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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. 41 October 2000
IN THIS ISSUE:
-Freedom March-3
-Pre-Election Political Harassment
Intensifies
-Sannikov Visits US
-Vinnikova Loses Property, Gets Asylum
-Lukashenko Condemns West for Interfering in Yugoslav Election
-Milosevic May Find Refuge in Belarus
--HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS FREEDOM MARCH-3
On October 1, according to opposition sources, about 15,000 people took part in
the Freedom March 2000 demonstration in Minsk. [Foreign monitors put the number
at 10,000-12,000--Eds.] Protesters, who argue that the October 15 vote will not
be free and fair, wanted the march to proceed along Skaryna Avenue, Minsk's main
thoroughfare, but the Minsk City Council confined the demonstrators to a less
busy street leading to Bangalore Park on the city outskirts. Leaders of
democratic opposition parties spoke at the rally. Fearing a major public
upheaval, the authorities sent numerous uniformed and plainclothes police
officers to the rally. The demonstrators expressed support for a resolution
accusing the Lukashenko regime of failure to meet even minimal international
conditions for the upcoming election and called on Belarusians not to go to
polling stations on October 15. The resolutions stresses that the parliament has
no real power and would only be used by Alexander Lukashenko to secure his
re-election next year. The only opposition leader who chose not to attend the
rally was Nikolai Statkevich, chair of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party
(BSDP). Although the BSDP does not recognize the National Assembly as a
legitimate parliament, Statkevich and some of his party comrades are still
running in elections, claiming that it is more effective to beat the system from
inside. Statkevich accused the Freedom March-3 organizers of the lack of courage
because they had decided to stage the rally at the remote Bangalore Square,
instead of leading the people along the originally proposed route. Responding to
these accusations, Vintsuk Viachorka, chair of the BPF Adradzhenne, and Anatoly
Lebedko, leader of the United Civic Party, said in an interview to Transitions
Online that the peaceful nature of the Minsk march was of paramount importance
to avoid giving the government any reason to ban similar demonstrations
scheduled for October 8 in more than 20 cities nationwide. Viachorka and Lebedko
added that the Belarusian democratic opposition wants to follow the example of
its successful Yugoslav colleagues, who have managed to maintain a strong
presence in places outside Belgrade. "The goal of Freedom March 2000 was to
attract people who had never been to the streets before," Lebedko said. "We
should not kindle fear, but strengthen people's faith in peaceful victory," he
added. The event passed calmly with no injuries or violence, although the police
detained several opposition activists who were riding horses dressed as medieval
knights and shouting slogans in support of human rights, democracy, and
Belarusian independence. Another opposition activist was detained at the
Institute of Culture metro station in Minsk for wearing a badge with the
traditional Belarusian white-red-white flag, now banned.(Charter 97, TOL,
October 3)
FREEDOM MARCH ORGANIZERS SUMMONED TO COURT
On October 3, Ludmila Gryaznova,
deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet and one of the key-organizers of the Freedom
March-3, was accused of "violating election law" under Art. 167, par. 3 of the
Belarusian Administrative Code and summoned to court, reported Belapan. The
police told Gryaznova that subpoenas to appear in court were also issued to
Vintsuk Viachorka, chair of the BPF Adradzhenne, and Stanislav Shushkevich,
former chair of the Supreme Soviet, independent Belarus's first Head of State
and leader of the Social Democratic Party. On October 5, judge Inna Sheiko
postponed the hearing of Gryaznova's case and summoned to court Lydia
Yermoshina, Chair of the Central Commission for Elections and National
Referenda, to receive a "meaningful explanation of the existing contradictions
between the electoral and administrative codes" [the former allowing a boycott,
while the latter prohibits it]. (Belapan, October 4)
U.S. ON OSCE ELECTION MONITORING IN BELARUS
On October 5, David T. Johnson, U.S.
Ambassador to the OSCE, praised the OSCE's Office of Democratic Institutions and
Human Rights (ODIHR) for its work in monitoring election conditions in Belarus,
Kyrgyzstan, and Albania. Following are excerpts from the Johnson's statement
regarding Belarus:
"Madame Chairperson, we listened carefully to Ambassador Stoudmann's remarks and
share his concerns about election preparations in Belarus. In August, the
Belarusian Government promised to meet the criteria established by the
international community in May. But two weeks before the elections, with
President Lukashenko's September 29 speech to the Congress of Soviets, it is
clear to us that there is no intention to do so. Given the continued arrests of
those advocating an election boycott, given the presence of militia and the use
of video cameras to tape demonstrations, given denial of registration of
opposition figures on grounds as frivolous as failure to disclose receipt of a
sum equivalent to $.50, we must agree with ODIHR's conclusion that the 'period
of peace has not been achieved.' Under current conditions, it is difficult to
see how a free, fair, and transparent election can take place.
"The Third Technical Group was correct in recommending against observation of
these elections and no one should misconstrue the presence of international
experts as legitimization of them. We reaffirm our support for ODIHR's technical
assessment team and urge the ODIHR, the Advisory and Monitoring Group, and the
Parliamentary Troika to issue a single joint statement that speaks frankly to
the Belarusian government's record in meeting international election standards."
(USIA, October 5)
OPPOSITION TO HOLD RALLIES DESPITE BANS
Fearing possible mass unrest, the local
authorities in many Belarusian cities banned rallies under the slogan "Yes to
Election, No to Farce," scheduled by the united democratic opposition for
October 8, reported BPF Adradzhenne press service. As of October 5, the protests
were prohibited in Grodno; Mogilev; Lida, Zhodino, Borisov, Bobruisk, and
Slutsk, Minsk Region; Orsha, Vitebsk Region; Mozyr, Rogachev, Gomel Region. The
local opposition activists are determined to hold the rallies despite the ban.
(BPF press service, October 5)
CHRONICLE OF MASS DETENTIONS, FINES, AND HARASSMENT OF OPPOSITION
On September
29, Anastasia Moroz, a minor, was arrested for posting a "Boycott 2000" sticker
on a billboard of the passport department of one of the Minsk District Internal
Affairs Directorate [police], reported BPF Adradzhenne press service. The
watchful employees immediately called the police, who accused the girl of
violation of rules of public sanitation and took her to the nearest police
station. During the interrogation, the opposition activist was asked how much
she was paid for distribution the opposition materials and threatened that her
parents will have to pay 6 minimal wages (about $15) for her "inappropriate
behavior." The girl was also lectured that the OSCE AMG in Belarus is a "gang of
rascals, who pursue their own interests in the country and do not care about
Belarusian people." Then, without a search warrant, the law-enforcers raided an
apartment, where Anastasia lives with her parents, and confiscated three more
stickers, containing calls to boycott the October 15 parliamentary election.
The same day, the police in Kletsk, Mogilev Region, detained Evgeny Turov,
activist of the local branch of the BPF Adradzhenne, for passing out a special
issue of Rabochy, a newspaper of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union, devoted
to the opposition-staged boycott campaign of the October 15 election, reported
BPF Adradzhenne press service. The boy was searched and taken to the police
station, where a protocol was filed on him. The police also confiscated 400
copies of the newspaper. Turov is to stand trial.
On September 30, in Serebrianka, a residential area in Minsk, the police
arrested Vasily Shabunevich for passing out a special issue of Nasha Svaboda, an
independent newspaper, containing calls to boycott this fall's parliamentary
election, reported Viasna Human Rights Center. The activist was charged with
"violation of the election legislation" under Art. 167, para 3 of the Belarusian
Administrative Code and to stand trial soon. (Viasna, October 1) On October 1,
Yury Kobran, head of the Vitebsk Youth Center, was detained while posting
"Boycott 2000" leaflets at a railroad station in Orsha, Vitebsk Region, reported
BPF press service. The opposition activist was searched and taken to the police
station, where a protocol was filed against him, which he refused to sign.
During the search, the policemen confiscated Kobran's ticket to Minsk, saying
that he "will not have a chance to participate in a provocation [the Freedom
March - Ed.] to stir up people's minds and destabilize the situation in
society." He was released only after the train to Minsk left the station.
On October 2, the Pervomaisky District Court of Minsk accused Sergei Shinkevich,
an opposition activist, of allegedly "organizing and actively participating in
mass actions which violated public order," and fined him 150 minimal wages
(about $375) under Art. 168, para 1, of the Belarusian Administrative Code,
reported BPF Adradzhenne press service. On September 15, the first day of the
election campaign, in compliance with Art. 45 of the Belarusian Electoral Code,
by which citizens are allowed to agitate for or against the registered
candidates, Shinkevich, along with other opposition activists, held a public
meeting with voters, calling on Belarusian citizens to boycott the October 15
election. They were accused of distributing opposition printed materials,
arrested and brought to the police station. (BPF Adradzhenne, October 3)
On the same day, the Grodno police searched a car of Sergei Pavlenko, a leader
of the local branch of the BPF Adradzhenne, and confiscated 16,000 copies of
"Boycott 2000" leaflets, reported BPF press service. The activist was taken to
the Oktyabrsky District Internal Affairs Directorate, where a protocol was filed
on him, which he refused to sign, insisting that his arrest and search were
illegal. Next day, Pavlenko was summoned to appear in the Directorate for
"additional questioning." (BPF press service, October 4)
On October 2, Boris Hamaida, editor-in chief of Choice, an opposition newspaper,
and Vladimir Pleschenko, chair of the Vitebsk branch of the Conservative
Christian Party (CCP) led by Zyanon Paznyak, and Dmitry Pimenov, another CCP
member, were detained, while collecting signatures in support of the Act of
Independence adopted on July 29 by the All-Belarusian Congress, and distributing
leaflets calling to boycott the October 15 parliamentary election, reported
Belapan. The activists were detained for about two hours and charged with
staging an unsanctioned picket. (Belapan, October 4) Sergei Kuharenko, a
resident of Polotsk, Vitebsk Region, was searched and detained for more than
five hours for allegedly posting "Boycott 2000" stickers, reported BPF press
service. Although, the policemen could not prove Kuharenko's involvement in
opposition activities, he was accused with "violation of the election
legislation" under Art. 167, para 3 of the Belarusian Administrative and will
stand trial soon.
On October 3, Aleksey Kavalets and Vitally Radkevich were detained at Komarovsky
Rynok, outdoor food market in Minsk, and taken to the Sovetsky District Internal
Affairs Directorate for distributing "Boycott 2000" leaflets and collecting
signatures to initiate a nationwide referendum in support of the four
requirements established by the OSCE for a free and democratic vote in Belarus,
reported BPF Adradzhenne. When representatives from the OSCE AMG office called
the Directorate, they were told that there were no opposition activists in
detention. Shortly afterward, Kavalets was released. Radkevich was charged with
administrative offence and stood trial on the same day. At the courtroom, the
policemen testified that the opposition activist was arrested while distributing
"Boycott 2000" leaflets, while Radkevich insisted that he was arrested not for
passing out the leaflets, but simply for having a few of them in his pocket. The
judge postponed the hearing. (BPF Adradzhenne press service, October 5)
On October 3, a plainclothes man approached Vasily Androsyuk, member of the
Brest branch of Viasna Human Rights Center, who was passing out the BPF
Adradzhenne leaflets and after showing his ID of an employee of the Criminal
Investigation Department of the Brest Regional Prosecutor-General Office, told
the opposition activist to follow him, BPF Adradzhenne press service reported.
When they arrived at the local hospital, the officer called the Leninski
District Internal Affairs Directorate and ordered to arrest Androsyuk. The
opposition activist was brought to the Leninski District Internal Affairs
Directorate, where the police confiscated 967 copies of the opposition
leaflets, 407 "Boycott 2000" stickers, and two video tapes. The law-enforcers
did not file a protocol against the opposition activist, but threatened him that
his activities might be qualified as "misappropriation of official authority," a
criminal offense punishable by up to two years in prison or a hard labor camp
under At. 190 of the Belarusian Criminal Code. It was the opposition activist's
second detention within a week. On September 26, Androsyuk was arrested while
distributing a special issue of Rabochy and, despite the fact that Rabochy has
been registered with the Belarusian State Press Committee, charged with
"distribution of the printed materials of unregistered outlet" under Art. 172
para 3 of the Administrative Court. (BPF Adradzhenne press service, October 5)
Nasha Svaboda, an opposition newspaper, reported on October 3 that Pavel
Krasovsky, a minor, was detained by the police near the apartment building where
he lives with his parents and taken to the nearest police station for having a
few "Boycott 2000" and "Stand Up For Your Motherland" stickers in his pocket.
Pavel and his friends were searched on the pretext that they violated the curfew
law, under which minors are not allowed to leave their houses after 10 p.m.
without adult's supervision. The law-enforcers threatened the boy that he would
be expelled from a school and forced him to write in an explanatory note that he
was allegedly paid for posting stickers. After about three hours Pavel's parents
were allowed to take him home. (Nasha Svaboda, October 3)
Lyavon Sadowsky, activist of the BPF Adradzhenne, was summoned to appear in
court for distributing Nasha Svaboda and Prava na Volyu [Right To Freedom],
independent newspapers, during an October 3's meeting with voters at
Pushkinskaya metro station in Minsk.
On October 4, the Moskovsky District Court of Minsk reprimanded Dmitry
Antonovich and Sergei Alfer for "organizing and actively participating in mass
actions which violated public order" under Art. 168, para 1, of the Belarusian
Administrative Code, reported Charter 97. The court preferred to ignore the fact
that public meetings with voters, held by the united democratic opposition, are
not prohibited by election legislation. The organizers only have to submit the
proper applications to the District Departments of Internal Affairs, informing
the authorities about the time and place of the meetings.
On the same day, the Mogilev Central District Court fined Valery Sivukho, chair
of the Mogilev branch of the United Civic Party, Aleksey Gubko and Nikolai
Uzhov, two other UCP's members, two minimal wages (about $5) each for "violation
of the election legislation" under Art. 167, para 3 of the Belarusian
Administrative Code, reported Charter 97.
On October 5, Vladimir Romanovsky, an activist of the United Civic Party, was
sentenced by the Pervomaisky District Court of Minsk to ten days of imprisonment
under Art. 167 of the Belarusian Administrative Code for staging an allegedly
unsanctioned picket, reported Charter 97. Sergei Mikhnov, activist of the BPF
Adradzhenne, was fined for the same offence. On September 25, Romanovsky and
Mikhnov, along with other opposition members participated in a meeting with
voters, which was organized in compliance with the Belarusian Electoral code,
which only requires a written notification submitted to the local authorities
prior to the meeting. The opposition activists to appeal the verdict. (Charter
97, October 6)
AUTHORITIES ALLOW ANOTHER OPPOSITION MEMBER TO RUN FOR PARLIAMENT
Viktor
Khomich, deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet Supreme Soviet, was registered by the
Gomel local electoral commission No. 33 as a candidate in the October 15
election to the National Assembly's House of Representatives. The commission
carried out an order received from Lydia Yermoshina, Chair of the Central
Commission for Elections and National Referenda. Before that, the opposition
leader had been refused registration on the pretext that the commission received
a letter from a group of "concerned citizens," who claimed that the deputy
worked for the Foundation for Promotion of Russia-Belarus Integration, which he
indicated in the application as his permanent place of work, for only a few
months. (Belapan, October 4)
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS TO LEAVE ELECTION RACE AFTER
FIRST ROUND
On October 2, Sergei Gaidukevich, chair of the Belarusian Liberal
Democratic Party, told a Belapan journalist that his Party's candidates will
terminate their participation in the October 15 election after the first round.
"The violations and irregularities in the election campaign that we observe
leave little hope that the vote will be free and fair," Gaidukevich said,
explaining the decision.[The LDP is analogous to the Russian party by the same
name headed by Vladimir Zhirinovsky.--ed] (Belapan, October 4)
BELARUSIAN
DIASPORA IN BELGIUM SUPPORTS FREEDOM MARCH-3
On October 3, the Belarusian
diaspora in Belgium held a picket in Brussels in support of the Freedom March-3
and the "Boycott-2000" campaign, reported Charter 97. The picket was held under
the banners "Lukashenko is a dictator!"; "Lukashenko, go away!"; "Yes to
Election, No to Farce!"; "No to Russian occupation of Belarus"; "Long Live
Belarus!". (Charter 97, September 7)
PROMINENT BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER
VISITS US
On October 1-7, Amb. Andrei Sannikov, former Deputy Foreign Minister
of Belarus and International Coordinator of Charter 97, visited US at the
invitation of the International League For Human Rights. In November 1996, just
before the controversial referendum, Sannikov resigned in protest against
Alexander Lukashenko's wholesale attack on the rule of law and human rights.
Since then, he has been working both at home and abroad to draw attention to the
plight of Belarus. During the visit, Sannikov held meetings with Mark Von Hagen,
Director of the Harriman Institute at Columbia University; Linda Perkin, Deputy
Director of the UN Department of Political Affairs, Americas and Europe; Aryeh
Neier, President of the Open Society Institute; Amb. Steiner and Amb.
Sestanovich at the US Department of State; Orest Deychakiwski, staff advisor of
the CSCE/Helsinki Commission Office; Ian Brzezinski, member of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee; Nancy Popson, Executive Director of the Kennan
Institute; Anatol Lieven and staff of the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace; Harley Balzer (Program Director), staff, and students of the Center for
Eurasian, Russian, and Eastern European Studies; John Armstrong, Belarus Desk
Officer at the Department of State.
On October 3, Sannikov was received by Strobe Talbott, US Deputy Secretary of
State and Steven Sestanovich, Ambassador at Large for the NIS. The Deputy
Secretary and Amb. Sannikov discussed the upcoming Belarusian elections. Both
agreed that there is little hope that these elections will be truly free, fair,
and transparent. They also noted that the Belarusian authorities have made no
real progress on the implementation of the conditions set by the international
community for the observation of the elections. On October 5, Philip T. Reeker,
Deputy Spokesman of the U.S. Department of State, said with regard to the
meeting that as these conditions have not been met, "the United States opposes
sending observers to monitor the October 15 elections, which would lend
legitimacy to a fundamentally flawed election process." "The technical
assessment by the OSCE's Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
should not be construed as election observation. The United States will not
recognize the outcome of elections in Belarus which are not democratic," said
Reeker. (USIA, October 5)
NEW US AMBASSADOR IN BELARUS
On September 29, during the official ceremony of
administering the oath to Michael G. Kozak, formerly chief of the US diplomatic
mission to Cuba and now the new US ambassador to Minsk, Strobe Talbot, Deputy US
Secretary of State, said that the situation in Belarus is alarming and
frustrating, reported Charter 97. He said that the Belarusians deserve democracy
and independence. Michael Kozak said that "The Belarusian people have displayed
their love for freedom and one of their most famous slogans is 'for your freedom
and ours!'" Pertinent excerpts from his address to Valery Tsepkalo, Belarusian
Ambassador to the US, follow: "As Mr. Talbot has pointed out, the relationship
between our two governments - and frankly your government's relationship with
most of Europe - is bad, and the approach adopted by the Belarusian authorities
with respect to the upcoming parliamentary elections is making it worse. But as
the Deputy Secretary has also made clear, if your government wants to end its
isolation and to bring Belarus into the mainstream of European life as a
prosperous and independent democratic country, it has an excellent opportunity
to do so with widespread international support. We will support the efforts of
all those in Belarus regardless of political affiliation who are working for a
democratic, prosperous and independent Belarus. I hope that in their own best
interests and those of the Belarusian people, your authorities will show the
leadership to place themselves in that category. In that case, I will look
forward to cooperating with them in any way I can." (Charter 97, October 2)
FORMER BANKER'S PROPERTY CONFISCATED
Belapan reported that on October 3, Sergei
Vinnikov, son of Tamara Vinnikova, former head of the Belarusian National Bank,
was summoned to the Belarusian Prosecutor-General Office to learn that his
mother's property will be confiscated under Presidential Decree No. 40 "On the
Reimbursement of Damages Suffered by the State," which was signed by Lukashenko
in November, 1999. Under the decree, a property may be confiscated even before
its owner is found liable for causing damage to the state. On November 29, the
Belarusian Prosecutor-General signed the order to confiscate Vinnikova's
property. In December 1999, Gary Pogonyailo, Vinnikova's lawyer, filed a lawsuit
with a district court in Minsk, demanding the revocation of Presidential Decree
No. 40, which, in his opinion, violates the presumption of innocence (See
Belarus Update Vol. 2, No. 51). In an interview to RFE/RL, Vinnikova called the
confiscation order an absolute nonsense, since it was issued on the basis of
accusations that have never been tried in court. She said that the confiscated
property includes an apartment in Minsk, furniture, paintings, books and cash on
a checking account and that she intends to appeal the order. Vinnikova, who
joined Lukashenko's team as a 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 reappeared abroad under equally
murky circumstances, denouncing Lukashenko in her interviews. In early
September, Vinnikova filed a complaint with the Council of Europe asking it to
consider in court all charges brought against her by the Lukashenko regime (See
Belarus Update Vol. 3, No. 37). On September 18, the Belarusian authorities has
urged the British to extradite Vinnikova (See Belarus Update Vol. 3, No. 39). On
October 4, in an interview to ORT, Russian TV channel, Vinnikova said that she
had been granted political asylum in England. (Belapan, October 4-5) \
DEPUTY
BELARUSIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE HIDES FROM JUSTICE
On October 3, Vladimir
Uskopchik, recently appointed deputy Belarusian Minister of Defense, decline to
testify before a Lithuanian court about his involvement in the bloodshed on
January 13, 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, reported Belapan. Shortly
after gaining the independence, Lithuania launched the legal proceedings against
Uskopchik, who was a commander of a Soviet army division which took an active
part in the crackdown, but he fled to Belarus and soon became a commander of a
military unit in Bobruisk, Minsk Region. Originally 51 people were indicted,
including former Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov, ex-KGB chief Vladimir
Kruchkov and Vladimir Uskopchik. The six convicted are serving three to 12-year
sentences but are appealing the verdicts. The trial began in November 1996 and
is considered the largest in the Baltic state's history. (See Belarus Update
Vol. 3, No. 22-23). (Belapan, October 4)
CAB DRIVERS IN BREST FINED FOR STRIKING
On October 2, seven private cab drivers
were fined in Brest and threatened with revoking their licenses for organizing a
strike protesting against the Brest City Council's decision to fix the fare,
Belapan reported. "With high prices on gasoline and ridiculously low fare that
we allowed to charge, it is impossible for us to make any profit and support our
families," commented one driver. (Belapan, October 4)
--AT HOME IN BELARUS- LUKASHENKO CONDEMNS WEST FOR INTERFERING IN YUGOSLAV
ELECTION
On October 3, Alexander Lukashenko condemned Western attempts to
influence the results of the Yugoslav election, Belapan reported. "We are
strongly against influencing anyone's opinion while the election is not over
yet," Lukashenko said. "Everyone, including Western leaders, has their own
believes and desires, but that doesn't mean that they should be voiced now," he
added. Lukashenko made his comments as he accepted the credentials of Milorad
Radevic, Yugoslavia's new ambassador to Belarus. "I think the Serbs are capable
of electing someone who will act in their best interests," the Belarusian leader
said. (Belapan, October 4)
...AND URGES COMPATRIOTS TO VOTE FOR FORMER LAWMAKERS
On September 29, Alexander Lukashenko addressed the Congress of Soviets (local
legislative councils), which was convened under his decree in Minsk. The forum,
which was attended by 2,500 people, had to provide a "further democratization"
of the country and discuss the enhancement of the role of soviets in society.
The Congress received a broad coverage in the state media, including live radio
and television broadcasts. In a lengthy speech broadcast on radio and
television, the Belarusian leader pledged to continue his current policies and
double the average monthly wage within a year. He appealed to his compatriots to
vote for those House of Representatives deputies who choose to run for the
parliament this year. "I will tell you frankly: we badly need to have at least
one-third of the old parliament in the new one," Lukashenko "confidentially"
told the delegates. (Belapan, October 2)
-BROTHER SLAVS- MINSK WOULD CONSIDER MILOSEVIC ASYLUM REQUEST
On October 6,
Vladimir Yermoshin, Belarusian Prime Minister said that Minsk would consider an
asylum request from Slobodan Milosevic, beleaguered Yugoslav leader. "There has
been no such request but if there is, it would be considered by the competent
authorities," Yermoshin said. However, he did not say whether Minsk would treat
such a request favorably. Alexander Lukashenko angrily denied reports that
Milosevic could soon be on his way to Belarus. "Nobody has asked me, or come to
me about this problem, therefore, I repeat again that regardless of who is
saying what at the current time this is a lie and a provocation," he told NTV,
Russia's independent television channel. Milosevic has not been seen in public
for several days as mass protests demanding that he concede his defeat in the
September 24 presidential elections have plunged the country into turmoil.
Speculation about his future reached a fever pitch on October 6, following
previous day's storming of the Yugoslav parliament and state television. His
election rival Vojislav Kostunica has proclaimed himself the president. On
October 6, Igor Ivanov, Foreign Minister of Russia, a traditional ally of the
Belgrade regime, recognized Kostunica as president. Milosevic has been indicted
by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague on
charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1999 Kosovo
conflict. Observers have attributed Milosevic's determination to cling to power
to a fear of prosecution over the war crimes indictments if he was ousted.
(Agence France Presse, October 6)
--CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS-- October 8, 14:
a range of rallies under the slogan "Yes to Election, No to Farce" will be held
in all Belarusian regions
************************************************************************
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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