INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - BELARUS UPDATE :: Charter'97 :: News

Edited by Victor Cole
Vol. 7, No.8
February 2004

IN THIS ISSUE:

- Six Activists Arrested On Valentine’s Day
- Two Zubr Activists Detained In Minsk
- Another Activist Warned For Holding Picket
- Local Activist Interrogated
- Lukashenko Tightens Controls Over Parties, NGOs
- Independent Weekly Loses In Court Again
- …Its Journalists Receive Warning
- Largest Independent Daily Ordered To Run Retraction
- Journalists Banished From Ideology Meetings
- Democratic Opposition Strives For Unity
- More Baptist Pastors Fined
- Stalin Style Purges Sweep Belarus
- Lukashenko Streamlines Governmental Agencies
- Liberal Democrats Deny Involvement In Saddam’s Oil Deals

--HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPOSITION NEWS --

SIX ACTIVISTS ARRESTED ON VALENTINE’S DAY

On February 14, about twenty Malady Front activists staged a Valentine’s Day picket at Freedom Square in central Minsk, reported Belapan. The picket, titled “We Love Europe! We Love Belarus!” had been banned by the Minsk City Executive Committee. Six activists, including Front’s leader Pavel Sevyarynets, Ales Vasileuski, Artsyom Litvinau, Andrei Shybko, Yuliya Sipovich, and Barys Haretski, were immediately arrested and taken to the Sovetsky District Internal Affairs Directorate. All detainees were charged with “organizing and participating in mass actions which violate public order” under Art. 167 of the Administrative Offenses Code and released about three hours later. (Belapan, February 15)

TWO ZUBR ACTIVISTS DETAINED IN MINSK

On February 17, Lubou Kuchynskaya and Alyaksei Kontar, both members of Zubr, an unregistered youth opposition movement, were arrested on Skaryna Avenue in Minsk, while posting opposition printed materials, reported the movement’s website. The activists were charged with distributing non-registered publications under Art. 172 of the Belarusian Administrative Offenses Code and taken to the Minsk Partizansky Internal Affairs Directorate, where a police report was filed on them. (Zubr, February 17)

ANOTHER ACTIVIST WARNED FOR HOLDING UNAUTHORIZED PICKET

Zubr activist Yuliya Bandarenka, a minor, received a warning from the Minsk Leninsky District Juvenile Delinquency Commission for taking part in an unauthorized opposition action titled “Time to Answer,” reported Charter 97. The action took place on January 26, 2004, outside of the Belarusian Prosecutor’s Office building in Minsk and was organized to demand investigation into the disappearances of prominent opposition leaders, including journalist Dmitry Zavadsky. Yuliya, a daughter of Charter 97 coordinator Dmitry Bandarenka, was detained and unmercifully beaten by a police officer. (Charter 97, February 20)

LOCAL ACTIVIST INTERROGATED

Dmitry Salavyou was summoned to the Novopolotsk Prosecutor’s Office, in the Vitebsk Region, and questioned about the activities of local human rights NGOs, reported the Viasna Human Rights Center. The authorities were particularly interested to learn who prints and distributes Pravo Na Svobodu [Right to Freedom], an informational bulletin published by Viasna. Citing Art. 27 of the Belarusian Constitution, which protects individuals against self-incrimination, the activist refused to answer the questions. (Viasna, February 19)

LUKASHENKO TIGHTENS CONTROLS OVER PARTIES, NGOs

In a move that will further stifle dissent in Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko ordered the Justice Ministry to strengthen control over political parties, non-governmental organizations and trade unions, reported RFE/RL. On February 16, the Belarusian strongman instructed Viktor Golovanov, Belarusian Justice Minister, that “heightened attention is required ahead of the parliamentary election,” adding that “all community associations, parties and professional unions must strictly abide by the rules.” The League notes that last year, the Justice Ministry shut down 10 opposition organizations for minor infractions. (RFE/RL, February 16)

-- MEDIA FREEDOM --

INDEPENDENT WEEKLY LOSES IN COURT AGAIN

On February 19, the Belarusian Supreme Economic Court upheld the December 26 warning issued by the Information Ministry to Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta (BDG), a Minsk-based independent weekly, reported the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ). According to the Ministry, a series of articles published by the newspaper from September 24 through November 12, 2003, was based on false information in violation of Art. 32 of the Press Law. According to the newspaper, Syarhei Satsuk, the author of the articles, obtained all the disputed information from his confidential sources in the State Security Committee (KGB) and the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Thus, the weekly has one more warning to appeal, in addition to three others it has received recently [see the next story]. On February 10, the newspaper lost another appeal regarding the warning it received on December 10, 2003, for article by Sutsuk published in the summer 2003. Under the Press Law, two warnings issued for a similar violation within a 12 month period allow the authorities to initiate the closing proceedings against a newspaper. (BAJ, February 19)

…ITS JOURNALISTS RECEIVE WARNING

On February 13, Iryna Makavetskaya, a Gomel journalist known for her publications in the BDG was summoned to the Gomel Regional Prosecutor’s Office where she received as official warning for allegedly violating the Press Law, reported the BAJ. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, in one of her articles, Makavetskaya disclosed certain nonpublic information about a bankruptcy case without first asking the bankruptcy judge’s permission. In the same article, she also questioned whether the ruling in the case was truly independent and well-grounded in law. On January 30, the Information Ministry issued a warning to BDG in connection with the same article. The newspaper intends to appeal to the Supreme Economic Court. (BAJ, February 16)

LARGEST INDEPENDENT DAILY ORDERED TO RUN RETRACTION

On February 18, the Minsk Leninsky District Court heard the libel case filed by the Alliance Media, publisher of Obozrevatel, a pro-Lukashenko weekly, and Syarhei Atroshchanka, an infamous Belarusian manufacturer of women’s underwear and Obozrevatel’s editor-in-chief, against Narodnaya Volya, largest independent daily, reported the BAJ (see Belarus Update Vol. 7, No. 5). Despite the Alliance Media and Atroshchanka’s demands for 50 million Belarusian rubles ($23,500) in libel damages, the judge ordered the daily to publish a retraction and reimburse the plaintiffs’ legal cost and attorney fees.

On February 25, the Court will hear another case Atroshchanka filed against Narodnaya Volya for publishing some comments of prominent Belarusian businessmen and economists on Atroshchanka’s decision to buy stocks in The Daily Telegraph, a UK-based newspaper. Obozrevatel’s editor believes that the article insulted his honor and damaged his business reputation, and demands 50 million Belarusian rubles ($23,500) in libel damages. (BAJ, February 19)

JOURNALISTS BANISHED FROM IDEOLOGY MEETINGS

On February 12, journalists Andrei Pisalnik of Dyen [The Day], a Grodno-based independent newspaper, and Irina Charnyauka of Belorusskaya Gazeta, a Minsk-based independent weekly, were ordered to leave a meeting of the Grodno Ideology Counsel held at the Regional Executive Committee, reported the BAJ. This was the second incident within the past two weeks when the officials of the Information Board interfered with independent journalists. Last November, Belarusian publishing houses refused to publish Dyen (see Belarus Update Vol. 6, No. 7). (BAJ, February 14)

-- ELECTION 2004 --

DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION STRIVES FOR UNITY

On February 16, during a press conference in Minsk, leaders of the Five Plus electoral bloc reiterated their concern that if the democratic opposition is not united ahead of the election, it may happen that the most prominent opposition members will be involved in a show fight against each other for deputy seats, informed Charter 97. Five Plus currently includes three major opposition parties: the United Civic Party (UCP); the Party of Communists of Belarus (PKB), the opposition Communist party; the Belarusian Popular Front (BNF); and two smaller parties - the Labor Party and the Social Democratic Society. Valery Fralou, pro-democratic deputy of the Belarusian Parliament, said that members of Respublika, a parliamentary faction he chairs, are eager to become coordinators among democratic forces ahead of election. Syarhei Kalyakin, PKB leader, believes that the bloc’s priority now is to work with the potential electorate, reported Belapan. “The fate of the elections will be determined in the next four months. But to score a victory, we have to roll up our sleeves now,” said the PKB leader.

Apart from Five Plus, two more democratic blocs are planning to participate in the election campaign: the European Coalition Free Belarus, which unites Narodnaya Hramada, Belarusian Social Democratic Party (BSDP) and Nadzeja, Women’s Party; and the Young Belarus bloc, which is formed around Malady Front and also includes representatives of the Belarusian Popular Front (BNF), the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada (BSDH), small business and the ecological movement. (Charter 97, Belapan, February 16)

-- RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN BELARUS --

MORE BAPTIST PASTORS FINED

The Belarusian authorities continue to restrict religious freedom, reported Forum 18 News Service, a religious freedom watchdog based in Oslo, Norway. As of February 17, a total of 29 pastors of an unregistered Baptist community were fined for allegedly “founding and heading unregistered religious communities” (see Belarus Update, Vol. 7, No. 6). Established in 1962, the International Union of Baptist Churches adheres to a strict principle of separation of church and state. It means, none of its current 3,705 congregations throughout the former Soviet Union, including 286 in Belarus, are registered with the authorities. (Forum 18, February 17)

-- AT HOME IN BELARUS --

STALIN-STYLE PURGES SWEEP BELARUS

The regime has launched a new high-profile criminal prosecution campaign aimed at intimidating management at all levels ahead of the parliamentary elections, reported Belapan. On February 17, Yegor Rybakov, head of the Belarusian State Television and Radio Company (BRT), was arrested on charges of abuse of power, theft, and bribery, Yury Azaryonok, Prosecutor’s General Office spokesman, told journalists in Minsk. The arrest followed Rybakov’s dismissal on February 13, 2004 (see Belarus Update, Vol. 7, No. 7).

On February 19, the KGB officially charged Galina Zhuravkova, a former chief of the Presidential Administration Property Management Department, with a large-scale embezzlement and abuse of power under Art. 210 of the Belarusian Criminal Code, Aleksandr Bazanov, the KGB spokesman, told journalists in Minsk. Zhuravkova faces from 5 to 12 years of imprisonment with the confiscation of property.

Local observers believe that the recent arrests, which bear all the marks of a Stalinist purge, reflect Lukashenko’s desire to settle scores before the election with those of his servants who forgot who holds the reins. “Giving high-ranking positions to the people who have compromised themselves in the past has become a norm,” Five Plus (5+) electoral bloc leaders said in a statement following Rybakov’s arrest. “Such officials are dependable, accommodating, and ready to execute any order of the ruler. The only reason they ever get arrested for taking bribes is because they become too greedy and fail to share with those above them.” “Zhuravkova’s arrest could have been caused by the top officials’ dissatisfaction her taking over the most lucrative properties in Belarus,” BDG wrote on February 17. (Belapan, BDG, February 17-19)

LUKASHENKO STREAMLINES GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES

Keeping his word to “optimize and streamline our government,” Aleksandr Lukashenko has signed a decree renaming the Committee for Forestry into the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Communications into the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Committee for Science and Technology to the State Committee for Science and Technology, reported Belapan. The decree instructed the government to implement the changes by June1, 2004. (Belapan, February 16)

-- BROTHER SLAVS --

END OF LOVE AFFAIR

On February 18, on the pretext that Belarus, unable to pay for the gas, began stealing the fuel transported to Poland, Lithuania and Kaliningrad region, Gazprom, Russia’s gas monopoly, cut off all natural gas supplies through the Belarusian pipelines, reported Vedomosti, a Russian newspaper. “I think this is an act of terrorism on the grandest scale, when in minus 20-degree Russia leaves a country, half of which has Russian roots, without heat,” furiously responded the Belarusian leader on the state TV, informed BelTA.

Denouncing the Russian move as “blackmail,” Minsk recalled its ambassador to Russia for “consultations,” reported The Moscow Times. According to the newspaper, the Belarusian strongman instructed his government to draw up a list of options for retaliation against Moscow. The Russian Foreign Ministry was quick to fire back, saying that the “Belarusian president bears full responsibility for systematic mistakes in internal and foreign policies that have interfered with social and economic development and has led to Belarus` isolation in the international arena.”

Next day, about 200 people staged an hour-long rally in front of the Russian Embassy in Minsk, protesting against the Gazprom’s decision. Protesters were carrying the banners saying, “Our Relations Are Poisoned With Gas,” “No To Gas War!” reported BelTA. Interestingly, although the rally was not authorized, the police did not interfere.

The events sent a shudder through Poland, which receives half its supplies via the Belarus pipeline, reported The Independent, a London-based newspaper. Polish parliamentarians have demanded an urgent review of their country’s energy policies. (Vedomosti, The Moscow Times, BelTA, The Independent, February 18 - 20)

-- INTERNATIONAL NEWS --

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS DENY INVOLVEMENT IN SADDAM’S OIL DEALS

The extreme-right Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus (LDPB) has vehemently denied allegations that it benefited from Saddam Hussein’s manipulation of the United Nations oil-for-food program, informed the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. The announcement followed the January 25 publication by Al-Mada, a Baghdad-based newspaper, of a list of 270 individuals and organizations said to have profited from oil contracts handed out by the former dictator in an effort to buy loyalty and influence abroad (see Belarus Update Vol. 7, No. 5). The LDPB was named as a beneficiary of a contract to sell one million barrels. LDPB leader’s Syarhei Haidukevich has made no secret of his support for Saddam in the past, but he currently insists that his party was not involved in any oil deals. Another beneficiary on the Al-Mada list was Lada-OMS, a Belarusian private company owned by Alyaksei Vaganau, a former LDPB member. He denies any wrongdoings, saying that he had been active in Iraq but strictly within the UN’s guidelines. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting, February 17)