INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

BELARUS UPDATE
Edited by Victor Cole

Vol. 4, No. 51
December 2001

IN THIS ISSUE:

- Ambassador Wieck Completes Term In Office
- OSCE Focus On Protection Of Human Rights Defenders
- 13th Supreme Soviet Mandate Expires
- Media Institute Releases Final Report On Elections Media Coverage
- Lukashenko Demands Reform Of State Media
- Amid Violence Against Opposition Belarus Declared Not Free
- Another Crackdown On Trade Unions
- Ten Days Imprisonment For Asking To Meet Dictator
- Local Opposition Activists Fined For Marking Human Rights Day
- Young Opposition Member Expelled From University
- Head Of Major Opposition Party Re-Elected
- Opposition Leader's Son Goes On Trial
- Belarusian Businessmen Continue To Disappear Mysteriously
- Embezzlement Of Budget Money Of Russian-Belarus Union

--HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS-

AMBASSADOR WIECK COMPLETES TERM IN OFFICE

After four years as the head of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus (AMG), Amb. Hans-Georg Wieck will complete his assignment on December 31, 2001. In his farewell speech on December 20, Amb. Wieck promised that the AMG would continue carrying out its mandate: to contribute to the development of the democratic institutions of Belarus and to monitor the compliance of the country with its OSCE commitments. The name of his successor should be announced soon. "Despite some progress in developing civil society in Belarus, the processes of democratic transformation within the state structures have not yet made enough headway, particularly with regards to the country's OSCE commitments," said Amb. Wieck. Expressing his appreciation to all the citizens of Belarus, he recalled this co-operation as a most encouraging experience during his time in Belarus.

The Belarusian authorities ignored Amb. Wieck's farewell party, which was attended by foreign diplomats, leaders of opposition political parties, heads of NGOs and journalists from the independent media. "Today we have a lot of guests in this room and you shouldn't think that we didn't invite representatives of the official authorities," Wieck said in a farewell speech. "We sent out invitations to them too, just as we did to you. A similar thing happened last January, when we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Helsinki agreements."

On December 18, the OSCE's Permanent Council in Vienna decided to extend the mandate of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus until December 31, 2002. (OSCE, December 20)

OSCE FOCUS ON PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

The Lukashenko regime continues to take severe measures to neutralize political opponents and has not undertaken any serious efforts to account for the disappearances of well-known opposition political figures that occurred in the previous year. In response, the OSCE Permanent Council once again confirmed the organization's focus on the protection of human rights defenders as is an important part of its work.

"Human rights defenders are an integral part of any functioning democracy, helping to ensure that governments observe the human rights of their citizens," Stephan M. Minikes, U.S. diplomat, told the OSCE Permanent Council on December 20. "The OSCE stands ready to assist participating states to develop effective human rights legislation and training programs, Amb. Minikes said, but "ultimately, the states themselves need to make the institutional reforms necessary to fully implement their OSCE commitments in this regard." Amb. Minikes also called all OSCE participating states to ensure independent, impartial investigations and prosecutions of persons threatening and harassing human rights defenders.

In a separate statement, Amb. Minikes commended the work of the OSCE Mission to Latvia and said that the United States supports the assessment that the guiding principles of the mission in Riga have been met and it should close.

Commenting on the departure of the OSCE Mission from Riga, Pavel Latushko, press-secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, said that the decision to close the mission creates a precedent, which the Belarusian authorities will "keep in mind while dealing with the OSCE AMG in Minsk." The Lukashenko government, which long ago "had learned all it could" from the mission, is apparently anxious to get rid of the AMG. (USIA, December 18-20)

WIECK SAYS 13TH SUPREME SOVIET MANDATE EXPIRES

In an interview with Izvestia, the Russian newspaper, Amb. Hans-Georg Wieck, outgoing head of the OSCE mission in Belarus, said that since the mandate of the Belarusian elected parliament, known formally as the 13th Supreme Soviet, had recently expired, it can no longer represent Belarus at international gatherings. "With the expiration of its mandate in 2001, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly could accept the deputies of this parliament for another six months." Amb. Wieck wrote in response to a query from RFE/RL.

The 13th Supreme Soviet was disbanded by Lukashenko as a result of the November 1996 referendum, which amended the 1994 constitution. Pro-Lukashenko members of the disbanded parliament, elected in 1995, formed a 110-member lower house, the Chamber of Representatives. A 64-member upper house, called the Council of the Republic, grew out of presidential appointments and the results of January 1997 elections by the six oblast [regional] councils and the Minsk City Council. The transition left 86 electoral districts underrepresented because the new constitution reduced the number of representatives from 260, and the full parliament was never seated because of executive interference in the 1995 vote. Western governments did not recognize the legitimacy of the new parliament, which functions as little more than a rubber stamp.

Besides the Lukashenko-formed parliament, 54 deputies elected in 1995, representing different parliamentary factions of the Supreme Soviet of 13th convocation, formed an opposition parliament, which was recognized by the Western governments, but was perceived with hostility by Lukashenko and his loyalists. (Izvestia/ RFE/RL, December 17)

MEDIA INSTITUTE RELEASES REPORT ON ELECTION MEDIA COVERAGE

On December 20, the European Institute for the Media released a final report on the monitoring of the media coverage of the Sept. 9 presidential elections. Following are some of the most important findings:

The incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, dominated election coverage on the state television channel BT, receiving 58% of the output devoted to all candidates. His dominance of BT news programs was even more pronounced: he received 85% of the total time devoted to the candidates.

Lukashenko also dominated coverage on the Russian channels, watched by a majority of prime time Belarusian viewers. ORT, RTR and NTV gave the incumbent over 90% of their news coverage of all candidates, with RTR going so far as to show a promotional film in favor of the incumbent.

State print media were equally biased in favor of Lukashenko, who received between 70 and 90% of the total coverage devoted to the candidates in the outlets that were monitored.

Monitoring of state media in two important regional centers, Grodno and Gomel, confirmed the same pattern: Over 70% of the coverage across print and electronic media was in support of the incumbent president.

The campaign was marked by government interference and intimidation of independent media that supported the opposition, in a rash of tax inspections, distribution and printing problems and confiscation on grounds such as dishonoring the president.

The electoral regulations pertaining to free time and space on state media for the candidates were generally observed. However, the higher standards, to which Belarus is committed in its Constitution and legal framework, as well as the international agreements to which it is signatory, were not respected.

In the conclusion of the report, the international team of EIM experts provided recommendations to improve the media situation in Belarus during next elections. The complete report can be found at: http://www.eim.org/

LUKASHENKO DEMANDS REFORM OF STATE MEDIA

On December 15, during a meeting with high-ranking officials, Alexander Lukashenko slammed the state-run media and ordered its leadership to improve the coverage of political and socio-economic situation in the country. "We have content providers and we have a distribution system to supply the content to customers. But what kind of content do we have? I'll tell you: a bad one," Lukashenko asserted. In an interview to the Belarusian National TV and Radio Company, Pavel Yakubovich, editor of Sovetskaya Belorusyia, a national daily founded by the Presidential Administration, said that Lukashenko gave him five month to transform the newspaper into a newspaper at the "European level."

Lukashenko demanded from the Information Ministry, former State Press Committee, to punish independent media for "blatant lies" about his government's arms trading. According to the Belarusian leader, not only the state media, but also security agencies should deal with the accusations. Stressing that he had won a "tough political battle" under strong pressure from the West and domestic opposition pouring slander on the authorities, Lukashenko warned that nobody has the right to doubt his victory in the September 9 election.

"Now, after the election campaign is over, we are ready to undertake serious reform of state-run mass media," Mikhail Podgainy, head of the Information Ministry, told participants of a workshop titled "The State and Perspectives of Mass Media in Belarus." The Minister said that the number of regional, municipal, and national newspapers funded from the state budget will be reduced. (Interfax/ Belapan, December 17)

AMID VIOLENCE AGAINST OPPOSITION BELARUS DECLARED NOT FREE

In a major study titled Freedom in the World 2001-2002, released by the Freedom House on December 18, a total of 86 countries representing 2.54 billion people (or 41.40 percent of the world's population) receive the "free" rating. Their inhabitants enjoy a broad range of rights. Fifty-eight countries representing 1.43 billion people (23.25 percent) are considered "partly-free". Political rights and civil liberties are more limited in these countries, in which corruption, dominant ruling parties, and, in some cases, ethnic or religious strife are often the norm. The survey finds that 48 countries, including Belarus, fall into the "not free" category. Inhabitants of these countries are denied basic political rights and civil liberties. The report can be found at: http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/survey2002.htm

ANOTHER CRACKDOWN ON TRADE UNIONS

The Belarus Council of Ministers adopted a decree cynically called "Measures to Protect Trade Union Rights," which in fact undermines trade union independence by forbidding unions to organize centralized deduction of the union dues from the wages of state enterprises' employees on the grounds that the procedure "slows down the work of the accounting departments and increases the volume of paperwork." "The collection of membership fees is a state-sponsored transfer of money to non-governmental organizations," commented a spokesman of the Council of Ministers. Trade unions leaders called the decree a "flagrant violation of rights of the Belarusian citizens who joined trade unions to protect their labor rights." They believe that the decree is aimed at destroying trade union organizations and is an act of retaliation specifically against Vladimir Goncharik for his participation in the presidential elections. Goncharik, chair of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB), who fronted a broad coalition of opposition parties, petitioned the Belarusian Supreme Court to annul the election's result because of the gross violations of Belarusian laws and international standards during the poll.

The League notes that the FTUB, formerly the Belarusian branch of the Soviet Union's All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, consists of approximately 4.5 million workers, including retirees, and is by far the largest trade union organization. According to official union federation figures, 92 percent of the country's workforce is unionized. Although wary in the past of challenging the regime seriously, some FTUB leaders have become increasingly vocal in their criticism of the policies of the Lukashenko regime. In retaliation the Government has subjected FTUB officials to threats and harassment. (Charter 97, December 19)

TEN DAYS IMPRISONMENT FOR ASKING TO MEET DICTATOR

On December 19, four women from Bobruisk, Minsk Region, who recently lost their jobs, went on hunger strike near the Lukashenko administration in Minsk requesting a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko, who, they hoped, could solve their problems: give them a place to work and put them back on a waiting list for apartments they had been waiting for 15 years. But instead of finding consolation in the arms of bat'ka [Belarusians call the president by the nickname for "father"-Ed] the women ended up in a police station, where they were charged with staging an unauthorized picket. Lubov Sankevich and Eva Ustimchuk were sentenced to ten days imprisonment, and the other two received a heavy fine in the amount of 150 minimal wages (about $1,050) each. Shocked by such a severe punishment, two imprisoned picketers started suffering from hypertension. Due to the fact that there was no beds available in the local hospital, the women were set free. (Nasha Svaboda, December 21)

LOCAL OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS FINED FOR MARKING HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

Vladimir Malarshuk, chair of the Vileika, Minsk Region, branch of the United Civic Party, and Aleksey Sudak were charged with staging an unauthorized picket and fined 20 minimal wages (about $140) each for taking part in an opposition action "Chain of People Who Care" which was held on December 10 to mark the International Human Rights Defenders Day and to demand investigation into political disappearances in Belarus. (Nasha Svaboda, December 19)

YOUNG OPPOSITION MEMBER EXPELLED FROM UNIVERSITY

Maksim Garaipov, a student of the Mogilev State Institute of Technology and an active member of a youth group recently banned by the regime, Zadzinochanne Belaruskih Studentov (Belarusian Student Association), has been expelled by rector I. Chizhik "for systematic nonattendance." [Expulsion from the university means that Garaipov will soon be drafted into the armed forces--Ed.] Members of the Mogilev branch of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) believe that the real reason for the suspension was Garaipov's participation in a peaceful youth protest called "Time to Choose Now!" and the administration of the institute decided to teach a lesson to those students who are involved in opposition activities and are to appeal to the rector's decision in court. (Viasna Human Rights Center, December 21)

HEAD OF MAJOR OPPOSITION PARTY RE-ELECTED

During a party congress held on December 16, Vintsuk Viachorka was re-elected as the chair of the BPF Adradzhenne, Belarus's largest opposition party. Vyachorka, 40, a linguist and one of the Front's founders, was favored by 250 delegates while his leading opponent and deputy Viacheslav Sivchik, received 84 votes. The National Front, the largest of groups that oppose Lukashenko's rule, "must soon become a viable, competent party that the Belarusian people can entrust with their hopes for the future," Viachorka said. (Belapan, December 16)

OPPOSITION LEADER'S SON GOES ON TRIAL

The case of Alexander Chigir, the younger son of Mikhail Chigir, former prime minister and opposition leader, came to trial on December 19 in the Leninsky District Court of Minsk. Alexander, 25, a technical college graduate and car salesman for the past five years, was charged with setting up a car theft ring, an accusation he vehemently denied. He faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted. He said that the charges of "large-scale larceny committed by a group" under Art. 205 par. 4 of the Belarusian Penal Code, were trumped up to make him pay for his father's opposition to Lukashenko. Alexander was arrested at a car market on February 10, 2001, a day after his father declared his decision to run for president in the Sept. 9 controversial elections. Alexander Chigir was arrested along with Sergei Koleda and Vasily Bykov on charges of selling spare parts from stolen vehicles.

Alexander's mother, Julia Chigir, told reporters that the charge sheet had been tampered, and that the names of the victims and accomplices were not the same as those cited at the outset of the investigation. Julia Chigir said that her son saw one of his alleged accomplices for the first time in court during testimony. Alexander stands trial along with Anton Yashin and Dmitry Yutskevich, who said that during the investigation the authorities used illegal methods of obtaining testimonies (physical abuse, threats, and intimidation). (Nasha Svaboda, December 19)

- AT HOME IN BELARUS -

BELARUSIAN BUSINESSMEN CONTINUE TO MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEAR

Vecherniy Minsk reported that a 28-year-old head of the department of the inter-bank computation center disappeared in Minsk. Last month, a 41-year-old female accountant of Priorbank, a joint-stock company, left for work and never returned home. A deputy director of Atlant-Telecom, another private company, recently died in the emergency room of the #9 hospital in Minsk from a shot in the head [Victims of a government-run death squad were reportedly murdered in a similar manner.-Ed.]. According to an official investigation, the 30-year old man committed a suicide. (Vecherniy Minsk, December 18)

- BROTHER SLAVS-

EMBEZZLEMENT OF BUDGET MONEY OF RUSSIAN-BELARUS UNION

As a result of an audit conducted by the Audit Chamber of the Russian Federation and the State Control Committee of Belarus, embezzlement of budget money of the Russian-Belarus Union worth about $6m in 2000 and the first half of 2001 was revealed, Arkady Salikov, deputy chair of the Russia's State Control Committee, told journalists. According to Salikov, both the Union State and executive institutions of the two countries were involved in the fraud. The total budget of the Union was equal to about $74m in 2000 and about $80m in 2001. (RosBusinessConsulting Database, December 21)

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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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