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INTERNATIONAL
LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
BELARUS
UPDATE
Edited by Victor Cole
Vol.
4, No. 29
July 2001
IN
THIS ISSUE:
- U.S. Hears Proof on Lukashenko's Death Squad
- Candidate Makes Public Reports About Political Killings
- U.S. Officials Meet With Missing Belarusians' Spouses
- U.S. Senator: Climate of Fear Continues in Belarus
- Bush Urged To Raise Belarus Human Rights Concerns
At G-8 Summit
- Office of Independent Newspaper Burglarized
- U.S.: Trend of Harassment of Independent Media Continues
in Belarus
- Local Activist Sentenced to Ten Days in Jail
- Two Zubr Activists Arrested in Minsk
- Chigir's Son to Stand Trial in August
- Activist Brutally Beaten In Minsk
- Belarus Blacklisted For Human Trafficking
- China Supports Belarusian Ruler on Eve of Elections
- U.S. Statement to OSCE on Belarus' Elections
- Presidential Candidate Calls for International Observation
- Russia Is to Send Its Representatives to OSCE Observation
Mission
- Three More Presidential Hopefuls Pull Out Of Race
- Election Official Accuses Opposition of Slandering
Authorities
- Local Prosecutor Confirms Violations of Electoral
Law
- Police Continue to Interfere in Signature Collection
Process
- Office of Domash's Initiative Group in Brest Region
Raided by Police
--HUMAN
RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS--
U.S. HEARS PROOF ON LUKASHENKO'S DEATH SQUAD
On
July 17, Charles Hunter, U.S. State Department spokesman,
said Dmitry Petrushkevich and Oleg Sluchek, two former
investigators from the Prosecutor General's Office who
fled Belarus, accusing the Lukashenko regime of forming
a death squad to murder its political opponents, have
revealed credible evidence of the squad run by Lukashenko
or members of his entourage. "Investigators Dmitry
Petrushkevich and Oleg Sluchek have made detailed and
credible revelations about a Lukashenko regime death
squad reportedly responsible for up to 30 murders,"
Hunter said. "This provides additional support
for allegations of regime involvement in these disappearances,
which we take very seriously," he added.
The
two men fled to the United States in June and are at
an undisclosed location. Petrushkevich, 26, had been
helping investigate the disappearance of Dmitry Zavadsky,
ORT cameraman. During the investigation, Petrushkevich
and Sluchek, 25, came to fear for their lives after
a witness was killed and another investigator died suddenly.
Their version, based partly on reports from other investigators,
is that Belarus' leadership is using an elite, unit
called Almaz to deal with opposition figures, critics
and members of the underworld. The two former investigators
say then-Security Council head Viktor Sheiman [now Prosecutor
General-Ed.] ordered the formation of the squad in 1996
and that it has since killed 30 people. Sluchek said
earlier that the squad was headed by Dmitry Pavluchenko,
special unit officer, and consisted of at least a dozen
men including Valery Ignatovich, who is being held in
custody by Belarusian prosecutors on charges of kidnapping
Zavadsky.
The
State Department spokesman noted Lukashenko's reaction
in November 2000, to then -Prosecutor General Oleg Bozhelko's
request for Russian help in searching an area near the
Northern cemetery in Minsk, which Hunter said was credibly
believed to be Zavadsky's burial site. "Shortly
after Bozhelko made this request, Alexander Lukashenko
fired him and canceled the request," Hunter said.
On
July 18, Lukashenko slammed the investigators' allegations
and told the United States to keep out of Belarus' affairs,
reported Interfax. "I would advise (the State Department)
to mind its own business and not meddle in things it
does not understand," Lukashenko told reporters.
He called the allegations a "provocation"
prepared by the opposition ahead of the elections. (The
Federal News-Interfax, July 19)
CANDIDATE MAKES PUBLIC REPORTS ABOUT POLITICAL KILLINGS
The
pressure on Lukashenko to address the death squad allegations
is growing. On July 17, Vladimir Goncharik, chair of
the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus and a candidate
for the upcoming presidential elections, released a
stack of Interior Ministry's handwritten reports that
link top Lukashenko aides to the disappearance of opposition
figures and journalist Dmitry Zavadsky, reported major
independent newspapers. Goncharik received the documents
last week from an anonymous party, his spokesman Dmitry
Vereshchagin said.
Among
the documents is a November 21, 2000, report from Maj.-Gen.
Nikolai Lopatik, Belarus' former criminal police chief,
to Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov. Lopatik wrote
that in April 1999, Victor Sheiman, former secretary
of the Belarusian State Security Council and currently
the Belarusian Prosecutor General, ordered Yury Sivakov,
then Interior Minister, to allow Dmitry Pavluchenko
to observe the execution of five inmates on death row
at the pre-trial detention center No. 1, where executions
are carried out. On May 6, 1999, Sheiman instructed
Sivakov to give Pavluchenko the gun used to carry out
death sentences to murder Yury Zakharenko, former Interior
Minister [Zakharenko disappeared on May 7, 1999-Ed.].
In his turn, Sivakov ordered Col. Oleg Alkayev, head
of pre-trial detention center No. 1, to hand the gun
to Pavluchenko. The information about Zakharenko's whereabouts
was provided to Pavluchenko by a special unit, led by
N.V. Vasilchenko. Zakharenko's abduction and murder
were carried out by Pavluchenko and four other members
of his squad. On May 8, 1999, Pavluchenko returned the
gun. On September 16, 1999, Pavluchenko's squad kidnapped
and killed Victor Gonchar, 13th Supreme Soviet deputy
chair and a high profile antigovernment politician,
and his business associate Anatoly Krasovsky on orders
from Sheiman. All victims were buried on the Northern
Cemetery in Minsk, wrote Lopatik. [One year later, Lopatik
was dismissed from his job simultaneously with the sacking
of Oleg Bozhelko, then Prosecutor General, and Vladimir
Matskevich, former KGB chief, who now is the Belarusian
Ambassador to Yugoslavia.-Ed.].
The
documents released by Goncharik also included a copy
of a register, where Col. Alkayev documented that PB-9
pistol and a silencer were borrowed twice in 1999, about
the time when Zakharenko, Gonchar and Krasovsky went
missing. First time, the gun was given on April 30,
1999, to Col. V.I. Dick and returned by him on May 14,1999.
Second time, the gun was received on September 16, 1999,
by one of Sivakov's aides and returned to Alkayev two
days later. Alkayev confirmed in a report that following
Sivakov's order, Pavluchenko was invited to watch the
execution of five criminals carried out on October 22,
1999. Alkayev remembered that during the execution Pavluchenko
suggested to shoot the convicts directly in the heart
instead of shooting in the head because "it is
more humanly and causes less bleeding."
Goncharik urged Lukashenko in an open letter published
on July 16 in several independent newspapers to order
an investigation into the reports. "Lukashenko
could get himself an alibi only if he orders an investigation
and suspends the officials involved," Goncharik
told NTV on July 18. Interior Minister Naumov denied
the reports as "nonsense," Interfax reported.
On July 17, the Committee for State Control started
a large-scale audit of the financial activities of the
Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus. The next day,
the organization's headquarters were visited by officials
from the KGB and the State Tax Committee. (Viasna Human
Rights Center- Charter 97- Nasha Svaboda, July 19-20)
U.S. OFFICIALS MEET WITH MISSING BELARUSIANS' SPOUSES
Ludmila
Karpenko [wife of Gennady Karpenko, 13th Supreme Soviet
Deputy Chair, who died under mysterious circumstances
on April 6, 1999], Irina Krasovskaya [wife of businessman
Anatoly Krasovsky, who was a close friend of Victor
Gonchar, 13th Supreme Soviet Deputy Chair (both of whom
disappeared on September 16, 1999)], Svetlana Zavadskaya
[wife of Dmitry Zavadsky, a Belarusian cameraman for
the Russian public television station ORT who disappeared
on July 7, 2000], and Tatiana Klimova [wife of Andrei
Klimov, 13th Supreme Soviet Deputy, who has been imprisoned
since February 1998] arrived to the U.S. to tell their
stories and to press for an independent investigation
of their husbands' disappearances. On July 17, the women
met with Lorne Craner, Assistant Secretary of State
for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Steven Pifer,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs;
and officials at the National Security Council.
Philip
T. Reeker, deputy spokesman of the U.S. State Department,
said in a statement that the United States remains greatly
concerned by a series of politically motivated disappearances
in Belarus and the climate of political repression imposed
by the Lukashenko regime. "Credible reports and
the publication of documents on July 17 in Minsk implicate
senior Lukashenko regime officials in these disappearances.
Two prosecutor's office investigators from Belarus claim
that a death squad created by the Lukashenko regime
was responsible for all four of the disappearances of
the opposition figures," Reeker said. "The
United States takes these allegations very seriously
and calls on the Belarusian authorities to conduct a
thorough and transparent investigation into the disappearances
of Mr. Zakharenko, Mr. Gonchar, Mr. Krasovsky and Mr.
Zavadsky, and account for their whereabouts," he
concluded.
The
full text of the statement can be found at: http://usinfo.state.gov
U.S. SENATOR: CLIMATE OF FEAR CONTINUES IN BELARUS
On
July 18, Sen. Ben Campbell (R-CO), Co-Chair of the Congressional
Helsinki Commission, hosted a meeting with four courageous
women, who conveyed their concerns about their husbands
as well as about the continuing climate of fear in Belarus.
"Theirs is a compelling story which starkly illustrates
the human toll of the Lukashenko regime in which human
rights, democracy and the rule of law are violated with
impunity," the Senator said after the meeting.
Following are the excerpts from his statement:
"The
Helsinki Commission, which I chair, continues to receive
troubling reports concerning developments in Belarus.
Indeed, the prospects for free and fair presidential
elections this fall remain dim. The unbalanced composition
of the regional electoral commissions is particularly
disturbing given the apparent rejection by the authorities
of all candidates - over 800 -- proposed by Belarusian
democratic parties and non-governmental organizations.
The Belarusian authorities need to guarantee the impartiality
of the electoral commissions by ensuring that democratic
parties and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are
represented meaningfully and to correct other reported
violations of the electoral code."
"The
State Department has urged the Belarusian authorities
to mount a credible investigation to account for missing
former Minister of Internal Affairs Yury Zakharenko,
13th Supreme Soviet Deputy Chairman Victor Gonchar and
his associate Anatoly Krasovsky, as well as Russian
Television cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky. They have urged
the immediate release of political prisoners and 13th
Supreme Soviet members Andrei Klimov and Valery Shchukin.
Such an investigation, as well as the release of political
prisoners, will be an essential factor in reducing the
current climate of fear."
"Finally,
the Belarusian authorities need to work with the OSCE
to facilitate the work of international and domestic
observers and to help ensure that all candidates are
able to organize freely, without harassment, and carry
their campaigns to the people."
"Mr.
President, while it is not yet too late for the Belarusian
authorities to take the steps necessary to ensure an
atmosphere conducive to elections that will meet international
democratic standards, time is of the essence. Free and
fair presidential elections are an essential step if
Belarus is to move ahead and end its self-imposed isolation.
As President Bush has remarked in connection with this
week's observance of Captive Nations Week, America must
remain vigilant in our support of those living under
authoritarianism. The people of Belarus have that support
as they seek to overcome the legacy of the past and
build an independent nation based on democracy, human
rights and the rule of law."
The full text of Sen. Campbell statement can be found
at: http://www.csce.gov/helsinki.cfm
BUSH URGED TO RAISE BELARUS HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS AT
G-8 SUMMIT
On
July 20, the U.S. Helsinki Commission held a press conference
titled "Climate of Fear in Belarus: Death, Disappearances
and Dictatorship," where wives of vanished Belarusians
met with Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.), Helsinki
Commission Co-Chair. Following are the excerpts from
a statement made by Rep. Smith:
"The
cases of the disappeared and imprisoned are stark manifestations
of the climate of fear that exists in Belarus under
the rule of Alexander Lukashenko."
"I
am today releasing a letter I sent a few days ago to
President Bush urging that he raise at the G-8 summit,
and especially with Russian President Putin, concerns
about the state of human rights and democracy in Belarus
in advance of their September presidential elections.
With presidential elections in Belarus coming up on
September 9, I urged the President to convey our strong
interest in a presidential election which meets international
democratic standards."
"Belarusian
authorities must make a serious commitment to abide
by criteria set forth by the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), of which Belarus is
a member. These criteria include an end of the climate
of fear, access to the state media for all candidates,
respect for freedom of assembly, and transparency and
fairness in the registration of candidates and functioning
of electoral commissions."
"An
essential component of the ending of the climate of
fear means the appointment of a credible national independent
commission of inquiry that would mount a thorough investigation
into the disappearances and bring those responsible
to account."
"Another
important component is the release of political prisoners
Andrei Klimov and Valery Schukin. Finally, I call upon
Belarusian authorities to release the autopsy results
of Gennady Karpenko to Mrs. Karpenko. Accounting for
the disappeared and dead would help dispel the ongoing
climate of fear and create a atmosphere conducive to
free and fair presidential elections."
"I
must state that we are not very encouraged by the way
the election process is proceeding. We are concerned
that the authorities have included virtually no representatives
in territorial electoral commissions, out of over 800
proposed by Belarusian democratic parties and NGOs.
We hope that serious steps will be taken to ensure the
impartiality of these commissions. This is essential
if you want to establish confidence that the election
process will be a fair one. Moreover, this could help
to facilitate trust between the government and opposition.
Also essential in this context is the genuine independent
domestic and international election observation effort
under the auspices of the OSCE."
"The
last seven years of the Lukashenko regime have witnessed
the marked deterioration of human rights and democracy
in Belarus. Democratic elections require an all-encompassing
atmosphere of trust and respect for human rights. Only
by ending the current climate of fear and creating such
an atmosphere of trust in advance of the elections can
Belarus end its self-imposed isolation. The people of
Belarus should know that we will stand by them and support
their efforts to build an independent nation based on
democracy and the rule of law."
The
full text of Rep. Smith statement can be found at: http://www.csce.gov/helsinki.cfm
OFFICE OF INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER BURGLARIZED
The
office of Den (Day), a Minsk-based independent newspaper,
was burglarized on July 17 night and the hard drives
of three computers were stolen, reported Charter 97.
The newspaper had planned a special issue due to be
printed on July 19 dedicated to Belarusian politicians
who have gone missing. Vasily Zdanyuk, Den's deputy
editor-in-chief, said all materials for the special
issue had disappeared. In July 7's issue of the newspaper,
Ivan Titenkov, Lukashenko's powerful aide from July
1994 to December 1999, said that the government was
behind the disappearances of opposition figures, and
had spent some $20 million on wire-tapping equipment.
The issue was confiscated. (Charter 97, July 17)
U.S.: TREND OF HARASSMENT OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA CONTINUES
IN BELARUS
On
July 19, U.S. Ambassador David T. Johnson said in Vienna
that a report by Freimut Duve, OSCE Media Freedom Representative,
revealed a troubling trend of harassment, imprisonment
and murder of journalists investigating corruption and
crime in the OSCE region. Citing cases in Belarus, Azerbaijan,
Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Georgia, and Russia, Johnson said
that "efforts to silence critics of corruption
and crime are contrary to OSCE commitments." A
democratic society and a productive economy require
the essential feedback mechanism that can only be provided
by an active, independent media that serves the public,
he said. Following are excerpts from Johnson's statement
regarding Belarus:
"Mr.
Duve presents a full report of his office's work over
the last several weeks. It has been extensive and we
very much appreciate it."
"One
such clear example of his efforts was the one my Belarusian
colleague just referred to and that is his workshop
arranged here in Vienna for independent as well as government-employed
Belarusian journalists. The discussion that was held
was impressive and, we felt,
directly relevant for all in attendance."
"We
also appreciate him bringing to our attention today
the burglary that took place the night of 17 July at
a newspaper in Belarus [Den (Day)-Ed.], that was working
on issues related to the disappearances of several individuals
including journalists. Based on what they took and what
they left it is eerily reminiscent of a third-rate burglary
staged in Washington in 1973, which was ultimately found
to be something a little more than just an occasion
to see if you could get some extra money." (USIA,
July 20)
LOCAL ACTIVIST SENTENCED TO TEN DAYS IN JAIL
On
July 17, Judge Oleg Mironyuk of the Leninski District
Court of Brest sentenced Sergei Bakun, chair of the
local branch of the Malady (Youth) Front, to ten days
imprisonment for staging an unauthorized demonstration
on December 10, 2000, in downtown Brest to mark the
52nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, reported Viasna Human Rights Center. The demonstration
lasted for about an hour until it was dispersed by the
police. Bakun, along with Vladimir Velichkin, head of
the Brest branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center,
Oleg Didishko, an activist of the Free Trade Union of
Belarus, Evgeny Belasin, deputy chair of the Brest branch
of the BPF Adradzhenne, and Kiril Danko, a member of
the Malady Front, was detained and taken to the Leninski
District Internal Affairs Directorate and charged with
violation of Art 167 para 1, Art 167 para 2 (organization
and participation in mass actions which violated public
order) and Art 166 (disobedience to the police) of the
Administrative Offenses Code. The activists spent the
night in jail. On January 15, Belasin and Bakun were
fined 200 minimum wages (about $600) each. Velichkin,
Danko, and Didishko were fined 20 minimum wages (about
$60) each.
Since
Bakun failed to pay the heavy fine, the officers of
the court came to the apartment where the activist lives
with his parents in order to carry out confiscation
of his property. [Under Art. 268 of the Belarusian Administrative
Offenses Code, all imposed fines should be paid within
two weeks after the sentence announcement. If an individual
fails to pay the fine and does not receive any salary
or pension, he may face a property confiscation.-Ed.].
Bakun's parents, who recently lost their jobs at the
Brestovoschprom company due to their involvement in
signature-collection campaign in support of opposition
candidates, told the court officials that no stuff in
the house belongs solely to Sergei. The court ruled
that the activist has to pay off his debt by serving
ten days of administrative detention. (Viasna Human
Rights Center, July 18)
TWO ZUBR ACTIVISTS ARRESTED IN MINSK
Alexander
Atroshchenkov and a minor, Alexsey Mikhailov, both members
of the youth movement Zubr, were detained at approximately
2:30 a.m. on July 16 on Zhudro Street in Minsk and taken
to the Frunzensky District Internal Affairs Directorate
for alleged writing of the graffiti saying "Time
to choose!" Police confiscated two cans of spray-paint
from the boys. Mikhailov was picked up at the station
by his parents, while Atroshchenkov was accused of violating
of Art. 143, par. 3 of the Belarusian Administrative
Offences Code (littering). He refused to sign a report
and after about three hours of detention was released.
http://www.zubr-belarus.com/
CHIGIR'S SON TO STAND TRIAL IN AUGUST
Alexander
Chigir, younger son of Mikhail Chigir, former prime
minister and opposition presidential candidate, is to
stand trial in August for "large-scale larceny
committed by a group" under Art. 205 par. 4 of
the Belarusian Penal Code, an offence punishable by
up to 15 years in prison. Alexander, 24, was arrested
at a car market on February 10, 2001, along with Sergei
Koleda and Vasily Bykov on charges of selling spare
parts from stolen vehicles [see Belarus Update Vol.
4, No. 7,8, 21.]. On March 6, his lawyer, Alexander
Pylchenko, was attacked on the street by unknown individuals,
beaten, and suffered a concussion and broken nose. Earlier,
the judge had refused to allow Alexander's mother, Julia
Chigir, to defend him in court. Dmitry Ivanishko, Chigir's
current attorney, believes that the case is politically
motivated and is designed to discredit Mikhail Chigir
as a worthy candidate. He pointed out that during the
investigation the authorities used illegal methods of
obtaining testimonies (physical abuse, threats, and
intimidation of witnesses). (Viasna Human Rights Center,
July 17)
BELARUS BLACKLISTED FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING
On
July 12, the United States released a report blacklisting
23 countries -- including Belarus -- for failing to
tackle human trafficking, which it called "a modern-day
form of slavery." The report is mandated by the
Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act,
which was signed into law on October 28, 2000. Beginning
in 2003, those countries -- signifying that they do
not satisfy the law's minimum standards to combat trafficking
and are not making significant efforts to bring themselves
into compliance with those standards -- may be denied
non-humanitarian assistance from the United States,
barring a Presidential waiver. Trafficking in human
beings includes the classic and awful elements associated
with historic slavery such as abduction from family
and home, use of false promises, transport to a strange
country, loss of freedom and personal dignity, extreme
physical abuse and depravation. At least 700,000 people
around the world fall victim to the practice every year.
Most victims are women and children who have been duped
or coerced by criminals. The report says that worldwide,
many trafficking victims "are subjected to threats
against their person and family, violence, horrific
living conditions and dangerous workplaces." "Some
victims have answered advertisements believing that
they will have a good job awaiting them in a new country,"
it says. "Others have been sold into a modern-day
form of slavery by a relative, acquaintance or family
friend." Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Greece, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have committed in the
OSCE to punish those who traffic in human beings and
to better protect their victims. (Worldwide newswire,
July 17)
ACTIVIST BRUTALLY BEATEN IN MINSK
Sergei
Laptev, 45, who was sentenced to seven days of administrative
arrest for "petty hooliganism" under Art.
156 of the Administrative Offences Code for tossing
a tomato at Lukashenko during a marathon organized on
July 3 in Minsk to mark the Independence Day, but later
was unexpectedly "pardoned" by Lukashenko,
have felt on his own back that the Belarusian strongman
never forgets and never forgives. On July 17, Laptev,
a member of the signature-collection group in support
of presidential candidate Alexander Yaroshuk, leader
of the Trade Union of Agro-industrial Workers, was approached
by unknown individuals while collecting voters' signatures
near a supermarket on Prytitsky Street in Minsk. They
introduced themselves as KGB officers, than grabbed
Laptev by the arms and dragged him to a nearby park.
The activist was mercilessly hit against the tree and
than punched in the face. The assailants accompanied
their actions with the words: "We will teach you
how to lift your hand against the president." Suffering
severe bodily injuries, Laptev spent a night in the
emergency room and the next day filed a complaint with
the police. (Nasha Svaboda, July 20)
-PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS NEWS-
CHINA SUPPORTS BELARUSIAN RULER ON EVE OF ELECTIONS
On
July 18-19, Chinese president Jiang Zemin visited Belarus
to pledge closer ties to Alexander Lukashenko, in a
show of support just weeks before the authoritarian
leader faces re-election, Interfax news agency reported.
Jiang Zemin, who arrived in Minsk after a four-day visit
to Russia, said relations between China and Belarus
have "a bright future." "China and Belarus
adhere to the same belief that all countries have the
right to choose their path of development," he
said. "Together we call for supporting an international
balance of political forces." Lukashenko told the
Chinese president he appreciates his "unbiased
support of Belarus on all issues." The Belarusian
strongman said his country stood shoulder to shoulder
with Communist China. "We have exactly the same
approach to all world issues: the fundamental principles
of peaceful co-existence, maintenance of the ABM treaty
and the expansion of NATO into Eastern Europe,"
he said. In a joint statement, Jiang Zemin and Lukashenko
called for maintaining a strong role for the United
Nations, warning that it cannot be replaced by any other
organization. Attacking U.S. plans for a missile defense
shield, the two leaders said the 1972 Anti-Ballistic
Missile Treaty, which prohibits such shields, was "a
cornerstone of global strategic stability and international
security." After the talks, the Chinese president
signed over a $1.2 million donation to help Belarus
cope with the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear
disaster.
"It
is very good for Lukashenko that on the eve of the elections
the leader of a great power came to Minsk. This will
increase his weight in the eyes of the voters,"
commented on the high-profile visit independent observer
Valery Karbalevich. China, which has a similar ideology,
absence of democracy and human rights abuses,"
is a natural choice of partner for isolated Belarus,
he added.
While
the Chinese leader was having a meeting with Vladimir
Yermoshin, Belarusian Prime Minister, in the presidential
administration building, about ten activists of Zubr,
a nation-wide youth opposition movement, chanting "Free
Tibet" and holding photographs of exiled Tibetan
spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, staged an unauthorized
picket on nearby Oktyabrsky Square protesting against
China's policies in Tibet, reported Nasha Svaboda, an
independent newspaper. Internal Ministry troops dispersed
the picket almost immediately. Eight protesters were
forced in a minibus and taken to the Sovetsky District
Internal Affairs Directorate. On July 19, the Centralny
District Court of Minsk fined Anatoly Podokshin 20 minimum
wages (about $100) for "participation in mass actions
that violated public order" under Art. 167, par.
1, of the Administrative Offenses Code. (Interfax, July
19 - Nasha Svaboda- Charter 97, July 18- 20)
U.S.
STATEMENT TO OSCE ON BELARUS' ELECTIONS
In
a July 12 statement to the OSCE Permanent Council, U.S.
Ambassador David T. Johnson criticized the government
of Belarus for creating new obstacles to opposition's
participation in upcoming presidential elections. Following
are the excerpts from Johnson's statement:
"Two
months before the elections, we believe the Belarusian
public should be engaged in a debate over the candidates'
competing visions for Belarus' future and not new challenges
to the opposition's ability to compete fairly."
"However,
with Decree 20, which has only recently been introduced,
candidates are now required to present the finances
of family extending to grandparents, children, and siblings.
This is an added burden on that required by Decrees
8 and 11, which have created obstacles that we have
discussed previously."
"In
addition to that, there is growing pressure on the independent
media and the opposition remains at the government's
mercy to gain access to state media on fair terms."
"Mutual
trust between government and opposition is a rare commodity.
Therefore, it is essential that both are represented
on electoral commissions to build confidence that rules
and procedures will be implemented fairly."
"To
establish a framework for fair regulation of elections
they [the Belarusian authorities] need to ensure the
opposition enjoys representation from the local level
on up through the Central Electoral Commission, including
through expanded proxy representation for each candidate
and a consultative status on the Central Electoral Commission."
"Finally,
a fair competition will require an independent domestic
and international election observation effort. A month
after elections are announced, and despite the recommendation
of the European institutions, ODIHR still awaits its
invitation to observe these elections."
"We
urge Belarus to immediately take steps to invite ODIHR.
An independent election observation will enhance the
credibility of elections. Denying such an effort in
favor of a 'government-approved' effort will call into
question the integrity of the observation that is rendered."
(USIA, July 13)
U.S. ENVOY URGES BELARUS TO EXTEND INVITATIONS TO MONITORS
On
July 19, Amb. David T. Johnson, head of the U.S. Mission
to the OSCE, made a statement to the OSCE Permanent
Council in Vienna on the need for the government of
Belarus to extend an invitation to the international
election monitors in order for the monitoring process
to begin in a timely fashion. Amb. Johnson reminded
that on July 5, representatives of European institutions
including the Parliamentary Troika, ODIHR [Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights], and the OSCE
AMG in Belarus recommended that ODIHR observe the Belarusian
elections. "This is a conclusion that we strongly
support," he said, adding that seven weeks before
the elections are scheduled there is still no invitation
from Belarusian authorities. "We understand that
ODIHR needs an invitation immediately to undertake timely
preparations," said Amb. Johnson. "Serious
questions and concerns about conditions for elections
have been raised in this Council. We believe ODIHR has
an important role to play in assisting Belarusian authorities
to address these concerns," he said. The Ambassador
urged the Belarusian authorities to take steps now to
make their invitation to ODIHR clear. The full text
of the statement can be found at: http://usinfo.state.gov
On
July 19, Vadim Popov, speaker of the House of Representatives,
lower chamber of the National Assembly, told reporters
that before sending out an invitation to the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly, the parliament should first receive PA's consent
to sending its observers to the Belarusian presidential
election, reported Interfax. "Some are trying to
push us into sending the invitations without having
received the OSCE's consent, but it is not done that
way," Popov said, adding that the invitations are
also to be sent to representatives of the Inter-Parliamentary
Union. Alexander Voitovich, speaker of the Council of
the Republic, upper chamber of the Lukashenko rubber-stamp
parliament, said that the invitations have already been
sent to the parliaments of China, Egypt, India, and
a "number of European countries."(Interfax,
July 19)
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATION
On
July 17, Leonid Sinitsyn, former head of the presidential
administration and potential presidential candidate,
issued a statement urging the Lukashenko government
to "demonstrate good will" and officially
invite representatives of the international organizations
to observe the forthcoming presidential elections in
order to ensure their conduct in accordance with the
OSCE standards. "Everything is being done for the
non-recognition of the elections," Sinitsyn said
in the statement, adding that it only proves that the
regime will not win the elections without large-scale
falsification. (Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, July 17)
RUSSIA IS TO SEND ITS REPRESENTATIVES TO OSCE OBSERVATION
MISSION
On
July 16, following reports that ODIHR is organize a
full-fledged international observation mission, which
would closely co-operate with the Parliamentary Troika
if it decides to send its delegation to Belarus, Alexander
Veshnyakov, chair of the Russian Central Election Commission,
told Ekho Moskvy radio station that the Commission will
delegate its representatives to the mission. On July
18, Veshnyakov arrived in Minsk as a member of a delegation
of the Central and East European Association of Election
Organizers, which also includes experts from Hungary
and Ukraine. (Belapan, July 17)
THREE MORE PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS PULL OUT OF RACE
On
July 18, Nikolai Mekeko, vise-president of the International
Human Rights Association, and two days later, Valery
Levonevsky, a member of the Council of the Free Trade
Union of Entrepreneurs, withdrew from the presidential
race citing their discontent with Lukashenko's Decree
#20 which requires each presidential candidate to submit
to the Commission his and his immediate relatives' income
statements and property declarations, which the Commission
then will have to publish in a nationwide newspaper.
On
July 19, Sergei Antonchyk, leader of Workers' Self-Aide,
an unregistered organization announced that he withdraws
from the race and joins the team of another presidential
hopeful Mikhail Marinich, Belarusian ambassador to Latvia,
Estonia and Finland. Antonchyk urged other hopefuls
to objectively assess their potential and step aside
in favor of candidates with a better chance of winning.
On
July 4, Natalya Masherova, member of the House of Representatives
of the National Assembly and a heavyweight rival to
Lukashenko, withdrew her candidacy to general astonishment.
The reasons for the decision remain unclear. Masherova,
criticized by Lukashenko who complained she had "stabbed
him in the back" by entering the race, gave no
immediate explanation. She then declared that "many
clauses of the electoral law make it impossible to hold
a fair vote." Many local observers insisted that
pressure at the highest level had forced her to step
aside. On July 12, Evgeny Kryzhanovsky, director of
Khristophor, Minsk-based theater, pulled out of the
race saying that the Central Commission for Elections
and National Referenda overlooked the fact that he was
born in neighboring Ukraine and, therefore, in accordance
with the electoral law, can not run for the Belarusian
presidency. Now, the current Belarusian leader is facing
16 other candidates. (Belapan, July 18 - Belaruskaya
Delovaya Gazeta, July 20)
ELECTION OFFICIAL ACCUSES OPPOSITION OF SLANDERING AUTHORITIES
A
massive slander campaign has been launched to discredit
the country's election authorities and the head of state
in the run up to the presidential elections, Lydia Yermoshina,
chair of the Central Commission for Elections and National
Referenda, said in an interview to Zvyazda (Star), a
state newspaper. "Through continuous allegations
that election fraud is being prepared, the opposition
is trying to convince voters that the elections will
not be democratic and to undermine their trust in the
Central and local election commissions," she said.
[According to a latest survey of the Belarusian public
opinion conducted by Belapan, about 53% of Minsk residents
believe that the authorities will falsify the results
of the vote.-Ed.]. "The purpose of the campaign
is to prevent the incumbent president from getting reelected,"
Yermoshina continued. Commenting on a complaint filed
by Alexander Volchanin, former head of Lukashenko's
signature-collection group in Zhodino, Minsk Region,
who resigned protesting against pressure put on him
by the local executive authorities, Yermoshina said
that like many others it proved to be false. Yermoshina
reminded about the warnings issued to presidential hopefuls
Mikhail Marinich, Belarusian ambassador to Latvia, Estonia
and Finland, and Leonid Sinitsyn, former head of the
presidential administration, for using their private
funds to finance the signature-collection campaign and
to Sergei Gaidukevich, chair of the Liberal Democratic
Party of Belarus, Sergey Kalyakin, leader of the Party
of Communists of Belarus, and Pavel Kozlovsky, former
Defense Minister, for distributing campaign materials
before being officially registered. (Zvyazda, July 18)
ORSHA DISTRICT PROSECUTOR CONFIRMS VIOLATIONS OF ELECTORAL
LAW
The
Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) has filed a complaint
with the Orsha, Vitebsk Region, District Prosecutor
citing flagrant violations of the electoral law during
the formation of the local election commission, reported
BHC press service. The BHC found that one of the commission's
member was selected at a meeting in the village of Vysokoye
with no quorum and that a governmental official who
chaired the meeting falsified the minutes. After verifying
the BHC's report, the District Prosecutor registered
a protest and sent letters to the District Executive
Committee and the District Council demanding explanations.
(BHC press service, July 17)
POLICE CONTINUE TO INTERFERE IN SIGNATURE COLLECTION
PROCESS
On
July 14, Alexander Masiuk, head of the Slonim, Grodno
Region, initiative group of Semyon Domash, was detained
by the police while collecting signatures in support
of the opposition candidate. The policemen brought Masiuk
to the police station, confiscated all signature sheets
and four certificates given to the initiative group's
members, and filed a report of confiscation. The activist
was summoned to the police station for further interrogation.
(Viasna Human Rights Center, July 16)
OFFICE OF DOMASH'S INITIATIVE GROUP IN BREST REGION
RAIDED BY POLICE
On
July 17, police in Kobrin, Brest Region, raided the
headquarters of the Semyon Domash's initiative group
and confiscated about 2,000 copies of Pravo na Svobody
(Right to Freedom), local independent newspaper, 200
copies of Nasha Svaboda, an independent newspaper, and
other opposition printed materials. After the raid,
the owner of the private apartment, who rented the space
for the office, canceled a lease citing great pressure
put on him by the local executive authorities. (Charter
97, July 18)
************************************************************************
For daily updates, visit our partners website, Charter
97, www.charter97.org with news in Belarusian, Russian,
and English.
************************************************************************
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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tel. 212-661-0480
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