INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

BELARUS UPDATE

Edited by Victor Cole

Vol. 5, No. 28

July 2002

IN THIS ISSUE:

- OSCE PA Denies Special Guest Status For Belarus

- Opposition Leader Charged With Defaming President

- Ten Opposition Activists Arrested In Grodno

- OSCE Demands Independent Inquiry In Case Of Missing Journalist

- Opposition Leader Jailed For Ten Days

- Artist Fined For Marking Official Holiday

- Court Upholds Decision To Freeze Narodnaya Volya Account

- Lukashenko Softens Anti-NATO View

- Will Putin Help Lukashenko Maintain Dictatorship?

- Consideration Of New Religion Law Postponed Until Fall

- Protesters Demand Restoration Of Demolished Synagogue

--HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS-

OSCE PA DENIES SPECIAL GUEST STATUS FOR BELARUS

On July 6-10, more than 300 parliamentarians from 55 OSCE participating states gathered at the German Bundestag in Berlin for the 11th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Delegations from both the Belarusian National Assembly (the nominal parliament) and the Consultative Council of the Belarusian Opposition Political Parties took part in the Assembly. A delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus, chaired by Sergei Gaidukevich, also participated in a gathering at the special invitation of the OSCE PA President Adrian Severin.

The parliamentarians unanimously adopted a statement dubbed the "Berlin Declaration" which focused on the political, economic and the human rights dimensions of the central session's central theme: "Confronting Terrorism: a Global Challenge in the 21st Century." Several other items were adopted, including resolutions on Belarus, Moldova, Southeast Europe, combating trafficking in human beings, anti-Semitic incidents in the OSCE region, and Roma education.

The parliamentarians expressed profound concerns that Belarus continues to fall short of the OSCE's standards with respect to free and fair election, rule of law, and human rights.
They urged the government of Belarus to co-operate with the OSCE and its institutions, including the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group (AMG) in facilitating compliance with OSCE commitments; to put an end to its self-imposed isolation, to carry out free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections in such a way that would correspond to the commitments assumed in the framework of this organization a long time ago. The AMG is essentially paralyzed at present, its staff denied visas to remain in Belarus.

The Belarus resolution also noted the delegations' concern regarding allegations that high-ranking Belarusian officials were apparently involved in the premeditated assassinations of prominent opposition figures and in the sales of lethal military equipment to rogue states.

The OSCE PA urged the Belarusian authorities to stop politically motivated assassinations and arrests and persecution of the independent media, NGOs and human rights activists, and to start a transparent investigation of the abductions or assassinations of the opposition leaders.

Of more than 300 delegates who took part in the vote, only 11 delegates (including the Russian representative) voted against the Belarus resolution, while 14 others abstained from voting.

The parliamentarians decided not to restore Belarus's special guest status unless and until the Belarusian government normalizes its relations with the OSCE. Twenty seven delegates supported this decision. Russian, Armenian, and Swiss parliamentarians voted against it. Nine delegates abstained from voting.

"The decision to shift to the next year the examination of the question whether Belarus will regain its special guest status shows the inability of this international organization to defend its own principles," Pavel Latushko, Foreign Ministry spokesman, told journalists on July 11. He warned that the Foreign Ministry is to issue another statement soon regarding the mandate of the OSCE AMG in Belarus.

The Assembly elected Bruce George, Chair of the British House of Commons Defense Committee, as the new president of OSCE PA for one year term. He succeeds Adrian Severin of Romania who has served the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly for the past two years. (OSCE/ Viasna Human Rights Center/ Itar-Tass, July 8-11)

OPPOSITION LEADER CHARGED WITH LIBEL OVER ARMS SALES

Anatoly Lebedko, chair of the United Civic Party, was charged by state prosecutors on July 12 with "defamation of the Belarusian President" under Art. 367 of the Belarusian Penal Code. In an article titled "Return What Is Stolen!" the opposition leader raised allegations from domestic and international critics that Lukashenko is continually defying international law by supplying Iraq and other "rogue" states and terrorist regimes with high quality military equipment in order to obtain hard currency. "The allegations made by Anatoly Lebedko are false and insulting to the Belarusian president. We have sufficient evidence to charge him with violating Art. 367 of the Criminal Code," the prosecutor's office said in a statement released to the press.

Lebedko, who just returned from Berlin where he took part in the opposition's delegation to the 11th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, told reporters in Minsk that the legal action is an attempt to "stop his political activities." "It's common knowledge that the Belarusian authorities has been delivering weapons for years to anti-democratic regimes," he said. "The trade is under Lukashenko's control, and anyone who stands in his way is condemned out of hand," Lebedko added. Earlier this moth, the Belarusian Ministry of Justice ordered an audit of the Party's activities. (Belapan, July 12)

TEN OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS ARRESTED IN GRODNO

Ten opposition activists were detained July 8 by police for holding an unauthorized action "Chain of People Who Care" on Sovetskaya Street in Grodno to mark the two-year anniversary of the disappearance of Dmitry Zavadsky, a Belarusian cameraman for the Russian public television station ORT, and demanding an international investigation into his disappearance. The arrests started after a Polish TV crew left the scene. Svetlana Nekh, deputy chair of the Grodno branch of Maladaya Hramada, an organization of the Young Social-Democrats; Yury Istomin and Dmitry Ivanovsky, both leaders of the local branch of the United Civic Party; Vladimir Chervonenko, head of the Grodno branch of the Youth wing of the United Civic Party; Irina Danilovskaya and Nikolai Voron, both members of the BPF Adradzhenne; Victor Babkin, Oleg Salonikov, Igor Korikov, and Victor Kakareko, all activists of the United Civic Party, were taken to a police station for questioning and charged with violation of Art. 167, par. 1 ("participation in mass actions violating public order") of the Belarusian Administrative Offences Code.

On July 10, Judge Bovsuk of the Leninsky District Court of Grodno fined Vladimir Chervonenko BYR 200,000 (about $115). The trials of other activists were postponed. (Belapan/ Viasna Human Rights Center, July 8-10)

OSCE DEMANDS INDEPENDENT INQUIRY IN CASE OF MISSING JOURNALIST

Freimut Duve, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, once again expressed his dismay that, after two years, many questions about Dmitry Zavadsky remain unanswered. On July 8, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media called upon the Belarusian authorities to permit an independent inquiry to conclusively identify all responsible parties involved in Zavadsky's disappearance.

On July 16, the Belarusian Supreme Court is to consider an appeal filed by Zavadsky's relatives, who requested further investigation into his disappearance. Olga and Svetlana Zavadsky insist that a trial of Valery Ignatovich and Maksim Malik, two men charged with Dmitry's abduction, among other crimes, and sentenced to life imprisonment, shed no light on what happened to his fate. They believes that the court failed to prove that Ignatovich and Malik are guilty of kidnapping the journalist. These doubts are founded on several violations of basic rules of judicial procedure and also on contradictory and confusing testimonies. (OSCE, Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, July 9)

OPPOSITION LEADER JAILED FOR 10 DAYS

On July 5, Prof. Yury Khadyka, 62, deputy chair of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) Adradzhenne, was arrested by police near his house and taken to the Okrestina detention center to serve his term for taking part in the March 24 Freedom March in Grodno to mark the 84th anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic. On April 8, Khadyka was sentenced to ten days' imprisonment under Art. 167, par. 1 ("participation in mass actions violating public order") by the Leninsky District Court of Grodno.

"Prof. Khadyka's imprisonment; the conviction of Mikalai Markevich, the editor-in-chief of the independent weekly newspaper Pahonya, and of Pavel Mazheika, a journalist for the same newspaper; the prosecution of Victor Ivashkevich, editor-in-chief of the Rabochy (Worker) newspaper; and the cruel beating of artist Ales Pushkin only prove that the regime hates freedom of expression and independent thinking," commented Vintsuk Vyachorka, chair of the BPF Adradzhenne. "But we are not afraid." (The BPF Adradzhenne Press Service, July 8)

ARTIST FINED FOR MARKING OFFICIAL HOLIDAY WITH PERFORMANCE

On July 9, Judge Reutskaya of the Moskovsky District Court of Minsk charged Ales Pushkin, a Belarusian artist and a member of the BPF Adradzhenne, with disobedience to the police under Art. 166 of the Belarusian Administrative Offences Code and fined him six minimal wages (about $35). On July 3, the day celebrated in Belarus as the Day of the Republic, Pushkin was arrested in Minsk for performing a skit about the country's liberation from Nazi invaders. The artist was thrown on the ground, handcuffed and severely beaten up by four policemen. While attempting to defend himself, he spilled a paint on the law-enforcers. (Viasna Human Rights Center, July 10)

COURT UPHOLDS DECISION TO FREEZE NARODNAYA VOLYA ACCOUNT

On July 8, Judge Inna Yablikova of the Minsk City Court upheld the decision of Judge Gracheva of the Leninsky District Court of Minsk, to freeze the bank account of the independent Belarusian newspaper "Narodnaya Volya" in connection with a legal action against the newspaper to be considered on July 29. The court's actions against the newspaper are the result of defamation charges brought by two local judges. In one issue, Narodnaya Volya carried an article, which, the judges maintain tarnished their reputation. They are seeking BYR 5 million (about $2,825) in damages. Iosif Seredich, Narodnaya Volya's editor-in-chief, insists that under the country's press law, the editorial board may not share the author's viewpoint and, therefore, the account was frozen unlawfully. He is appealed the ruling. In an interview with RFE/RL, Seredich said that this judgment is yet further evidence that pressure on the remaining independent media in Belarus is growing. (Charter 97, July 9)

-AT HOME IN BELARUS-

LUKASHENKO SOFTENS ANTI-NATO VIEW?

Speaking at a July 10 meeting of the Belarusian Security Council, Alexander Lukashenko said that in the face of Russia's new agreement with NATO, which brings the former Cold War foes closer, as well as Ukraine's bid to join the alliance, his government will have to "modify certain parts of the country's foreign policy." The Belarusian leader added that it was time "to evaluate the role of Belarus under the conditions of military-political and Euro-Atlantic integration and to determine its basic approaches to further cooperation with NATO." He stressed that Belarus had not changed its basic opposition to NATO expansion: "Belarus cannot all of a sudden change its policy--as if because the situation changed--Russia and Ukraine have ran to NATO, so we should run after them." Comparing the situation to the World War II, Lukashenko said that Belarus should not become "a buffer zone" between blocs or countries as it was between Nazi-controlled Europe and the Soviet Union.

- BROTHER SLAVS-

WILL PUTIN HELP LUKASHENKO TO MAINTAIN DICTATORSHIP?

For years the United States and most European governments have condemned and isolated Alexander Lukashenko, but to little effect, says The Washington Post in a July 8 editorial. The Belarusian leader needs little from the West, either economically or politically. Though wretchedly poor, Belarus has been able to limp through the past decade thanks to massive subsidies from Russia. Both of Russia's post-Communist presidents, Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, have found it convenient to preserve the Lukashenko regime. Putin stood by last September while Lukashenko blatantly rigged a presidential election to extend his term in office. The Russian government did not act on abundant evidence that Lukashenko was murdering his political foes.

Now, at last, Putin is suggesting a change of policy. Twice in the past few weeks he has publicly condemned Lukashenko's fondest scheme: the construction of a union between Belarus and Russia in which Minsk would have equal weight with Moscow. If the two countries really were to join, Belarus would have to give up its sovereignty or accept a limited partnership along the lines of the European Union, Putin said. Putin declared publicly that Lukashenko's plan -- which allows him to dream of someday ruling from the Kremlin -- is "legalistic nonsense."

But now that he has popped Lukashenko's bubble, Putin has the chance to demonstrate that he genuinely shares the values and interests of the Western democracies by joining in their effort to end a dictatorship that, without Russia, would have collapsed long ago, the newspaper suggested. Belarusian activists and Russian lawmakers reported last week that Putin had agreed to take up the cases of Lukashenko's disappeared opponents; that would be an excellent way to start, the paper concluded.

-RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN BELARUS-

CONSIDERATION OF NEW RELIGION LAW POSTPONED UNTIL FALL

On June 28, the Council of the Republic, the upper chamber of the Belarusian National Assembly, refused to consider the text of the Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations, which one day earlier had been adopted by the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Lukashenko's hand-picked nominal parliament. "The bill was not on the agenda of the Council, and the deputies did not have time to acquaint themselves with its text," explained Anatoly Novikov, an official of the upper chamber's Commission for Social Questions, which is now handling the bill. Novikov said that the text of the law, which enshrines the Russian Orthodox Church's dominant role and sharply limits the activities of religions that have been present in Belarus for less than 20 years, will be considered in the autumn session, which begins on October 2.

Representatives of the Belarusian Orthodox Church expressed their disappointment that the consideration of the law has been postponed until fall. "We hoped the law would be adopted during this session," Andrei Petrashkevich, spokesman for Metropolitan Filaret, the Russian Orthodox Church's leader in Belarus, told Keston. "Unfortunately it was not," he added. Petrashkevich declined to comment on the content of the bill, claiming that it had support from "all the traditional faiths, the Orthodox, the Catholics, the Lutherans, the Jews and the Muslims." He said that only the "neo-Protestants" and the "new religious movements" were unhappy with it.

If signed by the president, the new law would be the most repressive religion law in the CIS, except for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It would outlaw unregistered religious activity, introduce compulsory prior censorship for all religious literature. Publishing, education and charitable activity would be restricted to faiths that had ten registered communities in 1982; there would be a ban on all but occasional, small religious meetings in private homes. Art. 13 of the draft requires the leaders of all religious organizations to be citizens of Belarus.

On July 1, Bishop Nikolai Sinkovets of the Baptist Union, Bishop Sergei Khomich of the Pentecostal Union, Alexander Sakovich of the Full Gospel Association, and Moisei Ostrovsky of the Adventist Church, wrote to Lukashenko expressing their bewilderment at the hasty adoption of the bill by the House of Representatives and requesting a meeting to discuss the situation. "We believe that certain politicians want to adopt this law-- which would lead only to conflicts and disputes--without serious and balanced discussion and without taking into account the reality of the religious situation in our country," wrote the Protestant leaders in the letter. (Keston News Service July 1)

PROTESTERS DEMAND RESTORATION OF DEMOLISHED SYNAGOGUE

About 30 protesters gathered on Bangalore Square in Minsk late on July 9, demanding the restoration of a 19th-century synagogue in downtown Minsk demolished last September despite protests by the Jewish community. The synagogue, built in 1897, was closed by the Soviet authorities in the 1930s. During the Nazi occupation it was part of Minsk's Jewish ghetto and housed Jews from many European countries. After the war, the building served as studios for leading Belarusian artists.

"A 19th century architectural landmark was destroyed to build homes for a handful of rich people. We have petitioned Alexander Lukashenko four times respectfully urging him to intervene but he failed to respond," said Volga Vecher, one of the demonstrators. Yakov Gutman, president of the World Association of Belarusian Jewry, distributed an open letter to the leaders of the U.S., Russia and Israel, asking them to pressure Belarusian authorities to restore the synagogue. "A wave of extremism and anti-Semitism is rushing through the Belarusian land," Gutman wrote in the letter. "What the Belarusian authorities have done can only be compared to the destruction of the statues of Buddha in Afghanistan," he said in an interview to Belapan. Jewish groups were joined at the protest by residents of the building next door and by Belarusian artists. (Belapan, July 10)

************************************************************************

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.

************************************************************************

Back