Presentation of “Review-Chronicle of the human rights violations in the Republic of Belarus in 2002”
On February 26 the presentation of the “Review-Chronicle of the human rights violations in the Republic of Belarus in 2002”, prepared by Human Rights Center “Viasna” took place.
The Center was founded in April 1996, during the mass protest actions against the authoritarian regime in Belarus.
The Center experts concluded that the year 2002 brought no changes to the better in the branch of human rights. The politics of the authorities were again accompanied by violations of the international standards for human rights and national legislation. The most sufficient worsening of the human rights situation was observed in the branched of the speech liberty and freedom of consciousness.
The “Review-Chronicle…” states: “For the Belarusian State human rights still aren’t the irreversible principle that should dominate in all manifestations of the State policy.
The largest part of the information, included into the review, was collected by members of the 17 “Viasna” branches. “This Review is only a top of the iceberg of the sufferings and mockery the whole people is subject to”, -- pointed the Center Chairman Ales Bialiatski in his presentation speech.
A.B. – The last year was defined with the unspeakable pressure on the mass media and journalists. Representatives of political parties and movements are severely punished for their wish to live in independent country. Trade unions were raped. The antidemocratic Law on religions that significantly limits the rights of a part of Belarusian citizens was adopted. The enumeration of victims in the Review is evidence that our country has sincere, kind and clever people who suffer, protesting against injustice. The authorities seem to have declared a war to all Belarusian people. These incessant conflicts that have lasted for several years already, political and social ones, now we also have religious, are quite unnatural for our quite pragmatic and clever nation. They obviously cause indignation and protest. It would be worse if no one protested.
