Yakov Gutman: Ambassadors’ Involvement in Festivities to Be Taken For Support of State Policy :: Charter'97 :: News

President of the US-registered public association “The Universal Association of Belarusian Jews” Yakov Gutman pleads with the heads of the diplomatic representations, accredited in Belarus, to turn down the official invitation to engage in mass festivities, dedicated to the Independence Day of Belarus.

In a letter to the Israeli plenipotentiary ambassador in Belarus Igal Tanuri, Gutman wrote that the country is pursuing an intensive anti-Semite, anti-Catholic, anti-democratic propaganda. “People go missing without a trace, opposition newspapers get shut, independent journalists are left to rot in jail. The judiciary, procuracy and parliament refused to bring to justice those, who are inciting intolerance between different nationalities on the Belarusian soil,” – writes Gutman.

Then the letter also mentions demolition and defilement of historical and cultural values in the country, along with the regime’s reaction to the letter, forwarded to the head of state on November 15, 2002, signed by most of the deputies of the so-called “house of representatives”.

The author of the letter claims that “at a time when they blatantly crack down on human rights in Belarus, the ambassadors’ involvement in solemn events can be interpreted as their support of the policy, which is pursued by the Belarusian authorities.”