Court Denies Stanislav Shushkevich Personal Pension :: Charter'97 :: News

The Minsk district court denied the right for personal pension to the former head of Belarus Stanislav Shushkevich. Today there ended court deliberations over Shushkevich’s court appeal against the Ministry of labor and social protection. As you know, Shushkevich demanded that the authorities cancel their illegal decision on his pension. Over the past 5 years he has been getting a monthly 3 thousand 196 Belarusian rubles, which can be equated to $1,87 in equivalent.

Following his retirement as chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus Shushkevich was assigned a pension of 75% to the salary of the acting head of state. For instance, in 1996 he would receive a $300 pension. However, in 1997 Alexander Lukashenko released an order “On pension provision of individuals, who have particular merits before the Republic of Belarus”, by means of which he cancelled the concomitant Supreme Soviet’s ruling “On provision, support and protection of the chair of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus”. Under this order Shushkevich, along with some other high-ranking officials, was deprived of his personal pension.

Judge of the Moskovsky district court of Minsk Olga Gusakova agreed at yesterday’s evening session with the arguments, put forth by the representatives of the Ministry of labor and social protection. In their opinion, Shushkevich cannot receive personal pension as far as he, according to Lukashenko’s order, is not included into the list of individuals, due to be paid such pension. Nonetheless, the former head of state told the journalists upon the termination of court hearings, that he would appeal against the verdict in a court of a higher instance.