Online-petition in Support of Human Rights in Belarus

German National Student Union (freien zusammenschluss von studentInnenschaften, FZS) and the international human rights organization Amnesty International started the campaign “Online-petition” in support of human rights in Belarus.

One of the aims of the organizations is the rehabilitation of the registration of the only national student organization in Belarus “Belarusian Student Association” that was liquidated by the authorities. Citizens of different countries will sign the petition for 100 days after which it will be directed to president of the Republic of Belarus Aliaksandr Lukashenka.

The campaign started on 17 July 2004 and will last till 24 October, United Nations Day. Within its framework in German there are distributed printed materials concerning the defense of BSA including posters, fly-sheets and brochures.

A special site – www.belarus-petition.org was elaborated for the promotion of the campaign. People have the possibility to sign the petition online. 340 persons from US, Germany, Belarus and other countries have already signed it.

On12-21 July Amnesty International also organized the campaign on sending petitions to Belarusian Ambassador in Germany Uladzimir Skvartsow with the demand to take urgent measures for renewal of the groundlessly liquidated BSA and also stop the pressurization of its members. 12 German politicians have already supported the campaign. Among them there is the representative of the Commission on Human Rights of German Parliament Reiner Funke, the former defense minister Rudolf Scharping, the former ministry on affairs of families and elderly people Claudia Nolte.

FZS and Amnesty International express their indignation with mass violations of human rights in Belarus. The organizations will draw all forces to solve this situation, including appeals to representatives of German officials who have the possibility to begin the dialogue with Belarusian authorities on the official level.

Serious deterioration of the situation of human rights in Belarus during the recent years made FZS and Amnesty International organize a joint campaign in order to convince Belarusian Parliament to start the necessary changes for the democratization of the country. The idea of “Online-petition” came to German students from FZS during the conference “Rights of students “Reality and perspectives” that was organized by BSA on 15-16 May 2004 not far from Minsk. At this conference Belarusian students elaborated and adopted the Declaration of students in Belarus.

The BSA Board applies to all Belarusian citizens with the request to support the campaign and join the petition. Belarusian Student Association will continue to defend the rights of students in Belarus and favor the reformation of the system of higher education, drawing its own resources and experience as well as the help of European partners.

For more detailed information about the events within the limits of the campaign contact the international coordinator of BSA Tatsiana Khoma or the head of the BSA Board Volha Kuzmich:

+375 39 653 05 95 – the mobile phone of Volha Kuzmich
+375 39 696 50 34 – the mobile phone of Tatsiana Khoma.

Belarusian Students Association (in Belarusian –ZBS (Zadzinochanne Belaruskikh Studzentau)). Belarusian Student Association is a national-wide student organization which stands for Students Rights, educational reform and general democratization in Belarus. BSA unites over 3000 students from most educational centers of the country (20 universities). In 1992 it was registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus as “Republican youth association “Belarusian Student Association”. On 2 December 2001 the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus deprived BSA of registration for active campaigns on social problems of students. The court paid not attention to the insufficiency of the arguments, presented by the Ministry of Justice, for liquidation of the organization and didn’t listen to statements of more than 30 European student and Human Rights organizations. The letter of the International League of Human Rights to A. Lukashenka with the request to explain the illegal actions towards BSA remains unanswered.

PETITION
Translation into English, the original is at
http://www.belarus petition.org/kampagne/petition/index.html

Online-petition within the campaign of the German National Student Union (freien zusammenschluss von studentInnenschaften, FZS) and Amnesty International (AI)

Dear President Lukashenka,

I am very concerned with the serious deterioration of the situation of human rights in Belarus for the last two years. I’d like to express my support to the following requests of the Amnesty International (AI) and German National Student Union (FZS).

I think that you, being president of the Republic of Belarus first of all bear the responsibility for the crisis situation of the human rights and therefore demand from you to:

 provide to the people of Belarus execution of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
 guarantee to every person, political party and organization freedom of will, the right to peaceful assembly and support to free exchange of information in any form. It also concerns the time of preparation and holding of the Parliamentary election in October 2004.
 re-register the student organization “Belarusian Student Association”.
 Set aside the court verdicts for the liquidation of the human rights organizations “Human Rights Center “Viasna” and “Legal Assistance to Population”.
 Change the legislation on NGOs so that members of human rights organizations would be able to do their work without constant obstacles.
 Stop repressions against the “Zubr” youth movement.
 Stop violent arrests of peaceful demonstrators
 urgently and unconditionally release the political prisoner professor Yury Bandazhewski.
 Hold public investigation of the “disappearances” of oppositional activists.
 Secure freedom and independence of activity to trade unions.
 Permit every persons to enjoy the right to free conscience.
 Abolish capital punishment.

With respect,

For signing the petition please go to

http://www.belarus-petition.org/kampagne/unterzeichnen/index.html

Thanks for support!

BSA press-service