INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

BELARUS UPDATE
Edited by Victor Cole

Vol. 5, No. 13
March 2002

IN THIS ISSUE:

- Andrei Klimov Released, Vows To Continue Resistance
- Police Break Up Freedom Day March In Minsk
- 24 Activists Arrested In Grodno
- Two Local Activists Detained For Political Graffiti
- Five Policemen Sentenced For Torturing Detainees
- Relatives Of Abducted Cameraman Appeal To Supreme Court
- CPJ: In 2001 Regime Continued His Assault On Independent Press
- Lukashenko Orders State TV To Mount Propaganda Pressure

--HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS-

ANDREI KLIMOV RELEASED, VOWS TO CONTINUE RESISTANCE

On March 25, following the decision of the Tsentralny District Court in Minsk, Andrei Klimov, a prominent businessman and opposition figure, was released from a forced-labor colony after spending four years in imprisonment.

Klimov, owner of a construction firm and a deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet,
was arrested in February 1998, on the same day that he was expected to hand out a report by members of the disbanded 13th Supreme Soviet recording violations of laws and the Constitution by the Belarusian authoritarian ruler. In March 2000, after more than two years in pre-trial detention and a controversial eight-month trial, Judge Vera Tupik of the Leninsky District Court of Minsk found him guilty of large-scale embezzlement and forgery and sentenced him to six years of imprisonment.

Klimov was released for "good behavior" after completing two thirds of his six year sentence, court officials said. His release conditions require him to serve the rest of his term doing compulsory labor with a fraction of his income deducted to cover the damages.

After being greeted by his wife and three children, Klimov told reporters he had been "changed, but not broken" by his four years in prison. "My incarceration was politically motivated," he said. Klimov stressed that he intended to resume political activities in the United Civic Party. "The Belarusian regime relies on fear and prisons. I know its strong points, but I have also seen its weaknesses. Now I know how to fight it," Klimov said.

Klimov told a news conference shortly after his release that his conviction was the result of a political struggle between former lawmakers who are in opposition to the authorities and the current regime which could not beat its political opponents in any other way. The deputy said he had received many letters from supporters abroad. "If it had not been for these people, and international organizations and the Belarus opposition movement, I would not have been released in 100 years," he said.

The U.S. State Department, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and many other international organizations have called on the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko to release Klimov. "The authorities want to gain goodwill from the international community by releasing a political prisoner. But they only did so under pressure," commented Anatoly Lebedko, chair of the opposition United Civic Party. (Nasha Svaboda/ Interfax/ Belapan, March 25)

POLICE BREAK UP FREEDOM DAY MARCH IN MINSK

An estimated 2,000 people took to the streets in Minsk on March 24 to mark the 84th anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic (BNR) and to press for greater political and economic rights. The city authorities had prohibited the march, organized by the Belarusian Popular Front Adradzhenne and the Malady (Youth) Front, and took all possible measures to prevent it. When the crowd, chanting "Long live Belarus!", "Motherland! Freedom! Down with bastard Lukashenko!" and waving banned red-and-white national flags, began heading toward Yakub Kolas Square to lay flowers at the writer's monument, the anti-riot police blocked its way. After negotiations between the action's organizers of the protest and the law-enforcers, all the white-red-white flags were taken away, and the column was allowed to march along the pavement to Yakub Kolas Square escorted by the police.

At approximately 1:40 p.m., when the demonstrators reached the intersection of Varvasheni Street and Skaryna Avenue, special police forces with helmets and shields ordered them to stop. After several minutes of confrontation, the police started hunting down marchers and throwing them into eight police vehicles. Many protesters were brutally beaten with truncheons and kicked by police. One of the marchers was knocked unconscious.

According to Alexsey Shein, press secretary of the BPF Adradzhenne, about eighty protesters were detained. Among them were Ludmila Gryaznova, a deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet; Pavel Severinets, leader of the Malady Front; Valery Schukin, a correspondent for Narodnaya Volya and deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet, and his 16-year-old granddaughter; Vyacheslav Sivchik, deputy chair of the BPF Adradzhenne; Yury Palchevsky, secretary of the BPF Adradzhenne; Dmitry Bondarenko, coordinator of Charter 97; Irma Tabusheva, activist of the BPF Adradzhenne; Timofey Dranchuk, member of the youth movement Zubr; Victor Dashkevich, a member of the Malady Front; Sergei Trifonov; Natalya and Gregory Kiykos, Yury Zenkovich, Dmitry Karpenko, Kiril Popkov, Victor Kaveshnikov, Andrei Liakhovich, Sergei Novikov, Sergei Bbezdenezhnykh, Dmitry Tarulis, Aleksey Smolski, Valery Gerasimov, Levon Sadovsky, Petr Rusakov, Alexander Shevelenko, Andrei Tolstiko, Eduard Zaikovsky, Vladimir Ignatovich, Nikolai Lovitsky, Andrei Gamin, Andrei Achepovsky, Elena Reshetnikova, Sergei Borisov, Anna Yarova, Andrei Egorov, Eugenia Pikul, Anatoly Prasalovich , Denis Nosov, Ella Nekrashevich, Irina Shershen, Mikhail and Sergei Gvozdevs, Oksana Okhremchuk, Valentina Vushina, Sergei Lisakov, Anna Sivchik, Svetlana Yakusheva, Arkady Pertsovsky and others. Representatives of the human rights NGOs reported that police continued beatings of detainees inside the police buses.

Fifty four activists were brought to the Tsentralny and the Sovetsky District Internal Affairs Directorates. Some demonstrators, who were arrested at the intersection of Varvasheni Street and Skaryna Avenue, were set free on the way to the Directorate. About fifteen protesters, primarily old women, were detained on Yakub Kolas Square for singing Belarusian national songs. Four Zubr activists were detained before the beginning of the march.

Among the arrested were eight journalists including Dmitry Fedosenko, a Reuters' photo correspondent; Dmitry Savka, reporter of Radio Racyja and his 13-year old son Vladimir, Sergei Grits, a correspondent of the Associated Press; an ITAR-TASS photo correspondent. The journalists were forbidden to inform their editorial offices, their relatives or friends about their detention and released several hours later. Law enforcers destroyed video and audio tapes taken into custody.

Police officials said 59 activists were detained. Old women, minors, and journalists were released shortly. Twenty five protesters were transferred to the Okrestina detention center, where they spent the night.

At 2 p.m., another demonstration began, organized by the Conservative Christian Party of the Belarusian Popular Front. About 400 party's activists, marched from Independent Square toward the Presidential Administration on Oktyabrskaya Square singing Belarusian national songs. The demonstrators demanded the resignation of Lukashenko, denounced his pro-Russian policies and protested numerous human rights violations and falling living standards. At the intersection of Lenin Street and Skaryna Avenue, the column was stopped by the law-enforcement agents and ordered to disperse. No arrests were reported.

On March 25, twenty four detainees were taken to the Tsentralny District Court. Dmitry Karpenko, an activist of the United Civic Party, was brutally beaten by Lieutenant Colonel of OMON Podobed while in detention and taken to the 4th hospital of Minsk with brain concussion. Judge Natalya Voitsekhovich sentenced Victor Dashkevich and Victor Kaveshnikov to ten days of imprisonment at the Okrestina detention center under Art. 167, par. 1 (participation in mass actions violating public order). Dmitry Tarulis, Valery Gerasimov, Levon Sadovsky, Petr Rusakov and Aleksey Smolski were fined 20 minimal wages (about $120) each. Alexander Shevelenko, Sergei Trifonov, Andrei Liakhovich, Andrei Tolstiko, Sergei Bbezdenezhnykh and Nikolai Lovitsky received warnings.

The next day, Pavel Severinets was sentenced to 15 days in jail as one of the key-organizer of the march. Judge Natalya Voitsekhovich insisted that Severinets deserves such a severe punishment because he had been convicted of the same offence three times within the last 12 months. According to Sergei Tsurko, a human rights advocate, the law-enforcers knew that Severinets will be sentenced to prison way before the judge announced the sentence. Six other activists were warned.

On March 28, Vyacheslav Sivchik, deputy chair of the BPF Adradzhenne, was sentenced to 15 days' imprisonment. Kiril Popkov, Elena Reshetnikova, and Yury Palchevsky were warned. Trials of other activists were postponed. (Nasha Svaboda/ Viasna Human Rights Center/Charter97/ Belapan/ RFE/RL, March 24-29)

24 ACTIVISTS ARRESTED IN GRODNO

The Freedom March in Grodno resulted in arrests of 24 activists, including Yury Khadyka, deputy chair of the BPF Adradzhenne; Sergei Malchik, leader of the Grodno branch of the BPF Adradzhenne; Vadim Saranchoukov, leader of the local branch of the Malady Front; Svetlana Nekh, deputy chair of the Grodno branch of Maladaya Hramada, an organization of the Young Social-Democrats; Evgeny Lugin, former chair of the Grodno branch of the Peasant's Party; Andrei Pachobut, a correspondent of Glos Znad Niemna and Trybuna, Polish newspapers; Alesia Sidlarevich of Pahonya, an opposition newspaper closed by the authorities in November 2001; Victor Sazonov, chair of the Grodno branch of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party; Dmitry Ivanovsky, Eduard Dmukhovsky, Mikhail Patreba, Nikolai Voron, Oleg Zavadsky, Oleg Lapekha, Alesia Sidlarevich, Regina Stankute, Andrei Shustovsky, Nikolai Lemenovsky, Aleksey Kucher, Evgeny Shabunko, Roman Romashka, Maksim Lebedev, and others. Two reporters were shortly released. Saranchoukov and five minor detainees were reportedly beaten up by the police.

On March 26, Judge Dmitry Demchenko of the Leninsky District court of Grodno
warned Roman Romashka and Mikhail Patreba. The next day, Vadim Saranchoukov was charged with violation of Art. 166 (disobedience to the police) and Art. 167, par. 1 (participation in mass actions violating public order) and sentenced to ten days of imprisonment. Nikolai Lemenovsky received heavy fine in the amount of 1,500,000 BYB (about $ 880) for addressing the picketers near the monument to Tadeush Kastushka. Victor Sazonov and Maksim Lebedev were fined 20 minimal wages (about $120) each. On March 28, Svetlana Nekh was fined 500,000 (about $295). (Belapan/ Nasha Svaboda/ RFE/RL/ Interfax/ Radio Racyja, March 24-29)

TWO LOCAL ACTIVISTS DETAINED FOR POLITICAL GRAFFITI

On March 26, Maxim Dvoretsky and Andrei Zaitsev, both Zubr activists, were detained in downtown Mogilev for painting graffiti "Can't Live Like This Anymore!" The activists spent the night at the police station and the next morning charged with petty hooliganism under Art. 156 of the Administrative Offences Code. They are to stand trial soon. (Viasna Human Rights Center, March 26)

FIVE POLICEMEN SENTENCED FOR TORTURING DETAINEES

On March 26, four victims of police brutality celebrated their victory at the Oktyabrsky District Court of Minsk. Judge Margarita Rishtovskaya charged Vladimir Kramsaev, Sergei Burdyka, Oleg Danchenko, and Alexander Yerofeev, all former police officers of the Pervomaisky District Internal Affairs Directorate of Minsk, with abuse of power and office (Art. 424, par 1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code) for torturing and inhumane treatment of detainees. Nikolai Lipsky was accused of violating Art 205, par 1 (theft) and Art. 210, par 2 (embezzlement committed repeatedly or by a group the by the abuse of power) of the Criminal code. Kramsaev, Lipsky, and Burdyka were sentenced to six, four and a half, and four years in a hard labor colony, respectively. Danchenko and Yerofeev received three years sentences each suspended for two years. (Belapan, March 26)

RELATIVES OF ABDUCTED CAMERAMAN APPEAL TO SUPREME COURT

On March 25, relatives of journalist Dmitry Zavadsky, ORT cameraman who disappeared two years ago, filed an appeal with the Belarusian Supreme Court, requesting further investigation into his disappearance. Sergei Tsurko, a lawyer for Zavadsky's wife, Svetlana, insists that a trial of men charged with his abduction, among other crimes, and sentenced to life imprisonment, shed no light on what happened to Zavadsky after the abduction. "Dmitry's fate is not clear and we are not at all certain that those who had been convicted are really those who abducted him," Tsurko said. "We are contesting the conviction for we think that the evidence was obtained in violation of the code of criminal procedures," he added. Tsurko believes that the court failed to prove that Valery Ignatovich and Maksim Malik are guilty of kidnapping the journalist. He said that the judge based his decision on evidence presented, said to be found in Ignatorvich's car, of a blood-stained shovel allegedly used by the abductors. At the same time, the case materials do not specify how or where it was used. (Viasna Human Rights Center, March 28)

CPJ: IN 2001 REGIME CONTINUED HIS ASSAULT ON INDEPENDENT PRESS

On March 26, 2002, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released its annual survey of press freedom conditions around the world titled "Attacks on the Press in 2001." The report documented more than 500 cases of media repression in 140 countries, including 37 deaths and 118 new jailings in addition to assaults, censorship and legal harassment. After September 11, governments around the world invoked "national security" to seek new restrictions on the press, said CPJ executive director Ann Cooper.

The report presents an overview of each region of the world, summaries of each nation within the region, and details of individual cases within each nation. In the overview for Europe and Central Asia, it says the prospect of broad press freedoms that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union a decade ago has faded in much of the post-communist world. It says a considerable decline in press freedom conditions in Russia, along with the stranglehold authoritarian leaders have imposed on the media in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, put journalists on the defense across the region. Seven journalists in the region were killed last year in retaliation for their reporting.

Following are excerpts from the report regarding Belarus:

"President Alexander Lukashenko continued his assault on the independent and opposition press in Belarus. Lukashenko managed to cling to power in September 9 presidential elections amid charges of human rights violations and electoral fraud. The government made little progress in the case of Dmitry Zavadsky, a cameraman who disappeared in July 2000, while independent publications faced harassment, censorship, seizure, and closure for criticizing the regime."

The complete 612-page report is available on CPJ's website at www.cpj.org

- AT HOME IN BELARUS-

LUKASHENKO ORDERS STATE TV TO MOUNT PROPAGANDA PRESSURE

On March 25, during a meeting with the management of the Belarusian State TV and Radio Company, Alexander Lukashenko criticized the national television and radio channels for the lack of "consistent and competent state ideology." "The results of the 2000 parliamentary and 2001 presidential elections have shown that there are opportunities in Belarus for effective counteraction against tendentious reports by foreign electronic media," said Lukashenko. Unfortunately, a lot of what was justified and what worked well during the last two election campaigns has been lost. The quality of political and counter propaganda broadcasting has substantially declined lately," he continued.

The Belarusian leader demanded that "extreme measures" be taken to "withstand pressure" from the West and to make sure that the population is provided with "objective information" about the current political events in the country and abroad. He once again accused "foreign sponsors" of helping "ideologists of the Belarusian opposition" to create and impose on people various "myths oriented toward weakening Belarusian statehood and undermining socio-economic stability." Lukashenko ordered Yegor Rybakov, chair of the Belarusian State TV and Radio Company, to "work day and night" to improve the quality of its broadcasting. (BBC, March 26)

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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.

Visitor our website at www.ilhr.org and Belarus portal site at www.belarusupdate.org

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