INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

BELARUS UPDATE
Edited by Victor Cole

Vol. 4, No. 23
June 2001

IN THIS ISSUE:

- Presidential Elections News
- 13th Supreme Soviet deputy sentenced to 10 days imprisonment
- Minsk police arrest four Zubr members
- Activist jailed for demanding truth about disappearances
- Students arrested for distributing registered newspaper
- Local independent journalist detained
- Students arrested for protesting against graduate assignments
- Ministry of Justice reprimands opposition party
- Grodno opposition protests against Russia-Belarus integration
- New organization, familiar name
- Newly established association of lawmakers supports Milosevic

-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS-

PARLIAMENT SETS DATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL POLL

On June 7, the Belarusian parliament voted 74 to 11 to hold presidential elections on September 9, a month ahead of the completion of Lukashenko's present term of office extended after controversial 1996 referendum, reported Nasha Svaboda, an independent newspaper. Mikhail Sosenko, president of the parliamentary Commission for State Affairs, said that the parliamentary resolution on the poll date was "in conformity with the country's Constitution and the electoral laws." The resolution requires the Central Commission for Elections and National Referenda, the Council of Ministers, the State Press Committee, the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor General's Office, and the local authorities to take all necessary measures within their jurisdiction to prepare for the vote. The House of Representatives, lower chamber of the Lukashenko rubber-stamp parliament, is to supervise the implementation of the decision. The Lukashenko parliament dismissed alternative sets of electoral rules offered by deputies Ivan Pashkevich, Olga Abramova and Gennady Dylevsky. According to Sosenko, the electoral law proposed by Pashkevich and Abramova contradicts the existing legislature, while all recommendations made by Dylevsky had been included in the adopted resolution. Belapan, an independent news agency, reported that deputy Roman Ananyev suggested not to hold the election at all, but to conduct a nationwide referendum on extending Alexander Lukashenko's term by "at least seven more years." (Nasha Svaboda, Belapan, June 7)

REGIME MAY TRY TO FALSIFY RESULTS OF PRESIDENTIAL VOTE

The regime's refusal to make changes to the current legislature to make the election more transparent or democratic once again demonstrates the authorities' intention to falsify the results of the presidential vote, said the Coordinating Council of Democratic Forces in its June 5 statement. The Council reiterated that the four substantive criteria demanded by international community -- namely, greater transparency of the elections process, a climate of confidence and trust, equal access to state-controlled mass media, and the strengthening of the functions of the parliament - must first be implemented to ensure free and fair presidential elections in Belarus. (Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, June 6)

ELECTION CAMPAIGN BEGINS

On June 8, the election campaign officially began in Belarus. June 15 was set as the deadline for initiative groups to file applications for registration of their candidates. The Central Commission for Elections and National Referenda will have then to register candidates between June 15 - 21. By August 9, the authorities will have to register and examine the signature sheets and consider the potential complaints. After that, the candidates will be given one month to conduct their election campaign. (Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, June 8)

TEN POLITICAL PARTIES WANT TO MONITOR ELECTIONS

BPF Adradzhenne Press Service announced that on June 4, representatives from ten out of 18 Belarusian political parties took part in a first conference of the Center to Promote Opposition Representatives to Election Commissions, including Vyacheslav Sivchik, deputy chair of the BPF Adradzhenne; Leonid Lemeshonok, executive secretary of the Belarusian Labor Party; Natalya Khrustaleva, leader of Nadzeya, Belarusian Women's Party; Valery Prokopovich, chair of the Belarusian Ecological Party; Oleg Bagutsky, deputy chair of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada; Alexander Tsynkevich, representative of the United Civic Party and representatives of the Belarusian Social Democratic, or Narodnaya Hramada, the Belarusian Green Party, and the Belarusian Liberal Democratic Party. The delegates adopted a joint statement saying that Lukashenko can be defeated only if an effective network of poll monitors is established across the country to prevent electoral fraud. The parties want to establish an effective system of control over counting of votes during the elections and plan to have at least one party representative at each polling station. "According to current legislation, political parties have the right to nominate their representatives to election commissions. However, it was clear from the very beginning that the Central Commission for Elections and National Referenda would not like our initiative," Vyacheslav Sivchik told journalists, adding that during the last five years, the regime has "gained a tremendous experience in the election fraud and wants to use it during this year's presidential elections campaign." Mechislav Grib, chair of the Coordinating Committee on Observation of Elections, opposition' s election watchdog committee, said his organization planned to train 14,000 observers. "That would mean two observers in each of the 7,000 polling stations," he said. (BPF Adradzhenne Press Service, June 4)

LUKASHENKO DEMANDS FULL COMMITMENT FROM LAW-ENFORCERS

On June 8, introducing Victor Sheiman, Belarusian Prosecutor General, to the Council of Republic, upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament, Alexander Lukashenko said that ahead of the presidential elections he expects prosecutors to become the driving force behind the work of the entire law enforcement system in Belarus. "Presidential elections are the most important socio-political event that largely shapes the country's future," the Belarusian leader said, demanding that law-enforcement agencies along with the Supreme Court and the Central Electoral Committee redouble their efforts to work out the common program of actions for the period of the election campaign to "monitor the observance of the election law," and to prevent destabilization of the state system. (Itar-Tass, June 8)

OPPOSITION CANDIDATES SLANDERED BY STATE TV

Mikhail Chigir, ex-Prime Minister; Pavel Kozlovsky, former Defense Minister; Vladimir Goncharik, chair of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB); Semyon Domash, a deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet [the disbanded parliament], chair of the Grodno Initiative and the Coordination Council of Belarusian Regions; and Sergey Kalyakin, leader of the Party of Communists of Belarus (PCB), the five opposition members, who announced their intention to challenge Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election later this year, sent an open letter to Victor Sheiman, Belarusian Prosecutor General, demanding to stop defamation campaign unleashed against them by the Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTR), reported Radio Racyja. The opposition politicians accused the BTR of using dirty pre-election propaganda aimed at discrediting the potential presidential candidates from the democratic opposition and stirring up hatred toward those who disagree with the official thinking. The candidates were particularly indignant over the fact that on June 3 the BTR called them "enemies of Russia," an assertion that does not correspond with their position of promoting mutually beneficial collaboration between the two countries. (Radio Racyja, June 7)

SOCIAL DEMOCRATS TO CONTINUE COOPERATION WITH DEMOCRATIC FORCES

Stanislav Shushkevich, chair of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada (BSDH) and former speaker of the 12th Supreme Soviet, denied previous reports that his Party resigned its membership in the Coordinating Council of Democratic Forces on the grounds that other Council members have not assumed a firm position regarding the Belarusian sovereignty and plans to support Zyanon Paznyak, exiled leader of the Conservative Christian Party of the Belarusian Popular Front, at the forthcoming presidential elections, reported Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta. Shushkevich said that the BSDH is ready to support a single candidate from the united democratic opposition and do not see legal possibilities for Paznyak to run for the presidency. [In accordance with the Belarusian election law, the potential candidate should live in the country within five years prior to the election.- Ed]. Oleg Bagutsky, BSDH's deputy chair, who last week voiced Party's plans to leave the Coordinating Council of Democratic Forces was not available for comments. (Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, June 6)

ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Sergei Antonchyk, leader of the Workers' Self-aide, an unregistered organization, announced his readiness to participate in the presidential race. In case of his victory, Antonchyk pledged to repeal the Russia-Belarus Union treaty. (Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, June 6)

--HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS-

13TH SUPREME SOVIET DEPUTY SENTENCED TO 10 DAYS IMPRISONMENT

On June 7, the Leninski District Court of Minsk sentenced Valery Shchukin, deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet and a journalist of Narodnaya Volya, an opposition newspaper, to 10 days of administrative arrest on charges of violating Art. 166 (disobedience to the police) of the Belarusian Administrative Offences Code, reported Charter 97. On May 18, the deputy was detained and brutally beaten by the Minsk police during the opposition action called "The Chain of Those Who Care," dedicated to vanished opposition politicians and organized by the Conservative Christian Party of the Belarusian Popular Front near the Palace of Republic, where the Second All-Belarusian People's Assembly has been held. As a result of the police brutality, the deputy suffered arm injury and numerous bruises and required immediate hospitalization. The testimonies given by seven policemen were inconsistent. Some of them claimed that the deputy swore at them, grabbed their uniforms and tried to escape, others admitted that they had been ordered to arrest the activist. (Charter 97, June 7)

MINSK POLICE ARRESTS FOUR ZUBR MEMBERS

Viasna Human Rights Center reported that Aleksey Shidlovski, Timofei Dranchuk, Igor Suld, and Irina Tolstik, all members of the youth movement Zubr, were arrested at approximately 1:00 a.m. on June 1 near the Partyzansky District Executive Committee in Minsk and charged with violation of rules of public sanitation for pasting Zubr stickers "Time to choose!" Police took the activists to the Partyzansky District Internal Affairs Directorate, where they spent the night in a cell with concrete benches. The detainees were not allowed access to legal counsel and to notify their families about the detention. Shidlovski, Tolstik and Suld were charged with violation of Art. 143 (littering) of the Belarusian Administrative Offences Code and released at 4 p.m., after 15 hours in a custody. Later, Timofei Dranchuk learned that on April 11 judge Natalya Voitsekhovich of the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk sentenced him to 15 days' imprisonment for violation of Art. 167, par. 1 of the Administrative Offences Code for participation in unauthorized Freedom March demonstration on March 25 in Minsk. She ignored the fact that activist was unable to attend the trial because of an illness. Upon arrival to the Okrestina detention center to serve his term, Dranchuk was immediately sent to hospital, where he was released and warned that upon his recovery he would be brought back to the prison cell. Protesting illegal punishment Dranchuk filed a complaint with the Minsk City Court and the Tsentralny District Prosecutor. (Viasna Human Rights Center, Charter 97, June 2 - 6)

ACTIVIST JAILED FOR DEMANDING TRUTH ABOUT DISAPPEARANCES

On June 4, Tadeush Gavin, former chair of the Union of the Belarusian Poles, was sentenced to three days imprisonment for taking part in an unauthorized picked staged by the Grodno branch of the United Civic Party at the railroad station within the framework of the "We Want to Know the Truth" campaign, which calls on the authorities to release information about vanished opposition politicians, reported Viasna Human Rights Center. The policemen filed two reports on the activist accusing him of violating Art. 167 (participation in an unauthorized demonstration) and Art. 156 (petty hooliganism) of the Administrative Offenses Code. Judge Dmitry Demchenko based his decision on testimonies provided by the police and refused to hear defendant's witnesses. (Viasna Human Rights Center, June 5)

STUDENTS ARRESTED FOR DISTRIBUTING REGISTERED NEWSPAPER

On June 7, Sergei Pavlenkovich, Dmitry Gavrusik, Andrei Vitushka, and Kristina Sigun, all students of the Belarusian State University and members of the Association of Belarusian Students, were detained by the plain-clothed agents on campus of the Gomel State University while distributing Student, an independent newspaper registered with the State Press Committee, and taken to a police station. During the arrest, Andrei Vitushka was hit against the glass entrance door. As a result, the activist sustained several deep lacerations on his head and feet and complained about severe pain in one leg. He was denied medical care. KGB agents were expected to arrive to the station to interrogate the detainees, but no information has yet been available about the charges they may face. (Radio Racyja, June 7)

LOCAL INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST DETAINED

On June 1, Grodno police detained Aleksey Salei, photographer of Pahonya, an independent newspaper, for taking pictures of the soldiers who tore the grass with bare hands near the Grodno Regional Executive Committee, where the Council of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Russia-Belarus Union was scheduled to take place, reported Viasna Human Rights Center. The photographer was taken to the Grodno Regional Executive Committee and detained for about two hours while one of the Committee's employees was making futile attempts to reach the local KGB office. The journalist was released after it had become clear that the KGB did not consider his activities a threat to the country's socio-economic stability. (Viasna Human Rights Center, June 2)

STUDENTS ARRESTED FOR PROTESTING AGAINST GRADUATE ASSIGNMENTS

On June 7, Irina Baidak, member of the youth wing of the Vitebsk branch of the United Civil Party, was detained at the local veterinary academy for disseminating leaflets protesting the assignment of graduates to jobs in areas contaminated by radiation from the Chernobyl disaster. She is to stand trial soon. On June 5, three students were arrested and reprimanded for collecting signatures under the appeal that urges the Lukashenko deputies to exclude from a draft law "On Education in Belarus," a provision which requires students whose tuition paid by the state to accept government jobs upon graduation. (Radio Racyja, June 7)

BAJ DEMANDS INVESTIGATION OF JOURNALIST'S DISAPPEARANCE

On June 7, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) launched a month-long campaign protesting against political disappearances in the country and once again demanding a thorough investigation into the disappearance of their colleague Dmitry Zavadsky, ORT cameraman. The association plans to hold a series of pickets and press conferences, and to publish articles in national and regional newspapers urging the authorities to shed light on the fate of the missing journalist. (BAJ, June 7)

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE REPRIMANDS OPPOSITION PARTY

Ahead of the presidential elections, the government backlash against opposition political parties has grown more fierce, reported Charter 97. The Belarusian Ministry of Justice issued a written warning to the United Civil Party alleging that the Party's activities violate the Law on Assemblies, Rallies, Street Actions, Demonstrations and Pickets. Repeated violation may result in the liquidation of the party. (Charter 97, June 8)

-BROTHER SLAVS-

LUKASHENKO CALLS FOR CLOSER TIES WITH RUSSIA

On June 5, speaking at an annual session of the Council of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Russia-Belarus Union in Grodno, Alexander Lukashenko called for tightening relations between the two countries, reported Belapan. The Belarusian leader said Russia and Belarus should write the constitution of the Union state and create a joint tax code. He promised to hold a referendum in Belarus to approve the constitution of the union state and to elect the union parliament. "We have no future but together with Russia," he said. Lukashenko claimed that last week's summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Minsk had convinced leaders of Moldova, Kazakhstan and Ukraine to join Russia and Belarus in a regional supranational union. "His locomotive is now headed in our direction," Lukashenko said of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, who recently fired an independently-minded foreign minister and replaced him with a career diplomat friendly toward Russia. Lukashenko profusely thanked Russia for supporting Belarus in international forums, particularly in the United Nations. "Without Russia things would be so difficult for us," he said. Lukashenko accused the Russian media of depicting him as an enemy and the West of financing the opposition ahead of the presidential elections.

The Coordination Council of Democratic Forces addressed the Russian State Duma reminding about illegitimacy of all founding documents of the Russia-Belarus Union signed by the illegitimate Belarusian president and denouncing plans to adopt a constitution of the Union, reported Radio Racyja. The Council leadership consider Russia's haste in formation of the Union structures on the eve of presidential elections in Belarus "an effort to interfere in the pre-election situation in Belarus." (Belapan, Radio Racyja, June 5 - 6)

GRODNO OPPOSITION PROTESTS AGAINST RUSSIA-BELARUS INTEGRATION

On June 4, about 50 opposition activists held an unauthorized protest in front of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee where the Council of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Russia-Belarus Union met, demanding independence for Belarus and chanting "Independence" and "Shame," reported Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta. The protesters were immediately cordoned off by the police and plain-clothed agents, but the heavy presence of the Russian press and the fact that activists tightly held each others hands, prevented the arrests. Speaking later at the Grodno Medical Institute, Gennady Seleznyov, Russian State Duma speaker stressed that "independence is good but now Slav people must unite," reported Itar-Tass. As an example he named the creation of the inter- parliamentary association of deputies "For the Union of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia" (ZUBR). On Ukraine, he noted that "they have had enough independence and turned their heads towards the East now." Seleznyov said that Ukraine has lost 75 percent of its economic potential due to the disintegration of the Soviet Union. (Itar-Tass, Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, June 5 - 6)

NEW ORGANIZATION, FAMILIAR NAME

On June 4, during a session of the Parliamentary Assembly Council in Grodno, "For Ukraine, Belarus, Russia" (ZUBR), the inter- parliamentary association of deputies, was established in Grodno, reported Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Russian newspaper. The main goal of the new organization is to consolidate efforts of parliamentarians, NGOs and citizens calling for the unification of three brotherly nations; to revive spiritual, cultural and economic ties between Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians; and to support the traditional religious denominations, particularly, the Russian Orthodox Church. Gennady Seleznyov enthusiastically welcomed the association, calling it "a serious move of three Slavic nations, a spiritual consolidation of the Slavic peoples." "The City of Grodno will be written down in the history of the Union in golden letters," he told journalists, adding that the headquarters of the new organization will be in Moscow and the working language will be Russian. He said that the main goal of the association is to instill in the public opinion the need for creating a Slavic state and "making sure that the Ukrainian people, and most importantly Ukrainian leadership, join the Russia-Belarus Union." According to the speaker, Ukrainian members of the Union will take part in the next session of the parliamentary assembly.

Some local observers noted that the name of the new organization was chosen deliberately to tarnish the image of the opposition youth organization named Zubr (Bison) by associating it with the authorities and generating discord among Belarusian opposition. (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, June 5)

NEWLY ESTABLISHED ASSOCIATION OF LAWMAKERS SUPPORTS MILOSEVIC

On June 4, "For Ukraine, Belarus, Russia" (ZUBR), newly established parliamentarian association, adopted a statement urging Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko and Leonid Kuchma to "use all their authority and influence to protect civil rights of Slobodan Milosevic, Slavic movement leader in the Balkans," reported Itar-Tass. In the statement called "In Support of Righteous Struggle of the Yugoslav People for the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of their Motherland and the Liberation of the Recognized Leader of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic," the deputies said that on behave of "millions of citizens of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine," they demand to stop politically motivated criminal investigation launched against Milosevic. (Itar-Tass, June 4)

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

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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 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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