Review-chronicle of human rights violations in Belarus in September 2008
On 2 September the presentation of the report Incarceration conditions in the Republic of Belarus, prepared by the International Federation for Human Rights with the aid of the Belarusian human rights activists, took place in Minsk. The report was composed on the basis of an international research mission and is a valuable source of information about the incarceration conditions in Belarus, as there is almost no reliable information on this issue due to the absence of supervision over the penitentiary system in Belarus by any national or international agencies and institutions. During the presentation the FIDH secretary general Louis Peres welcomed the release of the last political prisoners by the Belarusian authorities, but stated that the situation of human rights in Belarus was still disturbing and the incarceration conditions in the country were extremely unsatisfactory and could be considered as forms of inhumane treatment, which is prohibited by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in June 2008
The main events in Belarus in June are the official appointment of the parliamentary elections, the start of the electoral campaign and the adoption of the new law On mass media which considerably aggravates the situation of mass media in the country and is evidently repressive. On 24 June the president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenka signed order #344 On appointment of the elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the fourth convocation. By this document the elections was appointed on 28 September 2008. Short before this the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and other human rights activists declared their intention to monitor the parliamentary election in Belarus. Aleh Hulak, the chair of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, and Ales Bialiatski, vice-chair of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), answered the questions of journalists at the press-conference which was held on 12 June. The human rights activists stated that the present electoral legislations allowed holding quite free elections and the main problem was in the practice of its implementation and the election could be free and fair if there was any political will for it. The authorities reacted to the initiative of human rights activists by pressurizing them and their families. On 12 June the 1st channel of the Belarusian TV advertised a program which insulted their honor and dignity. Then the whole program was shown in the Sunday’s Panorama. Beside the attempt to discredit human rights activity the authorities also conduct a detailed tax check-up concerning human rights activists. The BHC chair Aleh Hulak, its ex-chair Tatsiana Protska, the BHC member Zmitser Markusheuski, the human rights activists Ales Bialiatski and Valiantsin Stefanovich and their families received orders from the Ministry of Dues and Taxes to fill asset and income declarations.
Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in May 2008
In May the politically motivated court processes against participants of peaceful street actions continued in Belarus. The youth activists Maxim Dashuk, Pavel Vinahradau and Mikhail Subach were sentenced to personal restraint. Thus, the number of political prisoners increases.
Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in April 2008
In April the trials on several politically motivated cases were conducted in Belarus. As a result the country has 12 new political convicts, two of whom have been sentenced to imprisonment. Despite the addresses of the international structures, the European countries and the US to the Belarusian authorities, politically motivated criminal persecution in Belarus is still going on. The repressions continue and acquire new forms. Now all mass actions are shot on video by police and KGB officers. Then these video recordings are used as evidence in criminal and administrative cases against activists.
Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in March 2008
The 90th anniversary of the proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic and the traditional Freedom Day rally dedicated to it were the main events this March. The preparation to the Freedom Day started long before the holiday. As early as on 6 February the opposition addressed Minsk city executive committee requiring the official permission for the procession and meeting. The address was filed on behalf of the chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Liavon Barshcheuski, the chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka, the head of the For Freedom movement Aliaksandr Milinkevich and the chairman of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Narodnaya Hramada Mikalai Statkevich. The action participants intended to gather in Yakub Kolas Square near the Belarusian State Philharmonics and march along the Nezalezhnastsi Avenue to Valadarski Street and then continue the procession along the Haradzki Val, Maksim Bahdanovich and Yanka Kupala Streets, up to Yanka Kupala Square. The authorities kept to their usual position and proposed their own route – from the Academy of Sciences to Banhalor Square. The action organizers did not obey to this requirement of the authorities. 25 March Uadzimir Navumau, the minister of interior, stated that in the case the rally did not follow the officially proposed route, the police would interrupt the action with the use of physical force and riot gear.
Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in February 2008
In February in Belarus most attention was paid to political prisoners and politically motivated criminal cases. The main event this month is the cassation of the politically motivated verdicts to the youth activist Artur Finkevich and the journalist Aliaksandr Zdvizhkou, as a result of which both were released from jail. The authorities also granted parole to the entrepreneurs Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Liaonau and the oppositional politician Andrei Klimau. However, despite the demands of the EU and the US the former candidate to president of Belarus Aliaksandr Kazulin remains behind bars. He was proposed release from jail in exchange for emigration to Germany and cessation of political activities. In addition, the authorities demonstrated an exceptional violence in relation to Kazulin’s family. His wife Iryna died of cancer and the authorities didn’t let him go to the funeral for two days. It cannot but be considered as a violation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which Belarus is a state party of.
Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in January 2008
This time the beginning of the year was hotter than usual. The total offence of the Belarusian authorities on the social and economical sphere of social life increased the protest moods, which resulted in the use of harder repressions against the most active protesters. Despite the fact that January events were a planned continuation of the December meeting of entrepreneurs, the authorities were not ready to such decisive protection of the working rights demonstrated by this category of citizens. Presidential decree #760 of 29 December 2006, by which the entrepreneurs were deprived of the right to employ any workers except for three close relatives since January 2008, made many workers of small business redundant. Besides, it affected ordinary citizens – the markets became empty, many stalls were closed, route taxis to markets started driving more rarely, etc. All efforts of the leaders of the entrepreneurs’ movement to establish a dialogue with the authorities gave no result – which witnesses that the high-rank officials decided to liquidate individual entrepreneurs as an unnecessary social class. Desperate entrepreneurs had nothing to do but go out to the streets.
Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in December 2007
In December a wave of social protests rolled over Belarus. A part of the protest actions were connected with the enforcement of the law on social benefits, rights and guarantees for certain categories of citizens, by which the main benefits to the population were liquidated. Another part was connected with protests against the enforcement of presidential decree #760, prohibiting individual entrepreneurs to hire employees with the exception of close relatives.
Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in November 2007
On 4 November the Belarusian opposition held the Social March¸ a mass action of protest against the decreasing life standards. At first the organizers intended to gather the people at Kastrychnitskaya Square and lead them to the National library where a meeting was to have taken place. However, as it usually happens, Minsk city executive committee again changed the place of gathering and the route. The place of the meeting was transferred to Banhalor Square.
Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in October 2007
On 14 October a democratic street action ‘European March’ took place in Belarus. Its aim was to demonstrate the European choice of the Belarusian society. On 9 October Minsk city executive committee permitted the action, but, as it usually happens in Belarus, changed the place of assembly and the destination of the procession. At first the organizers intended to gather the action participants at 2 p.m. in Kastrychnitskaya Square and lead the procession along the Independent Avenue to the National Library. Minsk city executive committee insisted on change of the route and proposed the traditional one: from the Academy of Sciences to Bangalore Square.
