska said. Ed.] (Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta,
June 13)
PAZNYAK PARTY TO BOYCOTT PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
On June 13, Zyanon Paznyak,
chair of the Conservative Christian Party of the Belarusian Popular Front, said
his Party will not participate in this fall parliamentary election and called on
other opposition parties to boycott it. He believes that Lukashenko will use the
election as a screen for "legitimizing his regime and selling Belarus."(Belapan,
June 14) PRO-LUKASHENKO TV REPORTER WINS COURT CASE On June 16, Pervomaisky
District Court in Minsk dismissed a complaint filed by a pensioner Vera
Terlyukevich against Alexander Zimovsky, host of "Resonance," a news commentary
program sponsored by Belarusian State Television. Zimovsky is known for his
harsh commentary about opposition leaders and for his biased statements on the
program. Vera Terlyukevich was offended by Zimovsky's comments regarding the
opposition-organized Freedom March in Minsk on October 17. In his program,
Zimovsky called the demonstrators "a bunch of dumbheads."
In response, Terlyukevich wrote to State Television: "I myself went out to
protest because Belarusian citizens did not have access to the mass media to
discuss the draft of the Russia-Belarus Union treaty." Terlyukevich claimed she
saw herself on the screen during Zimovsky's commentary and took it as a personal
insult. Terlyukevich demanded 3 million denominated Belarusian rubles (about
$4,000) in punitive damages. She explained that her assessment of damages was
heavily influenced by the amounts that had been awarded to Viktor Sheiman,
Secretary of the Belarusian State Security Council, and Judge Nadezhda Chmara in
their cases against Naviny, the opposition newspaper which was closed after the
ruling and re-opened as Nasha Svaboda. Terlyukevich was represented in the court
by Boris Gunter, deputy of the 12th Supreme Soviet and activist of the Spring 96
Human Rights Center.
Judge Leonid Yasenovich requested video evidence from Belarusian National
Television and sent the footage to the Institute of Art Studies, Ethnography,
and Folklore for a linguistic examination. The Institute's specialists refused
to provide such expertise. The Committee on Journalist Ethics of the Belarusian
Union of Journalists concluded that Terlyukevich could not have been offended by
Zimovsky's comments, because they "have nothing to do with her personally, but
with opposition politicians of a new wave such as Anatoly Lebedko [chair of the
13th Supreme Soviet's Commission on Foreign Affairs and newly elected chair of
the United Civic Party], and Vintsuk Viachorka, [chair of the Belarusian Popular
Front Adradzhenne]." Terlyukevich did not attend the June 12 hearing, claiming
that her son had just been hurt in a road accident. Boris Gunter believes,
however, that the authorities intimidated her. (Nasha Svaboda, Charter 97, June
13)
ZIMOVSKY SUED AGAIN Nasha Svaboda reported on June 16 that Yury Svirko, a
reporter for the independent newspaper, filed a complaint with the Belarusian
Prosecutor General charging TV host Alexander Zimovsky with theft. Svirko says
that in his program Zimovsky used several excerpts from an interview given to
Svirko by Tamara Vinnikova, former head of the country's National Bank, which
had been omitted from the abridged version of the interview published in
Narodnaya Volya, another independent daily. Svirko believes that Zimovsky used
materials stolen from his private e-mail correspondence with the former banker.
[Vinnikova, who joined Lukashenko's team as central banker at the end of 1995,
was arrested on January 14, 1997 on charges of abuse of power, forgery, and
large-scale embezzlement. After being held in a KGB detention center for 10
months, she was released due to illness. She mysteriously vanished while under
de facto house arrest on April 8, 1999. Eight months later, she has reappeared
abroad under equally murky circumstances, denouncing Lukashenko in her
interviews. She said her arrest was brought about by her unwillingness to go
along with some shady deals that she claims cost the country $300 million.-Ed.]
(Nasha Svaboda, June 16)
DIRECTOR OF TV PROGRAM COMPENSATED FOR ILLEGAL DISMISSAL
Belapan reported on
June 14 that Pervomaisky District Court in Minsk ruled that the Belarusian State
Television and Radio Company must pay unemployment compensation for the period
he did not work with the Company due to his illegal dismissal to Yaroslavl
Beklemishchev, director and host of the talk show "Krok-2,". [Beklemishchev was
fired after inviting opponents of Lukashenko to his studio on March 9, 2000. He
was accused of "flagrant violation of the rules of presentation of the program
on the air." Among the guests of the March 9 Krok-2, which focused on the
problems of filmmaking in Belarus, was Yury Khashchevatsky, director of "An
Ordinary President," a documentary about Lukashenko, which won the Nestor
Almendros Award at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York in 1998. The
talk-show guests criticized the authorities for their negative attitude to arts
in general and for the decaying Belarusian cinema. The administration failed to
quote the article of the Labor Code under which he was fired.- Ed.] (Belapan,
June 14)
BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION LEADERS MEET OSCE MEMBERS IN BUCHAREST
On June 14, Anatoly
Lebedko and Vladimir Nistuk, deputies of the 13th Supreme Soviet and members of
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, arrived in Bucharest at the invitation of
Adrian Severin, chairman of the OSCE PA's Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus,
reported Charter 97. The visit took place three weeks before the 9th session of
the OSCE PA, which is expected to pass a special resolution on the political
situation in Belarus. The Belarusian opposition leaders is to update the OSCE
members on the latest developments in the country. (Charter 97, June 15)
BORISOV OPPOSITION ACTIVIST ACQUITTED
Viasna Human Rights Center reported on
June 15 that Alexander Abramovich, chairman of the Borisov branch of the
Belarusian Helsinki Committee, was acquitted by the Belarusian Supreme Court.
Abramovich was sentenced to serve 35 days in jail on administrative charges for
various protest pickets staged in his hometown of Borisov, Minsk Region. In
addition, Abramovich was sent to jail for protesting against criminal procedures
initiated by the Lukashenko regime against Mikhail Chigir, former Prime Minister
and opposition leader. The judge did not find any evidence of criminal offense
in Abramovich's activities and dismissed both cases. He also ruled that
proceedings must be initiated against law-enforcers from the Borisov pre-trial
detention center who placed Abramovich in the same cell with the convicts
suffering from severe form of tuberculosis. (Viasna, June 15)
OPPOSITION IN BARANOVICHI POPULARIZES INDEPENDENT MEDIA
On June 10, activists of
the Baranovichi branches of the BPF Adradzhenne and the Malady Front
disseminated free pocket calendars with a schedule of the programs of Radio
Liberty, BPF Press service reported. No incidents with the police were reported.
(BPF Press Service, June 10).
OPPOSITION LEADERS APPLY FOR PERMISSION TO HOLD CONGRESS
On June 12, the
Coordination Council of the Belarusian Democratic Forces applied to the Minsk
City Council for permission to convene a congress in Minsk on July 2 in order to
make a final decision as to whether they will participate in this fall's
parliamentary elections, reported Belapan. Victor Chikin, Minsk deputy mayor,
assured the organizers that no problems with the official authorization would
emerge. (Belapan, June 13)
OPPOSITION UNITES
On June 15, at a meeting of the Coordination Council of the
Belarusian Democratic Forces, representatives of the Belarusian Social
Democratic Party, United Civic Party, and the Belarusian Popular Front
Adradzhenne decided to establish regional branches of the Council, reported the
Belarusian Association of Journalists. They appealed to other Belarusian
opposition parties and trade unions to become members of the local councils.
(Belarusian Association of Journalists, June 16)
ALL-BELARUSIAN CONGRESS TO BE HELD IN JULY
Nasha Svaboda reported on June 13
that the All-Belarusian Congress, planned as a gathering of supporters of
Belarusian independence, is to hold its first session on July 29 in Minsk. It
will be timed with the 10th anniversary of the signing the declaration of
Belarus's independence. About 800 delegates from all of Belarusian regions are
expected to attend the gathering and adopt the Act of Independence. (Nasha
Svaboda, June 13)
KOUDINOV CELEBRATES 42nd BIRTHDAY IN JAIL
Vladimir Koudinov, a deputy of the
13th Supreme Soviet, currently in jail for political reasons, celebrated his
42nd birthday on June 11. [Koudinov was one of the parliamentarians who signed
the motion for Alexander Lukashenko's impeachment in 1996. He was arrested in
February 1997 and accused of offering a $500 bribe to a highway police officer.
On August 4, 1997, a district court sentenced him to seven years and
confiscation of his property.-Ed.] (Charter 97, June 11)
--AT HOME IN BELARUS-- OSCE MISSION CRITICISES LUKASHENKO AIDE
Belapan
reported on June 15 that the OSCE AMG in Belarus accused Sergei Posokhov,
Lukashenko's representative responsible for public liaision and work with
parties, trade unions, and all public associations, of provoking a "diplomatic
conflict" on the eve of a visit of the OSCE troika [the parliamentary bodies of
the OSCE, European Union, and Council of Europe] to Belarus. On June 14, in an
interview to the Belarusian state TV, Posokhov said that Amb. Hans-Georg Wieck
had refused to include in the troika's program meetings with representatives of
Belarusian political parties and participants in the Lukashenko-initiated "broad
political dialogue." The OSCE mission said Posokhov's statement exerted pressure
on the organizers of the visit and contravened international diplomatic
practice. (Belapan, June 15)
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO PASS AMENDMENTS TO ELECTORAL CODE
Nasha Svaboda reported on June 16 that Alexander Lukashenko sent to the
Chamber of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly a draft Decree
"On Introducing Amendments to the Belarusian Electoral Code." The law makers are
expected to vote on the document within 10 days. A new provision introduces the
status of domestic observers of the election and a new format of a ballot:
instead of crossing out the names of unwanted candidates, voter will only mark
the name of the candidate they support. The amendments simplify the procedure of
collecting signatures for candidates and change the procedure for designating
candidates from political parties. Local observers believe, however, that all
proposed amendments are cosmetic and do not change the undemocratic nature of
the Electoral Code. (Nasha Svaboda, June 16)
-INTERNATIONAL NEWS-US CONGRESS: TIME FOR RUSSIA TO PAY ITS DEBTS
The news
coverage of President Clinton's visit to Moscow paid little attention to an
agreement his administration struck with Russia to reschedule, for the fifth
time, Russia's debts, Rep. Benjamin A. Gilman (R-NY), Chair of the Foreign
Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, wrote in the Washington
Post on June 16. "Russia is more unwilling than unable to honor its debts to the
United States and other governments. Indeed, Russia has quietly been providing
hundreds of millions of dollars worth of resources and finances to prop up the
dictatorship of Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus. Last month Russia granted the
Yugoslav regime of Slobodan Milosevic a loan of more than $ 100 million, and
every year Russia pays rent estimated as high as $300 million to Cuba to operate
an espionage facility used to spy on U.S. military forces, citizens, and
companies. For the past nine months, Russia has financed a brutal military
operation in Chechnya costing hundreds of millions of dollars. No expense has
been spared by the Russian government in carpet-bombing Chechen cities and
rolling over innocent civilians in that bloody military operation. We have gone
beyond the point at which such leniency toward Russia on its debt obligations
was justified," Rep. Gilman wrote. (The Washington Post, June 16)
INTERNATIONAL
CONGRESS ON COMMUNISM'S CRIMES IN VILNIUS
On June 12, the International Congress
on the Crimes of Communism, hosted by the Lithuanian Parliament, opened in
Vilnius, reported the Baltic News Service. Belarus is represented by Zyanon
Paznyak, chair of the Conservative Christian Party of the Belarusian Popular
Front, Semyon Sharetsky, chair of the 13th Supreme Soviet and
opposition-appointed Acting President of Belarus, Radim Goretsky, president of
the Belarusian World Association, and historian Igor Kuznetsov. Representatives
of 20 countries attending the conference are expected to evaluate communism as
doctrine and political system. (BNS,. June 13)
--CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS--
June 19 - United Civil Party, Charter 97 to
picket the Minsk City Council July 2 - Coordination Council of the Belarusian
Democratic Forces to hold a Congress in Minsk July 29 - the All-Belarusian
Congress to hold its first session on in Minsk
************************************************************************
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
United Nations and ILO.
The Belarus project was established to support Belarusian citizens in making
their cases before the U.S. government and public and international fora and
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) 661-0480 or fax
(212) 684-1696 or visit our web site at www.ilhr.org
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