INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

BELARUS UPDATE
Edited by Victor Cole

Vol. 4, No. 5
February 2001

IN THIS ISSUE:

- Belarusian dictator blasts OSCE
- OSCE denies Lukashenko's accusations of subversive activities
- U.S. expresses support for OSCE AMG in Belarus
- International community may not recognize Belarusian election
- Lukashenko accuses Soros of funding opposition
- Vilnius hosts seminar on non-violent resistance to totalitarianism
- Regime denounces Vilnius seminar, detains participant
- IHF: Russia ignores mass human rights violations in Belarus
- Local authorities deny registration of BHC office in Lida
- Lukashenko: No to Americanization
- Communist Party leader to run for president
- Lukamol gets government funding
- Statkevich, Shchukin go on trial again
- Iran opens embassy in Belarus
- Lukashenko offers western "spy" for Borodin

--HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS-

BELARUSIAN DICTATOR BLASTS OSCE

In the war of words between the Belarusian flamboyant leader and the West, Alexander Lukashenko, once again accused the OSCE mission in Minsk of recruiting agents and conspiring to overthrow him, reported Belapan. "Under the guise of observers they [the West and U.S.] want to create a corps of rebels, who work on the farm during the day and pull out rifles from under the bed at night," the Belarusian leader said in a nationwide broadcast on January 27. Lukashenko, who has long regarded the OSCE mission in Belarus as a thorn in his side, announced that he had ordered the OSCE AMG's budget to be placed under the control of the Belarusian government. He also expressed outrage at what he said were suggestions by Western observers that Belarus could see massive street protests similar to those which forced Milosevic to recognize the election victory of Vojislav Kostunica, Yugoslavian opposition leader. Anatoly Lebedko, chair of the opposition United Civic Party, described the latest Lukashenko statement as an attempt to rally support by inventing an external enemy. "Lukashenko is trying to paint a negative image of the world community for the voters, who support it thanks to his populist rhetoric and efforts to maintain a Soviet-era social safety-net," Lebedko said in an interview to Reuters.

On January 29, Pavel Latushko, a spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, said that the Ministry would insist on making the OSCE AMG's projects subject to preliminary consultation with the Belarusian government, reported Belapan. Referring to par. 8 of the OSCE Permanent Council's December 14, 2000, decision No. 399, which says that the OSCE missions have to conduct consultations with their respective host governments on projects financed by the OSCE budget or by voluntary contributions from OSCE member states, the Lukashenko official suggested that the AMG submit its 2001 programs to the Belarusian government for "appropriate preliminary consultations." The OSCE AMG responded that it is important to keep up the dialogue between the OSCE and the Belarusian government to support the establishment of a well-functioning civil society and that the AMG has been always informed the Belarusian authorities about its programs, but believes that the implementation of its projects should not be dependent on the Belarusian government's approval, especially taken into consideration the fact that later the Council annulled its No. 399 decision. (Belapan - Reuters, January 28, Belapan, February 1)

OSCE DENIES LUKASHENKO'S ACCUSATIONS OF SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES

On January 29, the OSCE AMG rejected "any accusation, from whatever quarter, of engaging in activities of a non-peaceful or illegal nature." The group said in a statement that it would control its own budget, and reminded the Belarusian leader that according to the current Belarusian electoral code, citizens have the right to decide on their leadership through open, transparent, and democratic elections. The group confirmed its readiness to further cooperation with the Belarusian authorities, the political parties and non-governmental organizations - as confirmed and applauded by the Istanbul Declaration of the OSCE Summit on November 19,1999, which was signed by Lukashenko. The full text of the OSCE's statement can be found at:
http://www.osce.org/news/generate.php3?news_id=1423

U.S. EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR OSCE AMG IN BELARUS

On February 1, Amb. David T. Johnson, head of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE, made a statement on Belarus to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. Amb. Johnson said the United States strongly supports the work of the OSCE AMG in Belarus, headed by Amb. Hans-Georg Wieck, and it hopes that the Permanent Council will be able to conduct a useful discussion of the challenges and the promise of free and fair presidential election in Belarus. Following are excerpts from his statement:

"Mr. Chairman, we share your strong support for Amb. Wieck and your hope that when he reports to us on February 15, the impasse between him and the Belarusian Government will be a thing of the past. That way, rather than lamenting the problems that he is facing, Amb. Wieck and this Council will be able to conduct a useful discussion of the challenges and the promise that we hope lies ahead of all of us in preparing the way for free and fair presidential elections in Belarus that meet the commitments that Belarus and all of us have made to one another enshrined in the Copenhagen document and in the agreements that have been reached between the AMG and the Belarusian authorities."

"With respect to the question of consultations, this is a term of art which is very familiar to American diplomats and policy makers because it is one we use very frequently within our Congress. It means more than informing and it means less than agreeing. It means hearing one's partner out, taking into account, as best one can, his views, but not going to the point of having an agreement with your discussion partner. I think that, if one goes back and reflects on the discussions that were held last fall when we reached agreement, if you will, on this budget and the accompanying documents, it is very clear that consultations mean consultations and not anything else and that while interpretive statements following decisions are helpful in understanding points of view, they do nothing to change the decision that has been made." (USIA, February 1)

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MAY NOT RECOGNIZE BELARUSIAN ELECTION

Amb. Hans-Georg Wieck, head of the OSCE AMG in Minsk, said in an interview to Belarusskaya delovaya gazeta, an independent newspaper, that the international community might not recognize the forthcoming presidential elections if the regime fails to reach an understanding with the opposition and to ensure free and fair ballot. In this respect, the work of the OSCE AMG is "critically important" for the international recognition of the election because "our basic task at the moment is to facilitate dialogue between the government and opposition," noted Amb. Wieck. (Belarusskaya delovaya gazeta, January 31)

LUKASHENKO ACCUSES SOROS OF FUNDING OPPOSITION

On February 1, Lukashenko once again accused George Soros, prominent American financier and philanthropist, of funding the Belarusian opposition, reported Belapan. "I kicked Soros out of the country, not because I hate him--I even met with him," Lukashenko told a gathering of artists. "But why is Soros giving money to leaders of the opposition?" The country's opposition has received "up to $80 million from abroad for the next presidential election," the Belarusian strongman added. The Soros foundation ceased operating in Belarus in September 1997 because of the pressure put on it by the regime. (Belapan, February 2)

VILNIUS HOSTS SEMINAR ON NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE TO TOTALITARIANISM

About 40 members of the Belarusian opposition parties took part in a seminar on non-violent resistance to totalitarianism called "Non-violent Democratic Struggle and the Democratic Process in Belarus" organized in Vilnius on January 27-31 by the U.S. Albert Einstein Institute and the Citizens' Defense Support Fund, a Lithuanian NGO, reported Baltic News Service. "If presidential election in Belarus is held in a truly democratic way, a victory by the opposition is assured," Semyon Sharetsky, speaker of the 13th Supreme Soviet who fled to Vilnius in July 1999, told a news conference in Vilnius. Zyanon Paznyak, exiled chair of the Conservative Christian Party (CCP), and Alexander Dobrovolsky, deputy chair of the United Civic Party, supported this statement saying that only 15 percent of the voters would give their votes to Lukashenko and 40 percent do not want him as Belarus' president. "Only failure to provide the democratic opposition with fair access to state-controlled television and radio in a violation of the Belarusian law and international commitments, unfair restrictions, rampant governmental interference in the election process, along with the falsification of the vote's results, will enable Lukashenko to win the presidential race this fall," said Paznyak. (Baltic News Service, January 27)

REGIME DENOUNCES SEMINAR, DETAINS PARTICIPANT

The Lukashenko regime denounced the Vilnius seminar as an attempt to destabilize the situation in Belarus and obstruct the forthcoming presidential election. "It is clear that such 'training' is directed at the destabilization of the current social and political situation and will create obstacles on the eve of the presidential election campaign in Belarus," said the Belarusian Embassy in Vilnius in a statement, adding that it hopes that the Lithuanian authorities have no association with the event, reported Belapan. Jonas Paslauskas, Lithuanian ambassador in Minsk, was summoned to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, where he was told that the "clearly destructive" gathering is aimed at creating unfavorable conditions in Belarus. Paslauskas responded that the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry cannot forbid activities of the country's NGOs if they do not run counter to the law. Early on January 30, the Belarusian border guards detained Gennady Terenya, deputy speaker of the 13th Belarusian Supreme Soviet, on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. Terenya was returning from the Vilnius seminar. Law-enforcers searched Terenya's luggage and confiscated a video camera, films, and all written materials from the seminar. After the search, the opposition leader was released. (Belapan, February 1)

IHF: RUSSIA IGNORES MASS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BELARUS

On January 31, in an open address to Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Federal Assembly of Russian Federation, the International Helsinki Federation expressed its concern about the current human rights situation in Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine. "We are forced to conclude that not only is Russia failing to improve the human rights situation in the CIS but its current policies have also actively contributed to the deterioration of the human rights situation in the neighborhood states," wrote the IHF. Following are excerpts from the address regarding Belarus:

"In developing a closer union with Belarus, the Russian authorities have completely ignored the fact of massive violation of legal norms, democracy and human rights in Belarus. For example, despite the proven fact of widespread violation of the norms of the OSCE Copenhagen agreements, the Russian State Duma and you, Mr. President, recognized and even declared the recent elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus to be 'democratic'."

"We believe that given the existing relationship between Russia and Belarus, the Russian authorities have a real opportunity to exert influence on Belarus to make it respect the standards and norms of the OSCE. Such an influence would be of critical importance for the forthcoming election of the head of the Belarusian state. We hope that Russia, as a member of the OSCE, will give serious attention to the situation, which has caused deep concern in the human rights community for several years." (IHF, January 31)

LOCAL AUTHORITIES DENY REGISTRATION OF BHC OFFICE

After more than two months of bureaucratic delays, Leopold Kuzmich, resident of Lida, Minsk Region, was denied registration as a representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), Minsk-based NGO affiliated with the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), reported Nasha Svaboda. Ignoring the fact that the activist simply applied to open a BHC office in the city, the authorities turned down the application for registration on the grounds that in order to register a local branch of a public organization, Kuzmich should find two more followers. (Nasha Svaboda, January 31)

LUKASHENKO ABHORS AMERICANIZATION

Alexander Lukashenko urged Belarusian intelligentsia to "heighten the quality of their work," and to actively oppose the "Western propaganda of violence, cruelty and pornography," reported Belapan. Speaking on February 1 at the Palace of the Republic, the Belarusian strongman stressed that active development of humanitarian sciences will help us "resist the destructive processes of imposing universal standards of ersatz-culture, which leads to degradation and dying out of national art, and will also help us protect out cultural heritage and the contemporary spiritual wealth of the entire Slavic civilization from the pernicious impact of globalization and Americanization." (Belapan, February 2)

COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT

At its special convention held on January 27, the Party of Communists of Belarus (PCB) decided to support its leader, Sergey Kalyakin, as a presidential candidate in this year's election. The meeting participants referred to a recent poll in which 70 per cent of the PCB members agreed that the party's leadership should distance himself from the rest of the anti-Lukashenko opposition, that is, to withdraw from the "single opposition candidate" plan. Due to "ideological differences", the convention rejected all other potential opposition candidates: ex-Prime Minister Mikhail Chigir, Semyon Domash, ex-Grodno governor, Pavel Kozlovsky, ex-Defense Minister, and even Vladimir Goncharik, trade union federation leader, despite his "friendly social orientation". Speaking at the convention, Kalyakin warned that the decision was not final. He pointed out that it is hard to predict which of the candidates will be registered by the authorities, and future developments may force the party to give its support to some other candidate. The convention also nominated 13 candidates for the parliamentary run-up election to be held on March 18. Last October's elections for the House of Representatives (the Belarusian National Assembly's lower house) were invalidated in 13 voting districts, so the PCB intends to have a candidate in each of the districts. (Belapan, January 27)

LUKAMOL GETS GOVERNMENT FUNDING

Nasha Svaboda reported that the pro-Lukashenko Belarusian Patriotic Youth League organized in 1997 along the lines of the Soviet Komsomol and commonly referred to as the "Lukamol" has received 694 million BYR (about $600,000) from the State Youth Affairs Committee. The money is earmarked to "boost patriotism" among the Belarusian youth before the forthcoming presidential election, a Committee representative said. A nationwide campaign titled "Image" is designed to "create and distribute materials aimed at promoting patriotism and loyal citizenry" and against "extremism and political radicalism." Yet another program will be developed to improve the perception of Russia-Belarus integration plans. According to Kristina Sedoun, chair of the Union of Belarusian Students, a youth NGO, the State Youth Committee gave funds only to pro-Lukashenko organizations despite the fact that any youth organization is eligible for governmental funding. (Nasha Svaboda, January 31)

STATKEVICH, SHCHUKIN GO ON TRIAL AGAIN

On January 31, the Minsk City Court will again hear a criminal case against Nikolai Statkevich, chair of Narodnaya Hramada, the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party, and Valery Shchukin, a journalist and deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet. On June 19, 2000, the opposition leaders were found guilty of "organizing and actively participating in mass actions which violate public order," during the October 17, 1999, Freedom March in Minsk (See Belarus Update Vol. 2, No. 42). The Minsk City Court sentenced Statkevich to a two-year suspended term and Shchukin to one year under Art. 168, par. 3, of the Belarusian Criminal Code. On August 25, 2000, the Belarusian Supreme Court heard an appeal filed by the opposition leaders and remanded the case to the Minsk City Court for retrial by a different judge. (Nasha Svaboda, January 31)

--AT HOME IN BELARUS-

IRAN OPENS EMBASSY IN BELARUS

On February 2, Kamal Khazari, Iranian Foreign Minister, who arrived in Minsk on the invitation from Alexander Lukashenko, inaugurated the Iranian Embassy in Belarus. His Belarusian counterpart, Mikhail Khvostov, called the opening a "historic event" in relations between the two countries. Khazari was due later to discuss economic, scientific and cultural cooperation with Lukashenko and Prime Minister Vladimir Yermoshin. (Interfax, February 2)

--BROTHER SLAVS-

LUKASHENKO OFFERS WESTERN "SPY" FOR FORMER UNION OFFICIAL

On February 1, Alexander Lukashenko offered to exchange an unidentified Western "spy" for Pavel Borodin, former secretary of the Russia-Belarus Union, who has been detained in the United States on Swiss money-laundering charges, reported AFP. "We have arrested someone who was engaged in espionage. Maybe the United States will hand over Borodin in exchange," Lukashenko said at a meeting of leading cultural figures attended by AFP. The Belarusian leader did not specify which "spy" he was referring to. On January 31, a Lukashenko spokesman said a German citizen, whom he identified as Christopher Lets, had been arrested in Minsk on spying charges in September 2000. Mr. Lets is due to appear in court later this year, spokesman Fyodor Kotov said. However, Kotov dismissed as "complete nonsense" a Russian media report that during his last visit to Moscow Lukashenko made the swap offer. Borodin is wanted for questioning by Swiss prosecutors who accuse him of taking at least 25 million dollars in bribes from two Lugano-based construction firms involved in Kremlin renovation work and then laundering the cash in Swiss bank accounts. He was taken into custody on January 17, by FBI agents as he stepped off a plane at JFK airport in New York and is awaiting a court decision on an extradition demand. (AFP, February 1)

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For daily updates, visit our partners' website, Charter 97, www.charter97.org with news in Belarusian, Russian, and English updated twice daily.

-CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS-

March 5-7- the Parliamentary Troika of the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe (PACE), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the European Parliament to visit Belarus ************************************************************************

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 60th year, is New York-based human rights NGO in consultative status with the United Nations.

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.

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