14.01.2009 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in December 2008
The last month of the year summed up its results and eloquently showed that, despite the demonstrative wish of the authorities to lead a dialogue with the West, the situation of Human Rights remained the same. On one hand, two (only two!) independent newspapers were returned to the state distribution system, the republican Human Rights and the educational association For Freedom was registered (on the fourth attempt). On the other hand, the pressurization of dissidents continued.
12.01.2009 Death Penalty in Belarus
The right to life is a fundamental human right. The state must protect human life from all unlawful attempts and other threats and provide legal, social, economical, ecological and other conditions for a normal and worthy life.
09.01.2009 Review-chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in October-November 2008
At the end of September the elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus were over. In October the candidates continued appealing against the official results. The Central Election Commission received 35 complaints. At its sitting on 13 October the CEC rejected the complaints of 27 candidates. On 24 October five more complaints were turned down as well. Mikalai Lazavik, secretary of the Central Election Commission, stated that the plaintiffs had no more instances to complain to: ‘according to the election laws in such issues the decision of the Central Election Commission is final and is without appeal’.
09.10.2008 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 Belarusian Human Rights defenders, 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 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 a form of inhuman 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.
08.09.2008 Review-chronicle of human rights violations in Belarus in July-August 2008
At the end of June the parliamentary electoral campaign began. That’s why July and August were defined by numerous violations in this sphere.
04.07.2008 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in June 2008
The main events in Belarus in June were the official appointment of the parliamentary elections, the start of the electoral campaign and the adoption of the new law On mass media that considerably aggravated the situation of mass media in the country and was evidently repressive. 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 were appointed on 28 September 2008. Short before this the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and other Human Rights defenders stated their intention to monitor the elections.
11.06.2008 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. The youth activists Maxim Dashuk, Pavel Vinahradau, and Mikhail Subach were sentenced to personal restraint. Thus, the number of political prisoners increased.
16.05.2008 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in April 2008
In April the trials of several politically motivated cases were conducted in Belarus. As a result the country got 12 new political convicts, two of whom were 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 continued and acquired new forms.
08.04.2008 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 in March. Preparation for 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 rally. 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, Alexander 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 Haradzki Val, Maxim Bahdanovich, and Yanka Kupala Streets up to Yanka Kupala Square. The authorities kept 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. On 25 March the Minister of Interior Uladzimir Navumau 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.
07.03.2008 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in February 2008
In February Belarusian human rights defenders paid most attention to political prisoners and politically motivated criminal cases. The main event this month was the abolishment of the politically motivated verdicts to the youth activist Artur Finkevich and the journalist Alexander Zdvizhkou, as a result of which both were released from jail. The authorities also granted parole to the entrepreneurs Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Liavonau and the oppositional politician Andrei Klimau. However, despite the demands of the EU and the US the former candidate to president of Belarus Alexander Kazulin remained 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, ratified by Belarus.
09.02.2008 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in January 2008
This time the beginning of the year was warmer than usual. The total crackdown of Belarusian authorities on the social and economic spheres of life increased the mood of protest, which resulted in aggravated repressions against the most active protesters. Despite the fact that January events were a planned continuation of the December entrepreneurs’ meeting, authorities were not ready for the decisive attempts of the entrepreneurs to protect their right to work. 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 from January 2008, made many workers of small business redundant. It also 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 authorities yielded no result – witnessing that high-rank officials decided to liquidate individual entrepreneurs as an unnecessary social class. Desperate entrepreneurs had nothing to do but go out in the streets.
16.01.2008 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.
08.12.2007 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.
03.12.2007 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.
11.10.2007 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in September 2007
In September the democratic opposition of Belarus was preparing to the autumn actions, the European and the Social marches, to demand from the authorities the realization of the social guarantees and familiarize the population with the EU proposals to Belarus and the conditions in which they could come into effect. On 30 September the United democratic forces intended to hold mass pickets all over Belarus. Official applications for authorization of these actions were filed in more than 60 towns and cities of Belarus. One day Salihorsk district executive committee received about a hundred of picket applications, half of which were aimed at protesting against the present social policy, the liquidation of social benefits and guarantees and others – at collection of signatures under the demand to release political prisoners.
