INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

BELARUS UPDATE

Edited by Victor Cole

Vol. 5, No. 34

August 2002

IN THIS ISSUE:

- Lukashenko Unleashes New Campaign Of Repression

- U.S. Wants To See Change In Belarus

- Russian Terms For New Union Insult Lukashenko

- Youth Opposition Group Slams Putin's Union Proposal

- Twelve Krishna Followers Detained In Minsk

- Lukashenko Invites Pope And Russian Patriarch To Belarus

- HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS-

LUKASHENKO UNLEASHES NEW CAMPAIGN OF REPRESSION

At a time when Alexander Lukashenko is more isolated internationally than ever, he seems determined to respond not with reforms but with his most serious campaign of repression against the democratic opposition, wrote Susan B. Glasser, a staff member of The Washington Post Foreign Service. The article is based on interviews with Belarusian opposition leaders, Western diplomats, and independent observers.

"For seven years, under this same president, we never suffered as much as this year," said Zhanna Litvina, president of the Belarusian Association of Journalists. "We are being paid back for our position during the presidential election. Lukashenko promised revenge, and now he is carrying it out."

"It [the human rights situation] is much worse than before the elections," commented Yuri Khashchevatsky, a documentary filmmaker who suffered two broken legs when he was attacked several years ago after his biting satire of Lukashenko, "An Ordinary President," appeared. "They [the government] are trying to finally destroy those structures of the opposition that still exist."

"Lukashenko understands he is facing more problems after the elections than before," said Amb. Andrei Sannikov, international coordinate of Charter 97, a civic movement. "The only way he knows how to deal with these problems is to tighten control, to get rid of all independent voices."

Vladimir Goncharik, leader of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus who challenged Lukashenko in the last year presidential elections, noted that "in political life there are purges -- zachistki -- just like in Chechnya," a reference to the widely criticized roundups of civilians conducted by Russian soldiers in the breakaway region. After the election, Goncharik was forced out of the trade union federation he headed and couldn't find another job in Belarus; he now works in Moscow.

"The bolts," said Valentina Polevikova, Goncharik's election campaign manager, "have been tightened as never before." For Polevikova, who also chairs Nadzeya, the Belarusian Women's Party, the apparent revenge has been especially personal. Like Goncharik, she was forced to leave her job at the trade union federation late last year. Polevikova's husband was found drenched in blood and lying under a tree at 4 a.m. one recent morning after being severely beaten by mysterious assailants. Now, she told Glasser, the authorities are trying to take over Nadzeya, threatening her supporters. "One-third of my party are union activists, and the union has already been grabbed by Lukashenko," she said. "So now they are threatening these workers."

Nowhere has the recent crackdown been more apparent than in the independent press, Glasser continued. The criminal code is being used to prosecute journalists for insulting the president. "One by one, we are losing our independent newspapers," said Alexei Korol, leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party and the editor- in- chief of Zgoda (The Concord), a Minsk-based independent newspaper, whose office was burglarized in early August. (The Washington Post, August 19)

U.S. WANTS TO SEE CHANGE OF COURSE IN BELARUS

Although the current state of relations between the United States and Belarus is "very poor," the relationship could be improved if the Lukashenko regime takes "some significant, real steps in the area of political liberalization," Amb. Steven Pifer, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, said during a digital video conference (DVC) with journalists in Minsk held on August 12.

"Possibly this would be lifting the climate of repression, an end of the pressure on the independent media, an end of the pressure on non-governmental organizations," said Pifer.

"If the Lukashenko regime was prepared to take these steps, we would be prepared in parallel to take steps to improve the U.S.-Belarusian relationship," he said. However, the United States sees "no willingness on the part of the Belarusian government to engage."

Pifer added that "the actions of the last five months have only increased our concerns about the state of play of democracy in Belarus. We see continuing pressure on non-governmental organizations and the independent media; we see the effort by the Lukashenko regime to close the OSCE mission in Minsk. The perception here is that the Lukashenko regime is taking Belarus into greater isolation from the reform trends that are sweeping Europe."

The U.S. official expressed concern that some actions of the Belarusian government, particularly in the area of arms control, have raised "questions as to whether the regime has made the right decision in terms of which side it is going to be on in the struggle against terrorism."

The United States hopes Russia will "use her influence with Belarus because we think that a reforming Russia would want to have a reforming Belarus as its neighbor," Pifer said.

"We believe that Russia, which is moving very strongly down the path of reform, ought to be concerned by the fact that Belarus is not only not moving down the reform path, but in some ways appears to be moving backwards," he added.

As for the U.S.-Belarus economic relationship, Pifer pointed out some factors that make the business and investment climate in Belarus "so difficult," and also said that "as long as the democratic and human rights situation in Belarus is so difficult, that, too, is a very big disincentive that discourages American investors from looking at Belarus."

Placing the blame for the current state of affairs squarely on the Lukashenko regime, Pifer said the United States has seen "zero readiness" to pursue the path to improved relations proposed by the United States in February 2002.

"The U.S. Government is not pleased with this state of affairs. We would like to see this relationship changed; we would like to see a change of course by the Lukashenko regime. And we think that there is a path that the Lukashenko regime could move down if it wished to, in fact, change matters, but this is really a decision that rests in Minsk," Pifer said. The transcript of DVC with Amb. Pifer is available at:
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/washfile/rights.shtml

RUSSIAN TERMS FOR NEW UNION INSULT BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT

Alexander Lukashenko angrily rejected the August 21 terms proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin for a new union between the two countries. The proposal suggesting to integrate Belarus into Russia and adopt the Russian constitution is an "insult," said Lukashenko during a meeting with regional Russian officials. "Even Lenin and Stalin did not go so far as trying to dissolve Belarus and making it a part of Russia," the Belarusian leader fumed. But the only alternative offered by Putin was a loose alliance based on the European Union, in which each country preserves its full independence.

Many international and domestic observers believe the Belarusian leader is eyeing closer union with Russia as a way of rescuing his country from its precarious economic situation, and preventing the unpredictable public outbursts. The move came amid continuing efforts by the Lukashenko authorities to nationalize much of the country's infrastructure. The talks have been further clouded by a Belarus court decision to suspend the operational license of a Russian state-run pipeline operator that carries about a third of all gasoline and diesel refined in Russia across Belarus to European markets. (Belapan/ August 21)

YOUTH OPPOSITION GROUP SLAMS PUTIN'S UNION PROPOSAL

It is rare for Lukashenko and the democratic opposition to share a point of view about anything. About 20 members of Zubr, the youth opposition movement, held an unauthorized picket near the Russian embassy in Minsk on August 19, protesting President Putin's suggestion that the two countries could swiftly merge, with Russia effectively absorbing Belarus. The activists unfurled a banner reading "Independent Belarus Lives!" and tore up pictures of Putin. Alexander Golub, Sergei Pezkin, and Igor Zakrevski were detained by the police and brought to the Okrestina detention center. On August 21, judge Tatiana Pavliuchuk of the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk charged the activists with violation of Art. 167, par. 2 ("participation in mass actions violating public order") of the Belarusian Administrative Offences Code and sentenced Golub to five days' and Pezkin and Zakrevski to ten days' imprisonment. Protesting the court's decisions, Pezkin and Zakrevski went on a hunger strike. (Viasna Human Rights Center, August 22)

- RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN BELARUS-

TWELVE KRISHNA FOLLOWERS DETAINED IN MINSK

Twelve members of the unregistered Hindu Shiva-Sakti community, the Light of Kailash, were arrested by the police for holding two unauthorized pickets on August 17 at the intersection of Frantsysk Skaryna Avenue and Lenin Street and on Oktyabrskaya Square in Minsk, Russian news agencies reported. Wearing black traditional garments and holding placards that read: "No to State Orthodox Terror," "Freedom for Religious Minorities," and "Hands off Religious Minorities," the believers demanded to stop harassment of religious minorities and to register their community. Speaking through a megaphone, police officers repeatedly announced that the demonstration had not been authorized. Unwilling to leave the place, the protesters sat down on the pavement. They were dragged into the police buses and taken to the Tsentralny District Internal Affairs Directorate.

"Although the country's Constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, the Lukashenko regime restricts this right in practice," said Tatiana Akadanova, the community's leader, to a Belapan correspondent. "Under such circumstances we are forced to appeal to society." Akadanova said that the Minsk City Executive Committee ignored the group's application to stage a picket.

On July 13, a group of 19 Hindu followers attempting to hold a peaceful procession to a park to meditate were arrested by police at the park near a textile factory in Minsk. They were charged with staging an unauthorized demonstration and held at the Okrestina detention center for two days. (Interfax/ Itar-Tass/ Belapan, August 17-21)

LUKASHENKO INVITES POPE AND RUSSIAN PATRIARCH TO BELARUS

Alexander Lukashenko professed himself willing to host a historic meeting between the Roman Catholic Pope John Paul II and Russian Patriarch Alexey II. "I think that soon enough I will be able to welcome them in Belarus, and I would like for the Roman Catholic leader and our patriarch to meet here," Lukashenko said in comments broadcast by the state TV late on August 22. "We have Orthodox people as well as Catholics here," Lukashenko added.

Alexey II, head of Russia's Orthodox Church, has had longstanding differences with Pope John Paul II over alleged Roman Catholic proselytism in predominantly Orthodox territories. The relations between the Holy See and the Moscow Patriarchate have further deteriorated after the Vatican upgraded its presence in Russia by setting up four new dioceses in February. The Russian Orthodox Church sees the Pope's visit to any of its traditional territories as an affront to Orthodox Christianity, which split from what is now the Roman Catholic Church in 1054. Though proposed on several occasions, the idea of a meeting between the pope and the Russian patriarch has met with fierce opposition from Moscow. (Belapan/ Charter 97, August 23)

- AT HOME IN BELARUS-

U.S. DELIVERS MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO HOSPITAL IN GOMEL

The United States Embassy in Minsk delivered medical supplies and equipment to the Gomel City Hospital of Emergency Medicine on August 5. The shipment consisted of 2,128 pieces of medical equipment, supplies and furniture with an estimated value of $57,000. The donation was made possible through the humanitarian assistance budget of the United States European Command (EUCOM). The United States Department of Defense also has finished renovations at the Gomel Emergency Hospital Blood Transfusion Clinic. The joint project between the Gomel Regional Government and EUCOM, which was completed in July 2001, involved the complete renovation of a century-old building belonging to the Gomel Emergency Hospital. The United States donated $463,000 towards the renovation of the building. The EUCOM has allocated an additional $190,000 for the purpose of renovating a second historic building on the grounds of the Gomel City Hospital of Emergency Medicine. The United States government hopes that this and other contributions will help Belarus develop its medical infrastructure and thus improve its ability to care for its people. (Information Resource Center of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, August 22)

- CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS -

September 9-19- -OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting

September 16- - -Third anniversary of the disappearance of Gonchar and Krasovsky
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The Belarus Update is a weekly news bulletin of the Belarus Human Rights Support Project of the International League for Human Rights (www.ilhr.org). The League, now in its 61st year, is New York-based human rights NGO in consultative status with the United Nations ECOSOC. Visit our website for back issues, analysis, and links to news sites and NGOs in Belarus: www.belarusupdate.org For queries on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or other information, contact belarus@ilhr.org

The Belarus project was established to support Belarusian citizens in making their case for the protection of civil society before the international community regarding Alexander Lukashenko's wholesale assault on human rights and the rule of law in Belarus.

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