Zubr

[Gatara]

Weten jullie wie dit is?


En als je niet weet wie ie is, wat denk je dan wat voor een persoon hij is?

(nieuwswaarde komt nog maar ik wil het eerst even spannend houden)

[mitchuhl]

Echt GEEN id...

[Manus J. van Alles]

Hij doet me aan John Cleese denken

[Anne]

Ehm... hij ziet er uit als een oorlogszuchtige man. Geen moslim, naar zijn uiterlijk (én gezichtsuitdrukking) kijkend denk ik dat hij uit Oost-Europa komt, Rusland ofzo. Ik zie hem wel met een bontmuts door de sneeuw ploeteren. Hij zal vast wel iets gedaan hebben, anders zou je dit topic wel op De Kantine gepost hebben. Maar ik weet niet hoe hij heet.

[EvilSmiley]

euhhh
ik denk dat het een machtige man is, misschien zelfs leider van een semi-terroristisch netwerk.

[mitchuhl]

Hij staat in ieder geval al klaar met zijn vinger om deze erges in te stoppen

[Gatara]

Manus J. van Alles schreef:
Hij doet me aan John Cleese denken

Was hij het maar
(nu je het zegt...haha.. arme John Cleese )

Annee zat het dichts in de buurt:

Hij is de president van Wit-Rusland.
Zijn naam is Lukashenko.
Hij wordt de laatste dictator van Europa genoemd.

Tussen mei 1999 en juli 2000 verdwenen vier tegenstanders van het Witrussische regime van president Lukashenko:

Yury Zakharenko, oppositieleider en voormalig minister van binnenlandse zaken, verdween op 7 mei 1999.

Viktor Gonchar, een belangrijke politieke tegenstander van de Witrussische president Lukashenko, verdween samen met zijn vriend en zakenman

Anatoly Krasovsky, die steun verleende aan de oppositie, op 16 september 1999 na een bezoek aan de sauna in Minsk.

Dmitry Zavadsky, een cameraman voor de Russische Publieke TV (ORT) verdween op 7 juli 2000 nadat hij naar het vliegveld van Minsk was vertrokken om een collega te ontmoeten.

Onder het regime van Lukashenko is de mensenrechtensituatie aanzienlijk verslechterd. Leden van de oppositie, zoals oppositiepartijen, onafhankelijke vakbonden, journalisten, deelnemers aan demonstraties en stakingen en mensenrechtenactivisten worden opgepakt, gevangen gezet en mishandeld door de politie.

Een bekende oppositiebeweging is Zubr, een jongerenbeweging opgericht in februari 2001, die geweldloos en op ludieke wijze actie voert voor democratie en mensenrechten. Tijdens verschillende acties vroeg Zubr opheldering over het lot van de vier verdwenen mannen. Deelnemers aan Zubr-acties werden opgepakt en mishandeld door de politie.
http://www.amnesty.nl/acties/NK-SCH0056.shtml

Aanstaande maart (12e) zal er weer een mars zijn in Wit-Rusland voor een beter leven.
Meer info: www.zubr-belarus.com
Zubr probeert aandacht hiervoor te krijgen, maar wordt zoals gewoonlijk weer gehinderd door de autoriteiten:
"Two more ZUBR/BISON activists were detained on 19 of February at 8 p m near “Minsk motorcycle plant” for gluing posters"
"ZUBR Office Comes Under Attack"
"Passport was taken away from ZUBR/BISON activist"
"Agitation of People’s March “For better life!” causes arrests Agitation of People’s March “For better life!” causes arrests"

In Nederland is er ook een actie. Als je mee wilt helpen, graag

[Gatara]

Eigenlijk vind ik het wel triest dat wit-rusland vrij weinig aandacht krijgt in de westerse media

Dat terwijl de Raad van Europa een verontrustend rapport heeft uitgebracht en recent een commissie heeft ingesteld die onderzoek moet verrichten naar o.a. de verdwijningen.
http://www.freeserbia.net/Articles/2002/Council.html
Raad: http://stars.coe.fr/Main.asp?link=ht...2FERES1306.htm

Delen hieruit:
"Today, despite some progress in a number of areas, the democratisation process in Belarus appears to be stagnant."

"The Assembly is seriously concerned about the lack of progress made in clarifying the cases of missing people. (...) The Assembly encourages the setting up by its Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of an ad hoc sub-committee in order to help clarify the circumstances of these disappearances, and appeals to the Belarusian authorities to provide this ad hoc sub-committee with all necessary information."

"Recent developments in Belarus have also given rise to growing concern regarding freedom of expression and of the media. The independent media continue to be subject to increasing pressure and harassment from the Belarusian authorities. The recent convictions of journalists for their opinions are unacceptable."

"At present, Belarus shows severe democratic deficits and it does not yet meet the Council of Europe's relevant standards. The electoral process is imperfect, human rights violations continue, civil society remains embryonic, the independence of the judiciary is doubtful, local government is underdeveloped and, last but not least, parliament has limited powers."

[Anne]

Gatara schreef:
Annee zat het dichts in de buurt

Jeeeeeeee!

[Joostje]

optimisten, "laatste dictator van Europa"

[Gatara]

Joostje schreef:
optimisten, "laatste dictator van Europa"

Sommige Russen vinden Putin ook een dictator.
Blair is dat binnen zijn partij ook <g>

[Nate]

Weet je, ik vind het allemaal verschrikkelijk hoor, maar zo kan ik wel een rondje om de wereld lopen. Niet alleen voor Wit-Rusland, maar ook voor Sudan, Somalië, Sri Lanka, Algerije, Cambodja, Burma, Tibet, en nog zo even door.

[Gatara]

Nate schreef:
Weet je, ik vind het allemaal verschrikkelijk hoor, maar zo kan ik wel een rondje om de wereld lopen. Niet alleen voor Wit-Rusland, maar ook voor Sudan, Somalië, Sri Lanka, Algerije, Cambodja, Burma, Tibet, en nog zo even door.

Verschil:
dit is in Europa en een land waarover de EU uiteindelijk moet gaan beslissen of ze opgenomen kan worden in de EU (na vele jaren). De situatie waarin ze nu verkeerd belemmerd dit en de bevolking daar (en de buurlanden) lijden hieronder.
(ik vind daarom ook dat de EU enn haar bevolking deze verantwoordelijkheidsgevoel moet hebben en haar zusterland op hetzelfde continent niet te negeren)

Daarnaast is er overigens een actie, vandaar dat ik het ook aanhaalde.

[Nate]

Gatara schreef:
Verschil:
dit is in Europa en een land waarover de EU uiteindelijk moet gaan beslissen of ze opgenomen kan worden in de EU (na vele jaren). De situatie waarin ze nu verkeerd belemmerd dit en de bevolking daar (en de buurlanden) lijden hieronder.
(ik vind daarom ook dat de EU enn haar bevolking deze verantwoordelijkheidsgevoel moet hebben en haar zusterland op hetzelfde continent niet te negeren)

Heeft Wit-Rusland al aangegeven dat ze de EU in willen, dan? Zo ja, dat vind ik vreemd. Een dergelijke 'dictator' als mr. Lukashenko heeft vast wel iets beters aan zijn hoofd. Of het volk nou graag deel wil uitmaken van de EU of niet, de leider(s) van een land beslissen zoiets nog altijd (al spreek ik hier met geringe kennis). Dus, als Wit-Rusland erbij wil horen, dan moeten ze daar zelf iets aan doen. Als het niet verder komt dan een jeugd-activistenorganisatie, dan kunnen ze het dus wel vergeten.

Daarnaast vroeg ik me nog af, doet die Lukashenko verder zoveel verkeerd, dan? Ik bedoel, je vertelt wat hij doet met diegenen die tegen hem in gaan, wat indruist tegen de zgn. vrijheid van meningsuiting en dat soort narigheid, maar daar valt (relatief gezien) zeer zeker overheen te komen.

Daarnaast is er overigens een actie, vandaar dat ik het ook aanhaalde.

Weet ik. Ik doe dus niet mee

[Gatara]

Nate schreef:

Daarnaast vroeg ik me nog af, doet die Lukashenko verder zoveel verkeerd, dan? Ik bedoel, je vertelt wat hij doet met diegenen die tegen hem in gaan, wat indruist tegen de zgn. vrijheid van meningsuiting en dat soort narigheid, maar daar valt (relatief gezien) zeer zeker overheen te komen.

Qua democratie (trias politica zoals wij die kennen wordt daar niet zo uitgevoerd):

uitvoerende macht
election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 75.6%, Vladimir GONCHARIK 15.4%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; new election held 9 September 2001 (next election to be held by September 2006); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president

Deze laatste verkiezingen (2001):
OSCE:
* The 2001 presidential election process failed to meet the OSCE commitments for democratic elections formulated in the 1990 Copenhagen Document and the Council of Europe standards.
( 1.Transparency of the election process,
2. Access of opponents to the state-run mass media,
3. Non-discrimination of political opponents, and
4. Meaningful functions and powers for the parliamentary body.)

* The ILEOM welcomes and acknowledges the emergence of a pluralist civil society, being the foundation for the development of democratic political structures, representing all segments of the population.

* The isolation of the country is not in the best interest of the Belarus people and is not conducive to strengthening democratic development.

wetgevende macht
election results: party affiliation data unavailable; under present political conditions party designations are meaningless
elections: last held October 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)

rechtgevende macht
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives)

qua mensenrechten 2002
Human Rights Violations Chronicle in Belarus in 2002

Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter'97 human rights coordinator

1. Disappearances

January
Minister of the Interior Uladzimer Navumau declares that the cases of Zakharanka, Hanchar and Krasousky are not included in the number of cases under special attention, And as for the case of Zavadsy's disappearance, it is suspended and will be resumed after the trial over Ihnatovich's group.

The authorities try to pressurize Pavel Sharamet, the head of the special informational projects of the Russian ORT channel (Public Russian Television). Belarusian KGB forwarded a letter to the Russian FSB, in which they stated that Sheremet's public activities impair the Belarusian leadership and the relations of the two countries. The Russian journalist frequently declared the reasons of Zavadsky's abduction, who knew about Belarusian special services' involvement into the delivery of arms to the Chechen rebels through Turkey and Georgia. Zavadsky allegedly was abducted with the aim to find out what information he possessed. According to Sheremet's information, the people suspected in Zavadsky's abduction during an questioning carried out with extreme cruelty supposedly had made confession about killing him.

February
In February certain data on Dmitry Zavadsky's vanishing emerged during the court examination of Valery Ignatovich and his group's crimes. Anton Kobzar, member of Valery Ignatovich's gang, who gave written testimony against him and was subject to intimidations, died in April 2001 from lethal infection.

Certain documents, originally contained in the case files, never reached court. These were the rapports by the head of the confinement center Oleg Alkaev and chief of the criminal police Nikolai Lopatik, protocols of arms issue book's seizure, as well as the letter by the former prosecutor general Oleg Bozhelko, in which he asked Russian colleagues to send them equipment to find and unearth the human remains.

Judge on the Ignatovich's case refused to summon to court the witnesses, who were present during the arms issue book's seizure, former riot police colonel Vladimir Borodach, cognizant of the system of recruiting people to fight in "hot spots", and also Dmitry Zavadsky's neighbor who saw one of the suspects, former Lukashenka's guard Alyaxandar Leonenko, near Dima's house on the day of his abduction.

Defender of Zavadsky mother's interests in court, lawyer Igor Aksenchik is convinced that Ignatovich and his group are the executors of the killing, but those, who stand behind it are still to be identified. He declared: "By the head of state's decision the main suspect is promoted to the prosecutor general's rank. However, Lukashenka had undertaken such unprecedented measures with only one goal in mind - to destroy the evidence, the criminal case files, which relate not only to Zavadsky, but also to the political opponents Zakharenko and Gonchar."

March
No convincing evidence was provided for the episode with the abduction of Dzmitser Zavadsky, as said by his mother, and the episode was lost in the forty books of the Ihnatovich's band's case.

The trial over the former officers of the special squad "Almaz", who were charged with numerous murders, including assassination of Zavadsky, has given new proofs of the authorities' involvement to the extermination of the political opponents. For instance, the criminal action was brought up against attorney Ihar Aksyonchyk, who publicly accused the Prosecutor General Viktar Sheiman of implication in the abductions of the famous people. The former officer of the presidential security service, and now an officer of "Almaz" Levanenka for some reason was not a suspect, but a witness at the trial, though there was significant evidence against him. Paval Sharamet, a journalist of the Russian TV channel ORT, said unambiguously that the gang of Ihnatovich was simply an executor of somebody else's plan. He named Viktar Sheiman the architect of the crime. As said by the Russian journalist, the court ignored the role of the special services in Zavadsky's abduction. According to his information, the Russian law enforcing agencies have the corresponding materials, but they are confidential.

May
The government, irritated by never ending activities of the relatives of the missing ones, exerts pressure on them and even intimidates. Ludmila Karpenko had to flee to Germany from fear of physical annihilation. There emerged evidence that they spy on the wife of the kidnapped journalist Svetlana Zavadskaya.

June
To the concern, raised by Wolfgang Berendt, special rapporteur for Belarus at PACE, over the lack of progress in investigation, Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov responded that "thousands go missing in the country but less than one percent are found.

August
In August there was brutally beaten a police sergeant Vyacheslav Alkaev, son of a political fugitive, former head of the investigation department Oleg Alkaev. Eight guards from the market were involved in the beating. Oleg Alkaev said that he wouldn't like to believe there's any connection between the incident and himself, but he cannot rule out such possibility. For almost a year the government refused to let out of the country the wife and children of Gennady Uglyanitsa, former KGB officer, who made public the results of his research into Gonchar and Krasovsky's disappearances and who's currently staying in Norway.

October
The investigation into the disappearances doesn't conduct any necessary investigation. During the three years the procuracy hasn't implemented a genome expertise into Viktor Gonchar's case, though it could define whether the substances, found on the place of the incident, indeed belong to Viktor. The UCP leader Anatoly Lebedko was interrogated as a witness by the investigator Vladimir Chumachenko concerning the politician's publications on disappearances. The authorities refuse to satisfy the lawsuit, filed by Zakharenko's relatives, who are seeking to recognize him dead through the court in order to have inheritance rights.

November
According to Alkaev, the head of the investigation group Ivan Branchel (Belarusian procuracy) unofficially returned to Alkaev the gun issue journal and PB-9 pistol, not registering them as material evidence and without giving any preservation commitments (Alkaev's signature of November 28, 2000). At the moment the journal is kept by Alkaev in safety abroad, while the gun, which has been used in a number of crimes, had been demolished, at least that's what the unofficial sources say. It was deputy Interior Minister Udovikov who required that the gun be destroyed. There exist data that the originals of the above-mentioned rapports and procedural protocols, implicating top officials in the murders (including "Almaz" commander and fighters), which once served as the basis for detaining and arresting Dmitry Pavlichenko, had also been annihilated.

The country's prosecutor general Viktor Sheiman has at last reacted to the "four special cases". When inquired by the deputy of the "house of representatives" Valery Frolov, he gave an official response on the course of investigation into the criminal lawsuits, filed on the disappearances of Zakharenko, Zavadsky, Gonchar and Krasovsky. The official reply stated that "Gonchar and Krasovsky had been involuntarily kidnapped by the unknown"; that "data on the possible implication of the security services' officials found no confirmation"; that "the cameraman of the Russian ORT bureau Zavadsky had been abducted by Ignatovich and Malik in retaliation for his report about Ignatovich's participation in combat actions on the side of the Chechen guerillas"; as well as that "the commander of the special operative brigade of the military unit 3214 Pavlichenko hadn't been detained during the investigation activities on the matter".


2. Tortures and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

January
The image of the Belarusian policeman is blemished greatly because of some police officers. A Belarusian policeman, despite of the attempts of the cinema, cannot be compared to American or British policeman according to the degree of respect of the people.

Many citizens, who appear in police stations, went through physical and psychological violence. A insignificant proportion of such information reaches the society. In January in Frunzensky district court of Minsk a proceedings over the former deputy head of the investigation department of the Pershamaisky district Viktar Kramsaeu and a group of his subordinates, were resumed. They are accused of tortures during questioning citizens. For a number of years they forced the suspects to confess in this way. The beaten people have lodged about 20 complaints against Kramsaeu to the Public prosecutor's office, but the criminal actions were not instituted. A case of two other police men - Andrei Malyavka and Leanid Korabau - is now considered by the Zavodzky district court. They have killed A;yaxandar Kulakou, a worker, a head of a shift of the Watch manufacturing plant, in the detoxification center. A case of the police sergeant Syarhei Malashenka, who has beaten an officer of inter regional public prosecutor's office, is submitted to the Moscow district court.

The loud case of Alyaxandar Chyhir also reveals the facts of cruel treatment of the citizens by the police. The witness Syarhei Kalyada told in the court that he was beaten in the police station of the auto market "Ring", then at the Interior Affairs Department of the Moscow district of Minsk. He saw that Alyaxandar Chyhir was beaten by the officers at the police station of the automobile market as well.

But the most distressing facts are when in the result of the actions of the law-enforcers the citizens depart this life. On December 20, 2001, a suicide (or a murder?) of the activist of the unsanctioned movement ZUBR Andrei Zaitsau took place. In the appeal of Andrei that has been written two days before the tragedy he asked to defend his constitutional rights and personal security. KGB officer tried to recruit him to informer. KGB officer who named himself Alyaxandar Evstihneeu, made threats and blackmailed the boy.

February
Zavodsky district court of Minsk sentenced to 8,5 years of jail police officer Leonid Korobov for beating to death in the detoxification center a drunk worker from the "Luch" watch plant Alyaxandar Kulakov. According to the witness, the worker rudely insulted the law-enforcer, when the latter was applying physical force against another detainee. Hearing the insults, the cop started beating Kulakov. After one of the punches Kulakov's back of the head hit the wall. Five minutes later he passed out and died.

During opposition rallies some of the law-enforcers are cruelly treating the dissenters. On St.Valentine's Day eve the Young Front's activists were detained by the law-enforcers from the Sovietsky police station. Dmitry Dashkevich, a YF activist, described the conduct of one of the colonels in the following manner: "During the detention they beat me up. The beating resumed in the "Zhiguli" car, where they threw me. A plain-clothed law-enforcer was slapping me in the face. Then he ordered the sergeants to cuff me to the battery near the window. After that the man took off his civilian clothes and under them there was a military jacket with colonel's shoulder-straps. He started slapping me heavily in the face, kicking my legs, disgracing my dignity and threatening to physically annihilate me."

March
Because of accusatory tendency of the Belarusian legislation Belarusian prisons are overcrowded. According to the Interior Minister Uladzimer Navumau, penitentiaries contain by 37% more than they were planned for. 42 thousand convicts are placed there. Very often instead of fines people are sentenced to prison terms. According to the statistics of the Interior Ministry, in 1998 16% of criminals were fined, while in 2001 only 4.9% were fined.

April
A trial over underage detainees of the Vitsebsk colony demonstrated that the supervisors have been beaten the boys. In the yard of the colony was an iron cage, where the wrongdoers were kept up to a day in the frost. Last year, on January 5-6 an uprising occurred there. A former prisoner Alyaksei Shydlousky, who have spent more than who years in detention centers, testifies: "Sometimes all prisoners from one cell were taken out to the passageway, and all were beaten because of one person who was guilty. It happened in Zhodzina mostly. Or another torture: they let water to the cells to a level almost up to a knee, and we were to draw it by mugs and pour it the lavatory pan".

Over a hundred of people were arrested and beaten by police in central Minsk during the social action "Can't Live Like That!", including the action's initiator Valery Schukin. In the Sovietsky police station the detainees went through ill-treatment. Two people were driven away on ambulances with broken ribs and brain concussion. After the end of trial proceedings the Protest march's organizers Yuri Khaschevatsky, Nikolai Khalezin, ZUBR press-secretary Alexander Otroschenkov and ZUBR activists Karpovich and Vederchenko stayed until 2a.m. in the Sovietsky police station of Minsk upon the personal order of the chief of the station Nikolai Buslo. Then all five were driven around the city at 2-6a.m. in a police van. They got to the Okrestina detention center only after 6a.m. and were delivered to the court at 8a.m. But the humiliation didn't stop on that. Nikolai Khalezin and ZUBR activist Yaroslav Steshik were placed in the so-called lock-ups - dark and very stuffy.

August
In August there emerged rumors that the Belarusian authorities ruled to execute the death row inmates Anton B. and Igor L. while their cases were still under consideration in the UN Commission, which is a breach of the International pact on civil and political rights, signed by the country. They recorded a few cases of suicide, committed by citizens in custody, awaiting trial or already condemned. For instance, in the Mstislavl police station there died from severe traumas, delivered by officer Kvetkovsky, a detainee Raichenko. The causes of death of two other citizens, kept in Brest and Minsk jail, remain unidentified.


3.Arrests and Detentions of directors, businessmen and officials

January
In the end of December the head of one the largest Polish-Belarusian enterprises producing furniture was arrested. In January a criminal action was brought up against the head of the Klimavichi regional executive committee, Uladzimer Kanavalau. The director of the "Cooperative procurement trade" of the Mahilyou procurement association Anatol Pratasenya was detained. Criminal proceedings were instituted against him. In Homel the head of the Medical Institute chair Yuri Yankelevich was arrested. A former deputy director of MAZ Alyaxandar Yakauleu, for fear of an arrest, asked for a political asylum in Poland. In Homel a criminal proceedings instituted against the director of radio plant Anatol Kirykau. He can be sentenced to eight years of prison. Mikhail Lyavonau (former director of Minsk Tractor Plant), who was accused of abuse of office and negligence, is placed to pre-trial detention center. He can be sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and confiscation of property. Six criminal actions were brought up against the staffers of the MTZ. A criminal action was instituted against the head of the Homel fat plant. Leanid Kaluhin, a former director of Atlant refrigerator plant, was moved from pre-trial detention cell to mental hospital without special decision of the investigator. At the Belarusian metallurgy plant in Zhlobin its director Vadim Filipau was arrested.

On the whole, as Uladzimer Navumau, the Minister of the Interior informed, in 2001 about 400 top managers of enterprises and organizations were arrested. On January 15 Lukashenka issued a decree "On Additional Measures For Regulation of the Economical Relations", that abruptly increases the power of the State Controlling Committee. The Decree not only returns the economy to the Soviet practice of the state control, but also gives Lukashenka a powerful instrument of repressions against directors.

February
Without notifying the relatives and the lawyer, they transferred former "Atlant" director Leonid Kalugin from the mental hospital into the pre-trial detention.

Legal action was opened against Larisa Balabanova, director of the "Belarusbank's" affiliate over the supplies of office furniture (back in 1996!) for intentionally too high prices.

Legal actions have also been instituted against the director of the Baranovichi dairy complex, former deputy head of the Brest town hall Nikolai Nazaruk, acting director of the Novopolotsk marketplace Nikolai Alekhin, some leaders of medical institutions.

March
Criminal actions were instituted against the management of "Naftan" and "Belaruskalij".

June
In June they instituted criminal proceedings against the directors of markets, bank's chair, former collective farm's head, deputy head of the big plant, director of a small industrial enterprise, land manager. Around 8,5thsd Belarusian inmates are heads of companies and entrepreneurs.

July
Authorities again prolonged by an extra three months the confinement term of the former director of the Minsk tractor plant Mikhail Leonov.

August
During the harvesting period the authorities paid greater attention to the agricultural complex. During a fortnight of scheduled examinations they brought to the criminal accountability 868 people, started 1516 legal lawsuits, the procuracy instituted 405 criminal actions. They did not leave without attention other economic sectors as well: the former head of the Belarusian railway Viktor Rakhmanko is indicted under 15 episodes. Legal action was opened at the Belarusian metallurgic plant, too. Police arrested former director of the "MinskComplexBank" Evgeny Kravtsov.

October
In October there occurred plenty of cases of the directors and officials' persecution. Mass media outlets report that they detained chairman of the Ostromichi agricultural union Vasily Palchuk, deputy head of department for control and revision of the Ministry of Finance Yuri Rak, former owner of the "Fico" company Natalya Sudlenkova (by German customs officers), deputy chairman of the "Zolotoi taler" bank Dmitry Mihalevich, acting director of the Mogilev construction materials company, chief medic of the Minsk center for hygiene and epidemics. Criminal lawsuit has been instituted against the former chairman of the "Minskcomplexbank" Evgeny Kravtsov.

November
The Supreme Court opened hearings on the case of the former director of the Belarusian railroad Viktor Rakhmanko. Another criminal lawsuit has been instituted against the director of "Vastan". There had been apprehended the director general of the advertisement association "AlVit", the chief of the Brest economic police Alexander Kontsevich, first deputy head of the district administration of Gomel Vasily Kravchuk. They likewise initiated legal action against the director of some large company of the Grodno region.

December
Police arrested director general of the Slonim tissue factory, former director of "Belarus" collective farm Spiridon Podshibyakin, head of the Polotsk inter-district department for combating organized criminality and his deputy, director of a "BelarusBank" affiliate, head of the "Kopatkevichi" collective farm, responsible worker of the Volkovysk district council.


4. Denial of Fair Public Trial

January
Three times last year a car of Vasil Dauhalyou, the chairman of the Brest regional executive committee, has knocked down the citizens, two of them died. However Dauhalyou still remains at the position of the head of the region. The military commissar of the Hantsevichy region colonel Vasil Arsyanovich who had killed a man in a road accident and failed to provide assistance in time, not only received the mildest verdict possible, but also received a new five-year contract in the Defense Ministry.

On the other hand, the proceedings over Chyhir-junior are carried out with unfairness, and with numerous violations of procedure aimed against the defendant. The father of Andrei Zaitsau, whose son died under unexplained circumstances, could not bring up an action on the fact of cause his son to commit suicide. The public prosecutor of the soviet region of Homel, Uladzimer Padsekin, said that Andrei Zaitsau's suicide is an ordinary incident, and he is not going to return to this case even if new facts emerge. The investigator had not given the attorney of the Zaitsaus, Zmitser Ivanishka, to get acquainted with the materials of the case. The attorney himself experiences pressure; the Homel regional college of attorneys has started a check of his work.

In general, the new Criminal Code that was introduced from January 1, 2001 reinforced the powers of procurator. The public prosecutors have supported two times as many accusations (44,213) as in 2000. In keeping with the new Criminal Code, the public prosecutors are to support all the accusations in the criminal proceedings.

February
In late February the commission, set up by Lukashenko and mostly consisting of the executive officials, began checking the work of the court, procuracy, lawyers, police and the Ministry of justice. As noted by the prominent layer Garry Pogonailo "the commission, set up by the executive, one more time proves that there's no independence of judiciary as such… Now one can openly state that the courts are included into the repressive state mechanism - totalitarian and undemocratic."

This was confirmed not only through the creation of this commission but also by the following information, registered in February in Internet by certain independent media. The military procuracy halted preliminary investigation against Fedor Ardyako, son of the chairman of the Minsk city court Mikhail Ardyako. Driving his car Fedor Ardyako knocked down the woman, who died on the spot. The Gomel Sovetsky district procuracy refused to open legal action over the death of the ZUBR activist Andrei Zaitsev. According to Andrei's father Yuri Zaitsev, the procuracy didn't check circumstances under which their son perished. Yuri Zaitsev's complaints over the procuracy actions have been declined by the Sovetsky court of Gomel.

In February there resumed court hearings over Alexander Chigir, son of the famous oppositionist Mikhail Chigir. According to his defender Yulia Chigir, the court refused to consider all circumstances and declined the petition on the repeated expertise, which testified to its lack of impartiality. The prosecutor demanded 7 years of jail for Alexander Chigir, 8 years - for Anton Yashin and 11,5 years for Dmitry Yutskevich.

Two political inmates are currently held behind bars - Andrei Klimov, Supreme Soviet deputy and Yury Bandazhevsky, former rector of the Gomel medical institute and also his deputy Vladimir Ravkov.

June
In June there resumed court proceedings over two law-enforcers, charged with criminal negligence, entailing 53 human deaths in the Nemiga stampede. On Alexander Chigir's case - son of the famous oppositionist, sentenced to seven years of jail for "abetting car thefts" - they turned down the request on the cancellation of verdict. Yuri Bandazhevsky and Vladimir Ravkov - medics and professors, sentenced to 8 years of jail, despite the international community's pleas to liberate them, remain incarcerated.

August
The Minsk city hall rejected the request, filed by the parents of the Nemiga stampede-1999 victims, who demanded that they try the city authorities, some private firms (feast's organizers) involved and two law-enforcers.


5. Freedom of Speech and Press

January
Criminal proceedings were instituted against the independent newspaper "Shklouskiya Naviny" and its editor-in-chief Alyaxandar Scherbak He is accused of exceeding of this number of copies permitted for the unregistered newspapers.

The interrogations of the journalists of the independent newspaper "Pahonya", Mikalai Markevicha and Pavel Mazheika, continue. The criminal action is instituted against them on charges related to libeling Lukashenka. An amendment to the Law on Press and Mass media is being prepared, that would restrict even modest possibilities of the free word that the independent mass media possess now.

February
The public prosecutor's office summoned the journalist of the newspaper ""Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta" Iryna Makavetskaya after she had written an article "An Ordinary Case". The Brest regional executive committee denied the newspaper "Brest Coureir" the right to place advertising materials in the public transport, though it had been prepaid. The "Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta" was denied to place a commercial at the Belarusian TV, though they have been already paid. The property of the editor of the "Pahonya" Mikalai Markevich has been distrained, as he had not paid a fine for a picket in defense of his newspaper. He was also denied a registration of a new newspaper. The editor of the "Pahonya" and a journalist of the newspaper were charged with libel against Lukashenka. The Town Court of Orsha's verdict to the editor of the independent newspaper "Kutsejna" Viktar Andreeu was the followng: four computers of the editorial board were confiscated, and Andreeu was fined 200 thousand BYB.

March
A criminal trial against reporters of the newspaper "Pahonia" Mikalai Markevich and Paval Mazheika is being prepared. Belarus is the only country in Europe where slandering president is entered to the Criminal Code. The leadership of the direction of the sports programs of the Belarusian TV was fired. Several times in March web-sites of the "Charter'97" and "Viasna" were erased. The editorial board of the newspaper "Nasha Niva" was reprimanded for mentioning on its pages the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. An exhibition of the association of the artists "Pahonia" experienced censorship of the authorities. The works of such artists as Valery Schasny, Ales Pushkin, Ales Tsyrkunou and Alyaxei Marachkin were removed.

April
In April the newspaper "Narodnaya Volya" received official reprimand for its article on arms trade. A reporter of the Russian TV channel NTV Pavel Selin was reprimanded for his coverage of the cruel dispersion of the action on April 19, a reporting about mass emigration of the Belarusians and about a fire in the camp of the Kurapaty volunteers. The group of NTV correspondents was detained by the walls of the pre-trial detention center where Yuri Bandazheusky is held. Alexandr Kolpakov, another reporter of the NTV, was denied accreditation without any explanation.

The situation around the newspaper "Pahonia" and an imminent trial over its journalists Mikolai Markevich and Paval Mazheika is heated. In Hrodna 6 participants of the picket in their support were detained. The picketers were reprimanded. In a short time 13 more journalists were detained, 6 of them were sentenced to terms from 3 to 10 days of arrest. Stas Pachobut went on hunger strike for 8 days as a sign of protest against authorities' actions.

The heads of the Belarusian TV company have dismissed 200 employees in two weeks.

Literary magazines "Polymya", "Maladosts", "Krynitsa", "Nyoman", a periodical "Litaratura I Mastatstva" were combined into one media holding, headed by Syarhei Kastyan, unqualified, but faithful to authorities.

May
Without the consent of the founder - the Union of writers - they appointed the editor-in-chief of the "Krynitsa" journal. Protesting against this move all magazine's staffers filed in resignations.

The majority of the "Neman" magazine's employees see no perspectives of their work in the edition after they appointed as editor-in-chief Nina Chaika, notorious for her radio-program "Talk on the main subject", inciting social hatred in the country. Six issues of the "Maladost" magazine won't see light as well. Organizational changes and staff reshuffles in the Belarusian periodicals will hurt the most important area - the magazines' content.

A devotee of the state policy, writer Eduard Skobelev called on the recently appointed editors, who are part of the state-controlled holding "Literature and art", to boycott the leading authors of the contemporary Belarusian literature - Vasily Bykov, Rygor Borodulin, Gennady Buravkin, Nil Gilevich, Sergei Zakonnikov and others. By so doing the authorities form a "black list" of the "non-grata" writers, leaving them no chances to get published and deliver their word to the readers. In the Postavsky and Braslavsky districts, where they disrupted readers' meetings with Buravkin, the famous poet had to communicate with his readers near the fence, for the headmaster of the Postavsky school #1 Pavel Trava had categorically banned to host the meeting in the school building.

June
The court sentenced Nikolai Markevich, "Pagonya" editor-in-chief, to 2,5 years of involuntary labor and the journalist of the same paper Pavel Mozheiko - to 2 years of labor for libeling the president

They almost annihilated the Union of writers of Belarus and seized its property. Apart from journalists and writers the pressure was applied against the independent sociologists, exposed to censorship, trade unions, decaying from the inside, opposition organizations, subjected to erosion through rumors and deceit and the non-Orthodox believers

July
Legal action was nstituted against the editor of "Rabochy" newspaper Viktor Ivashkevich for publishing an article, which contained alleged defamation of the president. Economic sanctions were undertaken against "Narodnaya Volya". They froze its bank account with 5mln rubles. The newspaper faced legal action. "Belarusky Chas" editor Alexander Starikevich is under the threat of dismissal. ZUBR coordinator Aleksei Shydlovsky was slandered by the "Sovietskaya Belorussiya".

August
The newspaper Nasha Svaboda". practically ceased its existence after the ruling of the chair of the Minsk Moskovsky district court Anatoly Savich, who satisfied the KGB chair Anatoly Kozik's suit. Kozik said that the newspaper article insulted his dignity. As a compensation of moral damage "Nasha Svaboda" is now obliged to pay him a reimbursement of 54 thousand dollars. The authorities got rid of the editor of the trade union paper "Belarusky Chas" Alexander Starikevich, dismissing him from the post. They also use bureaucratic tricks in order to prevent the editor of the closed newspaper "Pagonya" to register the new edition and do not let the Fellowship of the Belarusian language to issue their mouthpiece "Vedomosti". They simply detain and fine Grodno journalists Andrei Pochobut, Irina Chernyavka and Adjei Pisalnik for alleged trespassing: the reporters visited the cordoned Pogranichny village, where the local authorities were then demolishing the temple of the Belarusian Orthodox Autocephalous church. The court sentenced Nikolai Markevich and Pavel Mozheiko to social works in Osipovichi and Zhlobin respectively. Procuracy sends summons for interrogation to the journalist Irina Khalip for her article in which she mentioned prosecutor general Viktor Sheiman's role in the case of Viktor Kazeko and his son. The main goal of the interrogation was to threaten the woman.

BSU rector complained about McDonald's, which leases office facilities to the Radio "Svaboda". By this one paper they dealt with both the leading maker of hamburgers and the main Belarusian radio outlet.

The "Zgoda" newspaper office was ….At the police the "Bobruisky courier" correspondent Gennady Bagdonaswas bitten.

September
In September they again detained "Narodnaya Volya" journalist Valery Schukin for executing his professional duties during the national "Dazhynki" feast in Polotsk. Pavel Mozheiko was denied job in the newspaper and school, while Nikolai Markevich - in the newspaper "Osipovitsky krai". "BDG" reporter Irina Makovitskaya faced defamation suit, filed by the investigator Vyacheslav Terekhovich for her publication about the case of Vladimir Ravkov, professor of medicine, convicted to 8 years of incarceration. Irina Halip is threatened with trial too for her article "Afghan dogs", in which she is said to have disgraced prosecutor general Viktor Sheiman. According to Irina, her case is an opener of the harassment campaign, unleashed against the independent journalists, doing professional research. They sentenced editor of "Rabochy" Viktor Ivashkevich to two years of enforced labor for alleged defamation of Lukashenko, ostensibly contained in his article "A Thief Belongs to Jail". It wasn't by accident that judge Vladimir Kobyshev declared the process over him confidential. Ivashkevich explains this by their lack of desire to hear the new facts of the regime's lawlessness. In course of the investigation they forwarded inquiries about the scandalous Mahmud Esambaev's fund, "Torgexpo" firm and other companies. Lukashenko, responding the journalists' questions during the press-conference, threatened Alexander Silich and German journalist Matia Brutman, who dared voice "wrong" questions about the presidential fund and missing Belarusian oppositionists. The unidentified attackers beat up Radio Ratsya correspondent Gennady Kesner in Minsk.

The authorities issued a reprimand to the newspaper "For special use" for Irina Halip's publication. They assaulted the editorial office of the "Brestsky courier" and resumed harassment of PEN-Center. "Narodnaya Volya" newspaper finds itself in a real siege. The bailiffs seized all property and conduct investigation into the circumstances under which the newspaper managed to publish an article with the former MTP director general Mikhail Leonov. FTU chairman Leonid Kozik addressed the Minister of information Mikhail Podgainy with a request to shut the newspaper, because he didn't like the tone and style, in which the article on trade unions had been written.

October
There commenced trial over Irina Makovetskaya, BDG journalist in connection with her publications on Vladimir Ravkov's case. Another lawsuit has been filed against BDG. The authorities didn't react to the complaint of Valery Schukin, "Narodnaya Volya" journalist, who was beaten by three unknown men in the Pervomaisky district court on September 11. They also summoned to the procuracy the journalist of "Narodnaya Volya" Marina Koktysh for her publications about Mikhail Leonov. "Svobodnye Novosti" founders' petition to the Ministry of information is left unmet. Criminal action was instituted against Oksana Novikova, private entrepreneur, who was disseminating flyers about Alexander Lukashenko. She may face up to 5 years of jail. The local authorities of Kobrin deny registration to the "Youth Weekly". The journalists of the closed newspaper "Pagonya" are summoned to police where they get threatened, while the police seek to stop the on-line "Pagonya" from appearing in the Internet.

November
The newspaper "Mestnoye Vremya", which first saw light a few weeks ago, has been now closed upon trumped-up charges. The authorities are opposed to the appearance of another uncontrolled mass media outlet. The Ministry of information denies registration permit to the newspaper "Moskovsky Komsomolets in Belarus". "Belsoyuzpechat" distribution network abrogated agreement on the newspaper's dissemination. Journalists of the newspaper "Pagonya" continue to be summoned to police for distributing the newspaper's on-line version. The Grodno authorities manifest particular zeal in suppressing opposition organizations in the region, which are most active regional structures in the country. Court bailiffs confiscated the equipment of the newspaper "Nasha Svaboda".

December
Viktor Ivashkevich has been sent to serve two years of corrective labor. The due amnesty (curtailment of the prison term by one year) has never been applied to him. The post of the director general of the "Belarusian telegraph agency" was taken over by an official from the presidential security service Oleg Proleskovsky. They halted the issue of the newspaper "Moskovsky Komsomolets in Belarus". The publishing house refused to publish the newspaper, referring to the oral instructions of the Ministry of information. The former acting editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Belarusky Chas" Irina Germanovich is charged with financial violations and forced to resign.


6. Freedom of Peaceful Assemblies and Associations

January
Eight UCP activists were fined 20 minimal wages each for their part in the action "A Chain of Those Who Care", dedicated to the disappeared politicians. Herman Sushkevich, Hleb Dohil, Andrei Valabueu, Anton Lazareu were fined 50 minimal wages for participation in the "March of Freedom" on October 17, 1999. V.Shantsau, the chairman of the Mahilyou regional UCP branch, was fined 100 minima wages for violation of the Decree 8. The office equipment of the branch was confiscated. Syarhei Adzinets, the chairman of the Homel youth Center "Hart" was fined 1 million BYB for violation of the Decree 8.

Yauhen Klimau, ZUBR activist from Hrodna, was summoned to KGB for interrogation. A formal ground was his detention on September 9, 2001. On the fact of the criminal proceedings on insult of Lukashenka Alyaxandar Atroschankau, ZUBR press secretary, was summoned to the Minsk public prosecutor's office. Anatol Lyabedzka, the leader of the UCP, was summoned for interrogation to the public prosecutor's office after a publication of the article "Bandits Support Belarusian Regime?" in the newspaper "Narodnaya Volya".

Uladzimer Malei and Henadz Samojlenka, the UCP activists from Brest, were arrested for 15 days for participation in the action in memory of the abducted politicians.

The activist of the UCP, a post-graduate student of the Historical Institute of the Academy of Science, Natalia Brel, is accused by the Rechytsa public prosecutor's office for insult and libel on Lukashenka. The criminal case it forwarded to court.

As was stated by the ZUBR, the activist of this movement from Homel, Andrei Zaitsau who was forced to commit suicide by blackmailing and menacing of the KGB officer. The name of the KGB officer is known, it is Alyaxandar Yastremsky. Andrei's parents demand KGB to refute libel on their son.

The Popular University, an educational project, was refused to receive a lodging in Byalynichy. The studies took place at the regional center of the school youth creative work.

February
Member of the Young Front Alyaxei Kubrakou and the UCP leader Anatol Lyabedzka have been summoned to the interrogations to the Public Prosecutor's Office.

After the action dedicated to St. Valentine's Day 32 members of the Young Front were detained. . Stanislau Ivashkevich (BYB200 mln) and the leader of the Young Front Paval Sevyarynets (BYB3 mln) were fined for their part in the rally.The activists of the Belarusian Popular Front in Vitsebsk, Valery Paulotsky, Uladzislau Tokarau, Leanid Pankratsenka, Valery Vysotsky and Syarhei Shapira were arrested for an unsanctioned picket against abject poverty and arbitrary acts of the government. In Homel right after a performance, where a mask and white shift of a medical doctor were used, Zubr activists Yuri Vasiliuk and Syarhei Dzhumau, Pavel Pouzhyk and Zmitser Karpenka were seized. The police officers explained that the first three of them were detained because their appearance reminded of the criminals who robbed an apartment, and the forth was detained as he disobeyed the policemen's orders.

A trial over Zubr activists from Shklou Mikhail Kisialou, Maxim Patupchyk, Alyaxandar Paulovich, Dzianis Senakosau and Dzmitser Shalashkou has started. They are accused of insult of honor and dignity of the president according to the article of the Criminal Code. On August 14, 2001 they held a …performance

The UCP member from Astravets Ivan Kruk lodged a complaint to the KGB, stating that his home phone is being eavesdropped.

The Communists and Social Democrats are forbidden to picket by entries of the large plants. The Young Front's march on the St. Valentine's Day was not sanctioned. The presidential administration is planning to introduce licensing of the opinion polls and other sociological work. The Union of the Belarusian Writers was left without state funding, despite of the fact that the government guaranteed it in return for the property that had been received from the BWU. The authorities deprive of the offices the Communist Party of Belarus, the United Civil Party, the Belarusian Collegium. The non-state association "Civil Initiatives" from Homel by the court verdict was left without equipment and fined BYB1 mln. An appeal was forwarded to the court in Brest to liquidate a non-state association "Vezha". The offices of the Belarusian Businessmen's Union and "Zadzinochanne Belaruskih Studentau" were robbed.

March
On the Freedom Day 33 people were detained in Minsk. Four of them were sentenced to 10-15 days of arrest (Vyachaslau Siuchyk, Paval Sevyarynets, Viktar Dashkevich, Viktar Kaveshnikau). 16 protesters were fined, others were reprimanded. In Hrodna 22 people were detained. Syarhei Malchyk, a leader of the Belarusian Popular Front in Hrodna, was sentenced to 15-days' arrest. Mikalai Statkevich, leader of the "Narodnaya Hramada", was arrested for organization of the demonstration on Constitution Day. Uladzimer Pleschanka, an activist of the Conservative Christian Party BPF from Vitsebsk, was fined an enormous sum for Belarus, 1200$, for unfurling a slogan: "New Extraordinary Presidential Election Under Surveillance Of the International Organizations Required". Uladzimer Plotnikau, an activist of the Conservative Christian Party BPF, was fined for defense of Kurapaty. Zubr activists from Shklou Mikhail Kisyaliou, Dzianis Senakosau, Dzmitser Shalashkou, Ales Paulovich and Maxim Patupchyk were fined for performance on election theme. The leaders of the oppositional organizations and parties were detained and searched at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border.

Besides the authorities employed special measures against active young people. In Mahilyou young people are registered at the commission on juvenile delinquency. In the same city principal of the technical school Alyaxandar Shaptitsa expelled two students. Zubr activists. In Homel university KGB officers carry out "conversations" with the students.

A former head of the Supreme Soviet Stanislau Shushkevich who receives a pension equal to one US dollar, was refused by the court to receive adequate allowance. Another criminal action instigated against former Prime Minister Mikhail Chyhir.

In Brest a center of the civil inintiaties "Vezha" was liquidated. A regional branch of the human rights defending organization "Viesna' was raided. The Belarusian union of the entrepreneurs was denied to instigate an action on break-in of its office. The Ministry of Justice reprimanded the "Narodnaya Hramada" for forms and a seal that do not correspond a standard. Zhodzina authorities banned the local branch of the Association of Belarusian Language to hold opinion poll in educational institutions.

April
In the beginning of April last trials over the participants of the Freedom Day celebration (March 24) were held. 23 people were convicted; they were reprimanded, fined or arrested for the terms from 3 to 15 days. The head of the Hrodna branch of the BPF Syarhei Malchyk, sentenced to 10-days arrest, in protest went on hunger strike for a week.

The defenders of Kurapaty were treated in illegal way. The administrative trials over volunteers could bot prevent the young people from continuing their round-the-clock watch in the burial place of victims of the Stalin-era repressions. The tent of the volunteers was set on fire. Ales Poklad, activist of the Belarusian Freedom party, who earlier was tried, beaten by the unknown, has bad burns.

On April 19, at the Protest March the inhuman dispersal of the protesters ended by arrest of 102 people. 65 of them were sent to the special detention center in the Akrestsyn St. 40 detainees had signs of beating, 6 people were taken to hospitals by ambulances, 33 people were sentenced to the terms from 3 to 15 days of arrest. The organizers of the action were mostly sentenced to 15 days of arrest (Zmitser Bandarenka, Mikalai Khalezin, Valery Schukin, Yuri Khaschavatsky).

The circumstances of death of Andrei Zaitsau, a ZUBR activist from Homel, remain mysterious. His father Yuri Zaitsau has been trying to find out something for four months, addressing courts, KGB, A.Lukashenka.

May
Almost a month the Kuropaty defender Anton Shkurinsky stayed in a pre-trial detention. The formal reason for detaining him was the absence of passport. A 1,5mln rubles fine must be paid for defending the Kuropaty memorial site by Vladimir Plotnikov. The UCP was reprimanded for its leader Anatoly Lebedko's article "Return the stolen!" Same menacing signal was received by the "Children of Chernobyl" foundation. There resumed trial proceedings over Mikhail Chigir, this time for alleged tax-evasion. In Gomel police detained during the "Chain of those who care" action a "Vesna" activist Anatoly Poplavny. In Minsk the chair of the city court protests against the decision of a lower court in favor of Nikolai Statkevich - to receive a monetary compensation for illegal administrative 10 days arrest on July 27, 1999. The Protest March participant on April 19 Anton Karasev is facing a danger of expulsion from studies in the Minsk gymnasium #13. The Vitebsk record-breaker in the number of street protests Vladimir Pleschenko got his cabbages in the garden seized by the law-enforcers, for he had no other property to pay the fine with.

June
They almost annihilated the Union of writers of Belarus and seized its property. Apart from journalists and writers the pressure was applied against the independent sociologists, exposed to censorship, trade unions, decaying from the inside, opposition organizations, subjected to erosion through rumors and deceit and the non-Orthodox believers.

July
ZUBR coordinator Aleksei Shydlovsky was slandered by the "Sovietskaya Belorussiya".

The prosecutor demanded that they sentence Mikhail Chigir, the former country's Prime Minister, to three years of jail. His son Alexander serves his 7-year term in the Ivatsevichi hard-labor colony. Legal action was instituted against the UCP leader Anatoly Lebedko for an article, in which the government of Lukashenko is accused of supplying arms to the rogue states. 10 days arrest was ruled against deputy chairman of BPF Yuri Khodyko for his participation in the April 26 Freedom Day festivities. Same measure was applied against the Young Front's leader Pavel Severinets for holding the July 27 picket on the Independence Day eve and UCP activist Leonid Malakhov for his rally in support of the businessmen's rights. They fined artist Ales Pushkin for his performance in the memory of the anti-communist resistance members Mikhas Vitushka and Vsevolod Rodko. They exposed to a fine Vladimir Chervonenko, participant of the Grodno action in commemoration of Dmitry Zavadsky. For the same protest they detained other 7 BPF, UCP and BDSP (chaired by Korol) activists. In Minsk they apprehended three YF members for disseminating the newspapers and flyers.

The authorities continue exerting pressure on UCP, the Party of Belarusian communists (chaired by Kalyakin) and trade unions. The former is reprimanded by the Ministry of justice and is subject to thorough examination, while the latter is about to be attached to the pro-presidential communist party.

August
Three ZUBR activists received 25 days of arrest in total - Igor Zakrevsky, Sergei Pezkin and Alexander Golub. The accusatory verdict was passed by the judge of the Central district court of Minsk Tatiana Pavluchuk. The young men were found guilty of picketing the Russian embassy against Belarus' incorporation into Russia. Protesting against the judicial ruling, ZUBRs declared a hunger-strike. Same judge ruled 10 days of arrest against ZUBR activist Evgeny Afnagel for protesting against the loss of state sovereignty at the hero pioneer Marat Kazei's monument. Marat perished in a fight with the oppressors during the Second World War. During the court session Afnagel said that he was acting in compliance with the state constitution, which obliges a person to defend the state sovereignty. He also embarked on a hunger-strike. The "Young Gromada" activist from Grodno Svetlana Neh was sentenced to 10 days' arrest for raising Zavadsky's portrait on his disappearance anniversary. The lady held her hunger-strike for ten days in jail. The jury reprimanded eight UCP activists from Vitebsk for rallying on the Day of the Declaration of Independence of Belarus.

Olga Ipatova, chairwoman of the Union of writers, hoping for a civilized "divorce" between the state and the Union, sought to get through court her due salary for the past year. Her attempt failed. The Logoisk court didn't satisfy the lawsuit, filed by the farmer Lyavon Valui against the police officer Alexander Rymsha, Logoisk police and the Ministry of finance over the right to use Belarusian national language. In accordance with the Ministry of education's verdict by the new academic year they will shut 100 Belarusian-language schools.

September
Phone conversation between the head of the SPS union of Russia Boris Nemtsov and UCP leader Anatoly Lebedko was tapped and its records leaked into the Russian and Belarusian media. The Belarusian procuracy, not regarding it as something criminal, didn't bother to react to Lebedko's appeal. The security service detained one of the ZUBR coordinators Timofei Dranchuk. The young man was threatened with physical annihilation for photographing the house, where Lukashenko's mother is said to live. For rallying on Lukashenko's birthday eve the court reprimanded Vitebsk activists from UCP Oksana Kravtsova, Nadezhda Shakalis, Evgeny Konstantinov, Alexander Kobyak, Oleg Shulgin, while Vladimir Kravtsov and Alexander Bakulin were fined 1,5mln rubles each. Mikhail Tarasouk, Dmitry Fillipovich and Georgy Solomenik were reprimanded for picketing the presidential administration with banners "Where's Gonchar? Where's Zakharenko? Where's Zavadsky? Where's Krasovsky?" Police also fined 200,000 rubles chairman of the Grodno BPD branch Zmitser Ivanovsky for his action, commemorating Zavadsky's memory. Protesting against the court's ruling Zmitser went on a hunger-strike in custody. Young Front activist Dmitry Dashkevich was immured for 15 days for picketing the Russian embassy. Andrei Zaitsev's father was once again denied institution of lawsuit over his son's demise (Andrei was a member of ZUBR). Radio Svaboda quotes his father as saying that the detectives don't even fulfill the procuracy's demands, never interrogated main witnesses and overlooked phone conversation between Andrei and the KGB agent. Late at night the unknown attackers beat near his own house one of the leaders of the Belarusian united social democrats Alexei Korol. This incident coincided in time with his return from an important trip to Vilnius. In Grodno police beat the leader of the "Deviation" band Stas Pochobut.

The UCP received warning signals from the Justice Ministry, signifying that the party may be liquidated through court at any moment. The Justice Ministry considered unlawful the last congress of the Belarusian female party "Nadzeya". On the other hand, upon the decision of the head of state the local authorities are obliged to provide space and compensate the expenses for the pro-presidential communist party. On one of the days when they held a writers' union congress, the unknown people beat up the famous Belarusian writer Adam Maldis.

October
Chairman of the regional BHC branch Leonid Markhotko received $1380 in fines for arranging a meeting of local activists with Anatoly Lebedko and Ludmila Gryaznova, which took place on a stadium. Trade union leader Viktor Babaed was fined $180 for answering a few questions at the meeting. "Youth Front's" leader Pavel Severinest received $890 fine for picketing against Belarusian-Russian integration. Activist of the same organization Sergei Matskoit was sentenced to a $181 fine, while Ilya Yadrentsev was condemned to 3 days of jail. For organizing entrepreneurs' meeting in Grodno they sentenced to 15 days the local trade union leader Valery Levonevsky. In Vitebsk they detained 8 UCP members, who engaged in the action, dedicated to the Day of political repressions' victims. The party of communists of Belarus was moved out of its office. Having no legal address it faced danger of total extinction. The United Civil Party is also losing its office. The head of the party Anatoly Lebedko and Yaroslav Romanchuk underwent a thorough search in the Minsk airport. The "Smena" cinema hall, which hosted meetings with the artists, went shut too. They turned down the appeal of the ZUBR activist Aleksei Shydlovsky to the editor of the "Sovetskaya Belorussiya" Pavel Yakubovich, who slandered the young man.

November
Anatoly Lebedko, UCP leader, was seized by the camouflaged special agents near the US embassy and driven to KGB, where they warned him against committing high treason. Mikhail Chigir's cassation appeal, submitted to the Minsk city court, hasn't been satisfied and his verdict on tax-evasion and negligence was left in force. Court sentenced to 7 days of arrest the activist of the Belarusian Freedom Party Dmitry Kavko for spray-painting graffiti: "Lukashenko, honor Kuropaty!" and other inscriptions of the kind. The Minsk city hall forbade the Party of communists of Belarus to launch a November 7 action.

December
Lukashenko publicly stated his intention to nominate himself for a third term, which is a clear breach of the Constitution. Not a single representative of opposition parties was appointed into the territorial electoral commissions' make-up,

Prisoner of the Ivatsevichi colony Alexander Chigir faced new indictment. This time Alexander Chigir is charged with illicit entrepreneurial activities. Court sentenced to 10 days of arrest Pinsk activists from the BPF CCP Igor Sorokovik and Leontiy Vadischevich for picketing against war in Chechnya. Skinheads beat up the female activist of ZUBR from Borisov Alesya Yasuk for disseminating the special issue of the newspaper "Borisov news". Five more ZUBRs were apprehended by the law-enforcers for similar reasons. They also fined Irina Salei, the former journalist of the newspaper "Pagonya" for hanging a white-red-white flag on her balcony. The authorities of Orsha sanctioned the concert of the Moscow neo-fascist band "Kolovrat". The concert's organizer was the town committee of the pro-presidential Belarusian Youth Union.


7. Freedom of Faith

January
The state newspaper "Vitsebsky Rabochy" calls to stop construction of the "Catholic institutions". The state Belarusian radio stopped broadcasting of a popular catholic program "Voice of Soul".

February
The Greek Catholic community was returned only one of its numerous churches. The Baptist Church in Baranavichy that planned to carry out a party for sick children and present the gifts, was denied a building for that. Closed to Minsk the Orthodox Church was fired.

March
In Barysau authorities denied the right of the Judaic religious association for the building of the former synagogue, it was sold from auction.

May
They again set on fire the Roman Catholic church in the Kuntsevschina village in the vicinity of Minsk. In Pinsk the unknown defiled a synagogue, having painted a swastika and a hanger with a loop in a form of a six-pointed star.

General prosecutor Viktor Sheiman disagreed with the decision of the Supreme economic court, which withdrew reprimand, issued against the newspaper "Narodnaya Volya" for mentioning the unregistered Belarusian Autocephalous Church's name on its pages.

July
The court turned down the appeal, filed by the president of the Universal association of Belarusian Jews Yakov Gutman, who asked to consider the actions of the Belarusian authorities, who destroyed the historical synagogue building in Minsk. In Borisov some vandals demolished 79 Jewish tombs at the old town graveyard. Police never identified let alone captured them. The most serious confrontation occurred in the Pogranichny village of Grodno region. Police besieged the temple of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox church there. Temple priest Yan Spasouk lost consciousness during his negotiations with the officials. Journalist and human rights advocate Valery Schukin, who was in the epicenter of unfolding events, got arrested and then sentenced to 15 days of jail. Sergei Malchik, head of the Grodno "Vesna" affiliate and Vladimir Hilmanovich, deputy chairman of the Grodno BAJ branch, who were traveling to meet the priest, were fined for alleged violation of passport regulations

August
In the Pogranichny village of the Grodno region there was destroyed the first temple of the Belarusian Autocephalous church, which had been still under construction. Nineteen members of the Hindu congregation were detained for two days for protesting against the new religious law. Their community was fined 3thsd dollars, while the group's leader Natalia Solovieva was officially reprimanded. Krishna followers were once again denied registration in the Committee for religions and nationalities.

October
The religious law, restricting the non-Orthodox confessions, was signed by Lukashenko upon the approval by both chambers of the "parliament". That's the reason why police, courts and other state bodies are harshly persecuting the opponents of the law. A believer from the Hindu community Tatiana Zhilevich was beaten by the unknown at the entrance to her own house. After the medical treatment of her brain trauma the woman was sentenced to 10 days. Her companion Mariya Vyatkina was sentenced to $1000 for a picket in support of the religious minorities. They also reprimanded the administrator of the "New Life" church Vasil Yurevich for protesting against the law. In the village of Pogranichny they detained two US diplomats, while their interpreter Dmitry Semenov faced protocol. Some rascals plundered the Catholic temple in Kletsk.


8. Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Human Rights Violations

January
The Belarusian authorities nonetheless do not take notice of the numerous addresses of the international community to resume the process of democratization. Moreover, they hindered PACE delegation visit to Minsk, accused the AMG OSCE of the subversive activities in Belarus, sent a protest note to the Embassy of Russia after NTV channel comments, deterred the appointment of the new AMG OSCE head, told that AMG OSCE deportation from the country is possible, carried out an offensive visa issuing politics in relation to the citizens of Sweden, refused to issue an entry visa to Hans Georg Wieck, demanded to change the OSCE mission mandate in the country.

March
The Belarusian authorities recalls its ambassador from the USA, meets the Iraqi delegation at the highest level, advocates cancellation of sanctions against Iraq, continues struggle against the OSCE mission. The head of state says that the OSCE activity is a direct intervention to internal affairs."

April
Negative reaction is inhuman dispersal of the demonstration on April 19, denial of visas to Michel Rivollier and Ebergard Heiken, restriction of the AMG OSCE mission mandate.

May
For a few months the mission has been operating without its head. The newly appointed head, ambassador Ebergard Haiken is a "persona non-grata" for the government, which requires the change of the group's mandate.

June
The leadership of Belarus demonstratively boasted of its relations with the rogue states, such as Syria and Iran. The authorities also turned down the step-by-step strategy, proposed by the US diplomacy. Belarusian Foreign Ministry is utterly obstinate in its relations with the OSCE AMG, issuing a few times a month statements on the inadmissibility of its former mandate and preliminary recognition of the house of representatives in PA OSCE.

July
In response to the international anxiety, the Belarusian authorities stepped up greater pressure against both press and opposition, embarked on economic blackmailing of Russia and growing contacts with the rogue states. Lukashenko had many times threatened press with new repressions and assaulted opposition activists. The Belarusian court annulled registration of the Russian company "Zapadtransnefteproduct", through which they export most of the Russian petroleum. Official Minsk hints that they will soon deal with the Russian gas pipes as well.

August
The Foreign Ministry declared that the Belarusian government is ready to discuss the issue with the OSCE AMG only at the OSCE Permanent Council's session in Vienna and disagreed with the human rights report, drawn by the US Department of State.

September
On one hand, Belarusian Foreign Ministry's representatives intend to launch consultations in Vienna concerning cooperation with OSCE and Lukashenko mails personal address to George Bush with a call to normalize the relations between the two countries. On the other hand, the last remaining OSCE AMG official in Minsk Meagan Fitzjerald is denied visa prolongation by the Belarusian authorities. "Rabochy" editor Viktor Ivashkevich is sentenced to two years of involuntary labor. Saddam Hussein receives personal letter from Luakshenko, the contents of which remain secret.

October
Viktor Gaisenok, Belarus' representative in OSCE, insisted on the shutdown of the OSCE office in Minsk. Upon the demand of the authorities, which denied prolongation of diplomatic accreditation, the country was forsaken by the last remaining mission's diplomat Alina Josan.

November
Belarusian authorities' reaction to the visa denial to the supreme country's leadership showed the "cold war" spirit. They threatened the Czech Republic with a rupture of diplomatic and economic relations and the European countries - with retaliation measures, sending a strong-worded message to the secretary general of NATO George Robertson.

December
Lukashenko, reacting to the visa denial to the supreme Belarusian leadership, declared that 200thsd illegal immigrants are staying on the territory of Belarus in hope to penetrate deeper into Europe. Lukashenko said that nobody would prevent them from doing that at Belarus' own expense. Moreover, he once again reminded about the already thwarted attempts of drug and arms transit to Europe. The authorities rudely distorted the results of negotiations with the US congressmen, presenting a deliberate lies in the pre

[Nate]

Ik heb het deels gelezen, 't is een aardige lap tekst. Tijdige conclusies die ik eruit trek zijn echter:

1) Het land is geen democratie
2) Het land boekt weinig tot geen economische vooruitgang
3) Het land heeft een monopolie m.b.t. de media

Dus, als ik dan vanuit het 'rechten-denken' kijk;

1) Wit-Rusland schendt het recht op vrijheid van meningsuiting
2) Wit-Rusland schendt het recht op persvrijheid

Tja... Ik ben toch nog niet overtuigd van de ondraagbaarheid van het leven daar.

[Quivarum]

Zolang je niets zegt wat de overheid niets bevalt kun je doen en laten wat je wilt. Dit zagen we ook in het voormalige Oostblok. Toen waren wij het erin Europa helemaal niet mee eens datdat Oostblok opgeheven werd. Dit is weer een bewijs dat Europa niet in staat is haar eigen zaakjes op te lossen.

Gatara heeft zeker een punt, dit is het vergeten Europa. Hier zou in later tijden misschien wel weer eens een bloedige oorlog kunnen komen.

[Nate]

Wat spreekt iedereen toch van Europa. We zijn nog steeds Nederland hoor.

Een beetje burgelijk, maar: fuck de globalisering.

[Gatara]

Quivarum schreef:
Zolang je niets zegt wat de overheid niets bevalt kun je doen en laten wat je wilt.

Goh. En wat als je dan bang moet zijn met wat je zegt?
Het is het schenden van mensenrechten hoor. Hier in Nederland waren ze al aan het zeiken dat de media zo links zou zijn (wat is Elsevier dan?), maar ze werden nooit opgepakt, mishandeld, gestraft of erger: vermist (en waarschijnlijk vermoord).

dit is het vergeten Europa. Hier zou in later tijden misschien wel weer eens een bloedige oorlog kunnen komen.

Hmm... de oppositie wordt steeds sterker door o.a. internationale hulp aan oppositiegroeperingen.
Ook al lijkt het soms hopeloos, maar het kan omvergeworpen worden en omgeturned naar een land waar je wel mag zeggen wat je wilt.
Otpor (www.otpor.com) is het ook zo gelukt.

[Gatara]

Nate schreef:
Wat spreekt iedereen toch van Europa. We zijn nog steeds Nederland hoor.

Ik vind het nogal hypocriet van het westen van Europa om als ze spreken van Europa daar slechts de EU mee bedoelen. Ik gebruik daarom het woord extra om mensen te laten realizeren dat dat OOK Europa is en ons OOK aangaat.
Zeker omdat het behoorlijk dichtbij is en grenst aan een mogelijk komend EU-lid Polen.

Een beetje burgelijk, maar: fuck de globalisering.

Je hebt globalisering en je hebt globalisering.

[Nate]

Misschien, maar ik voel me niet verantwoordelijk voor de rest van Europa. Ik voel me verantwoordelijk voor m'n eigen land.

[Gatara]

Nate schreef:
Misschien, maar ik voel me niet verantwoordelijk voor de rest van Europa. Ik voel me verantwoordelijk voor m'n eigen land.

Qua mensenrechten zit het hier wel ok, dacht ik zo. Waarom dan niet verder dan je neus kijken? Het is immers ook je land (Nederland) dat betrokken is bij Internationale verdragen. Juist DIE verdragen zorgen ervoor dat er enige verantwoordelijkheidsgevoel mag zijn bij de Nederlandse regering/bevolking (hoewel ik niemand kwaad aankijk als ze liever om hun eigen hachje geven ).

[Gatara]

Baghdad Mayor Prepares Asylum for Saddam in Minsk

16:51, 06/03/2003, Olga Mazaeva, Nezamisimaya Gazeta

Baghdad mayor has been in Minsk for three days now. The observers don’t rule out a possibility that he might have come to negotiate with the Belarusian authorities on Saddam Hussein’s moving to Minsk under the protection of the Belarusian leader. However, the official goal of the visit of the pre-war Baghdad’s mayor was declared as alleged “exploration of the sewerage system of the Belarusian capital”, which sounds really weird.

Having descended the aircraft the guest from Baghdad passed over to the Belarusian leader personal greetings from Saddam Hussein and said literally this: “Everything’s quiet in Baghdad. Our people are doing their regular routine, though getting themselves prepared for various situations in life.” Belarusian analysts assume that the war, which may soon broke out in the Persian Gulf, may push Baghdad to accept Alexander Lukashenko’s proposal on the political shelter. Moreover, rumors are spreading that during his visit to Minsk the mayor of the Iraqi capital will try to maintain contacts with other Slavic countries.

Leader of the United Civil Party Anatoly Lebedko, commenting on the situation, reminded that last fall Baghdad was visited by representatives of the Belarusian military enterprises, whose production could be used in different ways, including the military one.

“I dare assume that in the Iraqi delegation there are people, who aren’t of “peaceful” professions,” – said Lebedko, hinting at the possibility of unofficial deals in military sphere between Iraq and some CIS countries. Lebedko also confirmed that it is quite plausible that the mayor of Baghdad may reach an agreement on Saddam Hussein’s transportation to Minsk.

The Iraqi embassy refutes such allegations, claiming that Adnan Abed Hamed arrived in Minsk upon the arrangement, made in Minsk by the Iraqi Vice-Premier in September last year. Then it was declared that Iraq wants to attract Belarusian specialists in erecting reliable water supplies system in Baghdad, help solve transportation problems and healthcare. According to the Baghdad’s mayor himself, Belarusian Foreign Ministry and the Iraqi embassy, issues of the political interaction and military cooperation aren’t there in the visit’s daily agenda.
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http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/06/ubezhishe