British Aid to Belarus Dictatorship

 
British aid money has been given by the European Union to help the security forces
of the last dictatorship in Europe.

Funds intended to help the world’s neediest have been spent on providing training and equipment to the police force and border guards of Belarus, an autocracy run along Soviet lines. The aid, supplied by the European Union’s EuropeAid programme, to which Britain’s Department for International Development (DfID) is a major donor, came despite violent action against the pro-democracy opposition.

The Foreign Office has expressed grave concern at the imprisonment and abuse of dissidents and also at the use of the death penalty, while an EU arms embargo has been put in place. However, the EU increased aid payments to Belarus to more than £32 million last year, including millions of pounds on projects to reinforce the country’s western borders.

The European Commission said the aid would curb people trafficking and drug smuggling, but dissidents claimed the equipment has been used to prevent the regime’s opponents fleeing.

Labour said the aid to Belarus was unjustifiable and urged ministers to raise it with the commission.
David Cameron is committed to spending 0.7 per cent of GDP on foreign aid, but Britain has direct control over only part of the budget, with more than 40 per cent distributed through third parties.

The EuropeAid programme receives £1 billion from DfID. The Brussels scheme has in turn spent £68 million since 2007 in Belarus, under the “neighbourhoods policy” designed to promote democracy in countries bordering or near the EU, and prevent illegal migration to the EU.

Procurement documents show Belarus has been bought equipment including motorcycles, patrol boats, swamp vehicles and thermal imaging cameras for border guards.

The list included £279,000 to buy and house guard dogs, £8.4 million on mobile X-ray machines and cameras to inspect cars crossing the borders, and £6.7  million on a computerized criminal records database and portable equipment to check biometric data.

The aid agency trained border guards in “document integrity, detection of forgeries and impostor recognition” and spent millions to clear the border strip and install new checkpoints, telephones and CCTV networks.

Human rights monitors are severely critical of Belarus, which has been ruled by Alexander Lukashenko, the so called president, since 1994. He has retained the KGB and other Soviet-era ministries, is accused of running death squads for political opponents and has named his son Kolya, nine, who carries a golden handgun, as his “heir”. He said last year: 
“I am the last and only dictator in Europe.”

Presidential elections in December 2010 were declared “fraudulent” by the American Senate, while the US and Europe have placed a travel ban and asset freeze on some regime officials.

Natalia Kaliada, director of the underground Belarus Free Theatre, accused Brussels of propping up the regime, which does not want its critics free to campaign.“With such equipment they would block all possibilities of escape completely. It would be a completely isolated country,” she said.

Jim Murphy, the Labour shadow development secretary, said there was no justification for aid to go to Belarus and called on ministers to take it up with the European Commission. “Aid is vital to help alleviate poverty and to support UK national security and economic interests. It should not support regimes in countries of concern with alarming human rights records,” he said. “Ministers must now urgently raise this matter with the European Commission to ensure no UK taxpayers’ money is being spent in ways which undermine our national interests or values.”

Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrat leader who sits on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said: “Before financing equipment of this kind you have to assess the balance of risks of illegal breaches of the border against the reality of an unpleasant regime which cares very little for the human rights of its citizens. “If there is a suggestion that this equipment is being exploited we should think very carefully about continuing to provide it.”

DfID said its ministers were aware of the aid to Belarus and supported Europe’s policy of “critical engagement” with the regime. A spokesman for the European Commission said: “EU support for Belarus is all about promoting democracy and human rights and where necessary pushing the Belarusian authorities hard, whilst supporting civil society that seeks to hold them to account.”

Matthew Holehouse, The Telegraph.

Call to Release Statkevich and Dashkevich!

Please, Sign the Petition!

The situation with democracy and human rights is going worse in Belarus. Mass media and human rights defenders continually inform about repressions, which are used by the regime against civic activists, representatives of the opposition and independent journalists. The situation with political prisoners, who are still in prison and other institutions of confinement, is deteriorating as well.

Two prisoners of conscience, 2010 presidential candidate Mikola Statkevich and the leader of "Young Front" Zmitser Dashkevich, are in an especially dramatic situation.

Mikola Statkevich was imprisoned for 6 years for participation in a demonstration on 19 December 2010. He is a subject of repressions in prison. He was sent to a punishment cell several times. They tried to break his spirit by limiting contacts with his lawyer, relatives, as well as his correspondence. He was accused of %u201Einability of resocialization in a prison" and was additionally convicted to three years of a stricter colony regime.

Zmitser Dashkevich was imprisoned for two years in a colony for allegedly beating two men he accidentally met two days before the presidential election. The authorities put unprecedented pressure on him; he was tortured and humiliated, underwent several transfers under guard. Almost the whole time of imprisonment he spent in a punishment cell or indoors. At the end of August he was blamed for persistent noncompliance with orders and was sentenced to an additional year of imprisonment. He is discriminated on the grounds of religion, is humiliated in the colony, threatened with use of physical force, including sexual assault and murder, his right for meetings with family is limited without justification.

The actions of the colony authorities show that Lukashenko seeks to annihilate his political rivals. We can't allow it!

Therefore we call upon the leaders of the EU member states to take permanent actions in order to achieve the release and rehabilitation of Mikola Statkevich and Zmitser Dashkevich, as well as other Belarusian political prisoners and immediately appeal to Belarus' government demanding to stop tortures and other forms of inhuman treatment of political prisoners and stop the prosecution of Mikola Statkevich and Zmitser Dashkevich.

We deeply believe that only consistent action and a common position of the EU member states can lead to the release of Belarusian political prisoners.

Please, click on the picture to sign the Petition!

Thank you.

Plushy Wars in Belarus 2012

That´s it. Finally the last dictator of Europe is cornered. No way out! The illegitimate president of Belarus is cornered by a bunch of plush teddy bears (879 of them to be precise) from Sweden bearing messages calling for freedom of speech and human rights in Belarus. Each proud hero-bear was dropped from the sky all over Belarus with its own individual parachute and was holding a pro-democracy messages such as "We Support the Belarussian Struggle for Free Speech." Definitely dictator Lukashenko and his KGB gang members got scared.

The assault on dictatorship was apparently carried out by two Swedes, Tomas Mazetti and Hannah Frey, working for Swedish PR Agency Studio Total, who said they learned to fly and piloted the small plane from Lithuania into Belarusian airspace as their own personal effort to dramatize the struggle for Human Rights in Belarus.

In an interview with Foreign Policy, Mr. Mazetti and Ms. Frey explained why they used teddy bears.

TM: There are few examples in history of forcing a dictator to step down through money or weapons alone, and of course one should protest his actions. But a campaign using teddy bears has been received warmly in Belarus, and many people think that it's very funny.

HF: The idea to use the teddy-bear grams was not ours. It originated with an opposition group in Belarus called Speak the Truth. They used teddy bears to spread their message. After we decided to carry out some sort of protest, we saw what they had done, and that's how we arrived at using the teddy bears.

As Charetr97.org reported later on, a light Swedish aircraft overflew the Belarusian border on July 4th, 2012. Teddy bears with pro-democracy labels were dropped from the plane over the town of Ivyanets and on the outskirts of Minsk. The Belarusian authorities refused to admit the fact of the flight until July 26 saying "the investigation is under way". Photographer Anton Suryapin, who published photos of teddy bears found near Ivanets on the internet, and Real Estate Agent Sergei Basharymov, who rented an apartment to the Swedes, were detained. They were charged with violation of Part 6 of Article 16 (aiding and abetting) and Part 3 of Article 371 (illegal crossing the state border of Belarus). Both may face up from three to seven years in prison. How is it funny now?

There´s no doubt that allegations against Surapin and Basharymov are groundless and absurd. They have never helped Swedes in any kind of "illegal crossing the state border of Belarus". As always Belarusian KGB is looking for people to blame. They did the same with the other two young guys - Vladislav Kovalev and Dmitriy Konovalov in spring of this year, blaming them in blowing up the Oktyabrskaya subway station. In May 2012 Kovalev and Konovalov were executed. And their participation in a "terror act" was never actually proven. The ruling was based on trivial and inconclusive evidence.

Now the Belarusian KGB is looking for new fresh victims, and offers organizers of the teddy bear air-drop to come to Minsk to give evidence as suspects. "In the interests of an unbiased investigation of the criminal case and figuring out all details of intrusion into the airspace of the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Lithuania, the State Security Committee offers the Swedish citizens, who took part in organizing and performing the illegal border overflying, to arrive in Minsk as suspects to take part in the investigative procedures, including face-to-face interrogations", the KGB Information Center reports. "Final procedural decisions in relation to the Belarusian citizens involved in the criminal case will be made after that."

The Belarusian KGB security service is demanding that representatives of the Swedish PR Agency Studio Total, of which Mr. Mazetti and Ms. Frey are employees, come in for questioning. "We want to have an objective, comprehensive investigation of the case, and an explanation of all aspects of the intrusion into Belarusian airspace," a KGB spokesperson told journalists at a press-conference.

Swedish PR Agency Studio Total commented to Charter97.org on the invitation of its employees to the Belarusian KGB to give evidences: "Studio Total can comment charges only after it will get acquainted with them. But the publication of photographs on the Internet cannot be illegal. Moreover, the fact of border crossing and airdrop of bears was confirmed by Lukashenko himself. That means that there is nothing far-fetched in the photos, which were just (!) posted on the Internet by Anton Suryapin. As to Sergei Basharymov, if he is arrested, then one have to arrest and indict everyone: those who have rented a car to us, sold us airline tickets... There is no logic in that, no sense. Just an attempt to demonstrate its power. Irrational actions from the side of Alexander Lukashenko, who, apparently, is in despair and poorly perceives what is going on."

"Studio Total has not received any written invitation from the Belarusian KGB yet, so it is difficult to comment. But let them send - Studio Total will read with interest and think about it", - said Thomas Mazetti, the one who conducted the flight to Belarus. The pilot also reported that now lots of anonymous letters with threats come to the studio - probably from representatives of the Belarusian security services.

As Harry Pahanyaila, Human Rights Activist, told in his interview to the press service of Belarusian Association of Journalists: "Those details, which the KGB reports today - is actually an invitation of the citizens of Sweden to come to Belarus, where they will be arrested and where they also will be indicted. To expect that the Swedes will come here? Ridiculous. Moreover, Belarus has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of justice in such cases. "

According to the human rights defender, prisoners Suryapin and Basharimov in the KGB jail are now in the position of hostages.

"They are just an object of a blackmail - we, say, can, probably, let them go, if someone would come here and give evidences ... There are words of the need of identification parades, interrogations to find out how objectively were accused Belarusian citizens. Hence, the investigation has no sufficient evidences of the involvement of these persons to the crime? This does not correspond to the norms of the Criminal Procedure Code, not to the traditions that exist in democratic states in the prosecution of criminal offenses.

If it was civilized and democratic, no one would prevent our services to send appropriate requests to the prosecutor´s office in Sweden about the interrogation of the citizens of this country, involved in the offense. And so, without seeking their arrival here, get the necessary information. The state itself is, of course, hardly will surrender its citizens, but they could provide the necessary information on the circumstances of the initiated criminal case in Belarus", - said Harry Pahanyaila.

As a revenge for «teddy-bears bombing» dictator Lukashenko expelled Sweden Ambassador Stefan Eriksson and also proposed to withdraw the Embassy of Sweden from Belarus by August 30th, 2012. Yet the context and consequences of this revenge run deeper. Lukashenka has long sought to neuter Western embassies in Minsk. In 2008, he threw out the United States Ambassador and most of its staff. Earlier this year, he expelled the Polish and EU Envoys, and subsequently stated that he would decide, which European Ambassadors would be allowed to stay. Apparently, the Swedish Ambassador was not one of them.

Nothing is more important, however, than a strong and engaged presence of European diplomats in Belarus. Lukashenka long since purged his country of most Western institutions. No international organization dealing with democracy and human rights remains since the OSCE was forced to close its office. No major Western NGOs or foundations are allowed in Belarus, and cooperation with and funding from them is a criminal offense under Belarusian Law. This makes Western Embassies the only legal contact point and partner for those that strive for democratic change in Belarus.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has no doubts the Belarusian ruler stands behind the new diplomatic row. "Lukashenka behaves like a bandit. I don't know why he chose escalation. It's not a secret that our democracy program has been annoying the Belarusian authorities for a long time. They just demonstrated their anger now. No doubts that Lukashenka stands behind this," the Swedish Foreign Minister said in an interview for TT news agency.

Also outraged Lukashenko dismissed head of the State Border Committee Major General Igor Rachkouski and the Commander of the Air and Air Defence Forces Major General Dmitriy Pakhmelkin. In reality he was supposed to dismiss his National Security Advisor - his son - Victor Lukashenko and then to dismiss himself.

Because in the summer of 1996, 70 deputies of the 199-member Belarusian Parliament signed a petition to impeach Lukashenko on charges of violating the Constitution. Shortly after that a referendum was held on November 24th, 1996 in which four questions were offered by Lukashenko and three offered by a group of Parliament members. The measures passed, but faced international and internal condemnation. On 25 November, it was announced that 70.5% of voters, on an 84% turnout, had approved an amended constitution that greatly increased Lukashenko's power. The United States and the European Union, however, refused to accept the legitimacy of the referendum. By most accounts, the new constitution turned his presidency into a legal dictatorship. So, dictator Lukashenko is illegitimate president anyway since the time of his impeachment in summer 1996 and a rigged referendum of November 24th.

Mikalai Statkevich Who is in Jail is Re-Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

It is just a carte blanche to lawlessness, permissiveness and impunity.

It is not enough anymore for the Belarusian regime to put people in jail, they want to destroy, to kill political opponents.

What caused that Statkevich who is in jail already to be re-sentenced to 3 years in prison? Why did the authorities are in no hurry to release political prisoners? The answer is simple. Andrey Sannikov and Mikalai Statkevich were two most promising presidential candidates. And Aleksandr Lukashenko knows about it. He got only 38% in the first round of the election and all opposition candidates got 42%. Sannikov and Statkevich were the most promising candidates with about 15-20% of votes.

That's why he hates them so much! Because if it was a real democratic honest second round of presidential election back in December 2010 he would be kicked out from his post in no time by Sannikov or Statkevic. Because both of them have got support of most of the Belarusian people. That's why a bloodthirsty dictator Lukashenko wants to kill them in 2012 one way or the other and crash all the rest of the political prisoners.

What is different this time, this year is that dictator Lukashenko is not alone in his bloodthirstiness. He has an eldest son and his name is Victor Lukashenko. Almost nobody knows nothing about this young dictator. He is 36 and he is appointed as an Assistant to the President of Belarus on National Security. And this year 2012 the position of Victor Lukashenko was strengthened by the KGB and the Border Committee, then through the Information Analysis Center (or Cyber Security Center), and now through the Investigation Committee which was created in November last year. So everything is now passing into the hands of Viktor Lukashenko and his team.

That's why on January 12, 2012 a former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich stood trial in a penal colony in Shklou and was re-sentenced to 3 years in prison.

An initiative of the colony authorities to toughen confinement conditions for the former presidential candidate was heard at the trial. Colony authorities say Mikalai Statkevich does not mend his way and that's why he should be transferred to a facility with stricter confinement conditions - a closed prison.

An official ground for accusing Statkevich was absence of a label with his number on his clothes and failure to include handkerchiefs in the list of his personal possessions, the wife of the politician said.

The real cause for toughening confinement conditions was principled position of Statkevich, who did not admit his guilt and does not want to apply to Lukashenko for a pardon.

Last spring, the former presidential candidate was found guilty of organizing mass disorders on December 19, 2010 (which is a total lie) and sentenced to 6-year imprisonment.

Mikalai Statkevich looked good during the trial and took the sentence bravely with a smile.

His wife, Maryna Adamovich, says the decision of the judge was unfair, but she expected it. The woman says she did not hope for a better decision. "Justice died long time ago in Belarus," she said. The trial was conducted by Judge Volkau from Shklou.

Human Rights Activist Harry Pahanyaila gave his comment on transferring former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich from a penal colony in Shklou to prison No. 4 in Mahillou.

"There have not been cases of transferring an inmate from a penal colony to a prison. The case of Mikalai Statkevich is the first one. Medium and maximum security penal colonies differ from a prison only by confinement conditions. A prison supposes limited number of meetings, restrictions in correspondence. An inmate has the right to spend one basic unit of money per month, he cannot receive parcels. Calls to relatives are allowed only in exceptional cases. Confinement conditions are tougher than in ordinary penitentiaries. As a rule, prisons are for persons, who repeatedly violated prison rules and regulations, or for dangerous special criminals for the first five years of imprisonment," Radio Svaboda quotes Harry Pahanyaila.

Harry Pahanyaila says the prison has cells for two, three or four inmates, but there are not strict rules. "They may hold a prisoner in solitary confinement. It depends on availability of cells and the prison authorities. Confinement conditions are tougher, daily routine is strictly regulated there. Any disobedience is punished. To be short, conditions there are definitely worse," the human rights activist summed up.

As the member of the Human Rights Center "Spring" Valentin Stefanovich noticed: "If you look in general at what is happening with political prisoners in Belarus, we regard it solely as a pressure on the prisoners for their possible greater isolation and deteriorating terms of punishment. We are very concerned that the authorities can use the Article 411 against political prisoners when people who are still prosecuted can be punished with a new prosecution for minor violations of the regime in jail. What is happening with Sannikov, Dashkevich, Bondarenko, Statkevich, shows that for the dictatorship is not enough anymore just to put people in jail. Lukashenko's regime wants to destroy them physically and mentally. This is very serious and ufortunately opportunities to help the political prisoners are quite limited. Authorities, for example, blatantly do not allow lawyers to see Andrey Sannikov. It's just a carte blanche to lawlessness, permissiveness and impunity."

According to the leader of the "Just World" Sergei Kalyakin, a new sentence to Statkevich is a revenge of the authorities (and Lukashenko personally) for what he said during the presidential election back in 2010 and then behaved bravely in prison, and the government was unable to break him.

Political Prisoners in Belarus 2011-2013

Protests in Minsk Near Main Train Station in Summer 2011

Help to Free Belarus From Dictator Lukashenko & His Bandits!

Deadly Blast Rocks Minsk Subway On April 11, 2011

MINSK, BELARUS

Police in Belarus carried out spot checks on roads and at stations and airports on Tuesday after a bomb blast tore through a crowded metro station in the capital Minsk on Monday evening, killing at least 12 people.

The defence ministry said 204 people were in hospital, 26 of them in a serious condition, after the rush-hour blast at one of Minsk's busiest underground rail junctions close to the presidential headquarters.

President Alexander Lukashenko, the autocratic leader who has led the ex-Soviet country since 1994, said on Monday night the explosion was an attempt to destabilize the country.

Authorities did not say who was behind the explosion - a rare act of wanton violence in the tightly policed country.

The explosive device, which had been packed with metal balls and had a strength equivalent to 5-7 kgs of TNT, was apparently left under a platform bench. About 300 people were on the spot when it exploded as a train came into the station, Interior Minister Anatoily Kuleshov said.

Lukashenko, who is at odds with the West over his authoritarian rule, linked the explosion to a previous unsolved blast in 2008, saying: "I do not rule out that this was a gift from abroad."

"These are perhaps links in a single chain," he said, referring to a blast in July 2008 when a home-made bomb wounded about 50 people at an open air concert he was attending. The 2008 crime was never solved.

Belarus's state security service put the death toll at 12 after the death of one injured person overnight. Wednesday was declared an official day of mourning.

The metro blast occurred as Belarus struggles with a damaging run on foreign currency which has prompted panic-buying.

Central Bank foreign currency reserves are at their lowest in two years and there is no new credit deal with the International Monetary Fund in sight.

"UNDERMINING STABILITY"

Lukashenko vowed on Monday to turn the country "inside-out" to find those responsible for the attack.

Lukashenko's re-election for a fourth term in December led to street protests that were broken up by police.

Belarus shares borders with EU members Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, and with Russia and Ukraine.

One opposition figure said he feared Lukashenko would use the blast to crack down even more harshly on political rivals.

"Prosecutors qualify this as a terrorist act," a source in Lukashenko's administration told Reuters.

A former state-farm boss, Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron fist, jailing opponents and muzzling independent media while offering generous welfare and pensions to his citizens on the back of Russian subsidies.

FLOWERS AND CANDLES

Monday's blast took place at around 6 p.m. at the Oktyabrskaya metro station - Minsk's busiest - about 100 metres (yards) from Lukashenko's main headquarters.

On Tuesday there was a reduced service running on Minsk's metro network and a heavy police presence at many stations.

People placed flowers and candles at the entry to Oktyabrskaya station in memory of the dead.

"I have a feeling of sadness and painful anger. This should not have happened to us. We are not the sort of country where this sort of thing happens," said Valentin Lepen, aged 70.

"My first feeling was fear and a sense of vulnerability because none of us are safe against this sort of thing," said Yuri Elensky.

"We are in shock. Nobody thought that anything like this could happen in Minsk, anywhere but here," said Natalya, 28.

The EU and the United States have imposed a travel ban on Lukashenko and his closest associates because of the Dec. 19 crackdown. He has said the opposition rally was an attempted coup financed by the West.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitors said the vote count was flawed and criticized police for being heavy-handed. The remarks angered Minsk, which forced the OSCE to close down its office there.

In typical combative style, Lukashenko hit back, defending the police, dismissing members of the opposition as being bent on "banditry" and denouncing the OSCE verdict as "amoral".

"Regardless of who organized and ordered the blast, the government will be tempted to use it as an excuse to tighten the screws... I am afraid they will use it," said Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the opposition United Civic Party.

Fascism is on the Rise in Belarus - in the Heart of Europe

Minsk, Belarus

On February 9, 2011 in Minsk, Belarus dictator Lukashenko has awarded five chief policemen for beating badly peaceful protesters on December 19, 2010. Five members of the Minsk militia were presented with the letters of appreciation with his signature. These letters were awarded to Colonel Igor Evseev, colonel Alexander Lukomskiy, colonel Victor Skurat, major Sergey Ivanov and Roman Kadin.

"At this crucial historical period, it is very important for me to lean on support of people like you - a true patriots, caring and loyal with warm hearts. Thank you for civic courage and active position in life "- says the message of the dictator in the letters of appreciation.

Meantime the Case of the Mass Protests in Minsk on December 19, 2010 (Bloody Sunday, as they call this day in Belarus) continues to grow as a snowball. On the list of defendants already 43 people, including seven ex-presidential candidates. Three former contestants - Andrey Sannikov, Aleksei Mikhalevich and Nikolai Statkevich still under arrest in KGB prison. Searches and arrests in Belarus continue every day. KGB investigators had already visited many opposition activists several times.

Human rights activists have told of torture and violence against opposition. On February 9th, 2011 Experts of the International Observation Mission Committee of International Control Over Human Rights situation in Belarus announced the results of the evidence-research conducted on the basis of information received from 205 people in Minsk from January 3rd to January 21st, 2011. The study analyzed 205 questionnaires answered by respondents who have been detained in the course of public action on the night of 19th to 20th of December 2010. Respondents' age from 18 to 61 years, 43 of them - women, 162 - men.

Experts assert with confidence that "the officials used violence and brutality in detentions. Violence has been applied to every fourth detainee and the acts of violence were accompanied by insults and humiliation of detainees. " It should be noted that most detainees were not resisting arrests, showing willingness to comply with the procedure of the arrest by policemen. At the same time representatives of the authorities in every sixth case of participation in the arrest did not have badges, and their faces were concealed under black masks.

Violation of judicial proceedings in administrative cases of detainees can be considered mainstream. Almost all so-called trials lasted an average of 5 to 15 minutes, while most of the detainees have never had a chance to defend themselves.

Judges conducted trials with many serious procedural violations under close doors. Lawyers hired by detainees' families were not admitted to the trials along with family members, journalists and the public. Judges refused to examine witnesses for the defense, and did not provide detainees with the explanation of the procedure to appeal their decisions.

Conditions of administrative detainees in all institutions, where they were, in many cases can be considered derogatory to human dignity. The cells were overcrowded, they were cold, ventilation was weak, the lighting was poor, and the amount of beds, bed linen and toiletries was not adequate. Drinking water was not provided, the quality of food was very low, the use of shower and exercise yards has been severely restricted and insufficient to maintain a normal lifestyle, and restrooms were poorly equipped in terms of privacy. Detention staff was very rude and partially plundered transmissions sent to detainees.

The general conclusion on the facts and the analysis can be summarized as follows: Authority of the Republic of Belarus were not ready for such mass actions of protest and failed to secure the rights and freedoms of people of the Republic of Belarus at the time of detention, during the trial and at keeping them in prison.

Searches and arrests in Belarus continue every day. KGB investigators had already visited many opposition activists several times.

European Union denied entry to 158 high-ranking Belarusian officials, including illegitimate president Lukashenko and his two sons - Viktor and Dmitry. But many international experts were disappointed: Europe did not introduce economic sanctions. U.S. will try to convince the EU to introduce against the Lukashenko regime and economic sanctions. Washington convinced that the dictator and the people around him earn huge money in oil companies deals.

In terms of the EU visa ban, the new register covers illegitimate president Aleksander Lukashenko and his two adult sons: Dmitriy and Viktor. Thirty-year-old Dmitriy is said in the EU documents to have "active participation in financial operations involving the Lukashenko family." He also runs the Presidential Sports Club.

What is interesting is that Yuriy Sivakov, a man suspected of mass-scale money laundering for so called president Alexander Lukashenko, has been quietly left out of a EU asset-freeze on the Belarusian nomenclature as Andrew Rettman mentioned in his article in EuroObserver.

According to Mr. Rettman "The Russian-born 64-year-old, a former Belarusian interior minister, appeared on the EU radar in 2004 when a Council of Europe investigation said he was part of a "death squad" (together with another former official Dmitriy Pavlichenko) that murdered four dissidents. He no longer holds office. But a leaked US cable from 2007 reports that in 2006 he ran a company called Chyest which laundered $1.5 million a day of bribery and extortion money via banks in Poland, Russia and the US on behalf of the Lukashenko´s family."

Dictator Lukashenko has studiously pretended that no sanctions undermine his authority and threatened to retaliate. On February 7th, 2011 the dictator took a short-term one week vacation and went to Sochi - a city-resort in southern Russia.

However, even official statistics have to admit that 2010 was the worst in economic history of Belarus from the perspective of the trade deficit. The trade deficit for 2010 amounted to 9 billion 642.3 million dollars (in 2009 it was $7 billion 264.8 million).

At the end of this article I would like to remind my readers that On October 6, 2004 US Congress passed the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (H.R. 854)  sponsored by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and others, to fund a broad range of measures to support democracy in Belarus. Although this is a beginning, the executive branch and Congress need to do more. Specifically, they should:

1. - Denounce publicly Lukashenko's violations of the constitution and electoral procedures, and the State Department should amplify its criticism of Belarus' flawed political system.

2. - Declare, with the EU, that the referendum, parliamentary and presidential elections are illegitimate if observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe find election falsification or other violations.

3. - Use domestic and international law enforcement agencies, such as Interpol, in cooperation with EU members, to coordinate criminal investigations into homicides, money laundering, and illegal arms trading linked to the Lukashenko´s regime.

4. - Investigate the disappearances of Lukashenko's political opponents, provided there is a jurisdictional nexus to the U.S. and/or Europe. Both the U.S. Justice Department and its European counterparts can do so. Moreover, Europe and the U.S. could initiate criminal proceedings against those in the president's circle who ordered and participated in the murder of opposition politicians and journalists.

5. - Seize assets of Lukashenka and his inner circle through criminal proceedings against illegal arms sales and money laundering operations if Belarus violated U.S. or international sanctions. The U.S. and EU would be entitled to enforce such sanctions even if the violations did not occur in America or Europe.

6. - Fund, together with the EU, an international broadcasting operation by opposition radio and television stations from countries around Belarus, and expand people-to-people and educational exchanges.

7. - Consult with Russia regarding possible political changes that would make Belarus more democratic and predictable. Such a coordinated effort would benefit Russia by making the transit route for Russian gas to Europe less prone to Lukashenko's interference and would eliminate the need for Russia to support the Belarusian economy with subsidized natural gas at a cost of over $2 billion per year.

Almost SEVEN(!) years have passed since the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 was adopted and stayed only on paper with NO or little actions. 

Meantime fascism is rising steadily in Belarus in the heart of Europe.

Dictator Lukashenko, press conference, English subtitles, Part 2

Dictator Lukashenko, press conference, English subtitles, Part 1

Presidential Elections in Belarus Are Rigged & Falsified Even Before the Elections on December 19th!

On December 15th, 2010 in Minsk Andrey Sannikov, a candidate for presidency, has lodged two legal applications to the Central Election Commission of Belarus with a demand to withdraw registration of Aleksandr Lukashenko as a presidential candidate, and to relieve from the office the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission Lidiya Yermoshyna.

Under the Law Yermoshyna cannot be the Chair of the Central Election Commission, in the same way as Lukashenko cannot be a candidate for presidency.

It is reminded in the statements of the candidate for presidency Andrey Sannikov, that on December 6-7, 2010 in the Palace of Republic in Minsk a so-called "All-Belarusian People´s Congress" was held.

This propagandistic event was organized in the period of the election campaign, and became a platform for almost 3 hour-long speech of one of the candidates for presidency, Lukashenko. This speech was broadcasted by all state-run TV channels, by radio, and was also published in all state-run newspapers. The other presidential candidates never had a chance like that. State-run TV stations, radio and newspapers are keeping silence about them...

Thus, a prescribed limit of air time for each presidential candidate (two times by 30 minutes) was exceeded, and the additional space in state newspapers was used illegally.

Besides, this event was held in the Palace of Republic, which is not on the list created by Minsk City Executive Committee including premises where meetings of presidential candidates with voters could be held. Second violation of the Law.

The meeting was held with the use of the administrative leverage of the executive power headed by Lukashenko. In particular, the organizing committee was headed by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sergei Sidorskiy, and the event was financed at the expense of budget money, and not from the electoral fund of the presidential candidate. Third violation of the Law.

As long as Lidiya Yermoshyna has taken part in the "All-Belarusian Congress", Andrey Sannikov demands to relieve her from office.

"European Belarus" leader reminds that sanctions of the European Union are in force against citizen Yermoshyna for rigging the results of the previous election and republican referendum. Yermoshyna herself has stated many times herself, that she is a member of Lukashenka´s team, which is inadmissible and illegal. Yermoshina should take independent position. Fourth violation of the Law.

"Rigging the election results is a grave crime, which distorts will expression of the nation. Belarusian citizens not only have a right to fight with the electoral fraud, but must stand against criminal falsifiers in every way. Under the Law Yermoshyna cannot be the chair of the Central Election Commission, in the same way as Lukashenko cannot be a candidate for presidency.

Yarmoshyna stated that she is a member of Lukashenko´s team, thus excluding any objectivity in actions of the CEC. But it was not enough, and during her working hours she went to the illegal "All-People´s Congress" support her candidate. Lukashenko used dozens millions dollars from the budget to hold the event in his support on October Square. According to the official reports, at the moment of holding this congress his electoral fund had about 13 million Belorussian roubles. It is clear that the "All-Belarusian Congress" was held not out of the electoral fund of the candidate for presidency Lukashenko, as it is required by the law. This is FIFTH VIOLATION of the LAW! Once again as always Lukashenko slipped his hand into the pocket of Belarusians for his mercenary ends. Both Yermoshyna and Lukashenko have confirmed once again that Belarusians must change this corrupt regime quickly," a candidate for presidency in Belarus Andrey Sannikov stated.

"A free and democratic election can really take place if two these characters mentioned above would leave the stage. Their participation makes the upcoming election illegal. It is simply an insult for the Belarusian nation, which deserves a better lot.

We, Belarusian citizens, under the Constitution have a right to change authorities and freely elect our leaders. Even in today´s Constitution formalizes the principle of priority of the international law over the internal one, and international law does not allow fraudulent elections. The law is on our side in these elections. People are waiting for changes, as they had never been waiting for them in the last 16 years of the dictatorship. And it means that we have a chance to celebrate the New Year in a completely different, democratic Belarus," - ended his speech Andrey Sannikov.

Presidential Elections in Belarus 2010

On November 18th, 2010 in Minsk The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus has registered 10 people as candidates for the Belarus presidency. They are Gregory Kostusev, Alexander Lukashenko, Aleksei Mikhalevich, Vladimir Nekliaev, Yaroslav Romanchuk, Vitaly Rymashevsky, Andrei Sannikov, Nikolai Statkevich, Viktor Tereshchenko, and Dmitry Uss.

To be successfully nominated as a presidential candidate a person must be a citizen of the Republic of Belarus by birth aged 35 or older. The candidate should be eligible to vote and permanently live in the Republic of Belarus for at least ten years before the elections. He should have no record of convictions.

Candidates are nominated by citizens of the Republic of Belarus. Candidates must obtain at least 100 thousand signatures of voters before the registration and nomination. The CEC has recognized as valid 100870 signatures collected in support of the nomination of Kostusev; 1110149 - Lukashenko; 111399 - Mikhalevich, 180073 - Neklyaev; 123206 - Romanchuk, 102817 - Rymashevsky; 142023 - Sannikov; 111159 - Statkevich, 109012 - Tereshchenko; 104102 - Uss.

Upon receiving the registration card each candidate had a chance to say a few words.

According to Gregory Kostusev: "There are many important things to evaluate the free and fair election campaign. I do not think that this campaign is liberal: there is no freedom of speech, no freedom of agitation, for meetings with voters awkward and uncomfortable places are given by CEC, and there is a very low level of the inclusion of opposition to the electoral commissions. Only 0.25% out of 70815 people".

"The system of today's government is rotten, and it should be changed. Today's government must acknowledge, that it is cheating people since 1996. Alexander Lukashenko can not run for the president for the fourth time. He is illegitimate candidate, "- said at the meeting Pavel Sevyarynets (the representative of Vitaly Rymashevsky). Andrei Sannikov said: "Our country is called the last dictatorship in Europe. It is a shame for our country. But this is true. "

Presidential candidates should start pre-electoral campaigning on November 19. They have a month to convince the voters their candidatures are the best. While live debates among candidates will be broadcast for the first time, analysts doubt whether the elections will truly be free and fair because for the state-run mass media the election is still a minor event. Only brief official reports of the BelTA (Official State Information Agency) related to the election are replicated.

For the first time during the whole election campaign, the regional print media gave the list of persons who may become presidential candidates. Publications on socio-political topics are dominated by preparation for the All-Belarusian Assembly and there is nothing about presidential elections and its main candidates.

Most of the regional state-owned newspapers printed the BelTA material "Opposition Candidate Has No Chances to Win Presidential Election in Belarus - Sociological Poll". The article presents the data of a sociological polling conducted by the Analytical Centre EcooM (in October 2010). According to EcooM, 81 percent of respondents believe that the opposition cannot win the election and there are no worthy candidates among them; while 82.6 percent of the respondents do not trust the opposition.

Belarus will hold the presidential election on December 19th, 2010. To win election, a candidate must poll over 50% of the valid vote, and turnout must be at least 50%. If no candidate receives more than 50% in a first round vote, a second round is held within two weeks between the two candidates who placed highest in the first round. The President is considered elected in the second round if he has polled over 50% of votes of the electors, who have taken part in elections.

High Officials of Belarus are Suspected to be Involved into Abductions and Murders!

(Suspicious Circumstances of Oleg Bebenin´s Death)

Oleg Bebenin was one of the founders and leaders of Charter97.org website.

The body of Oleg Bebenin was found on September 3rd, 2010 at 5.30 p.m. in his summer cottage not far from Minsk. It has turned out that during the initial inspection of the body a constriction mark was found on the neck of Bebenin, which can be a sign of both a suicide and of a violent death by suffocation or strangulation.

Oleg Bebenin was born in 1974. He graduated from the Belarusian State University, department of journalism. In 1990s he occupied the position of the Deputy Chief Editor of "Imya" (Name), an independent Belarusian newspaper. Since 1998 he was the Founder and the Head of charter97.org website. Oleg Bebenin had a wife and two sons.

A Russian TV channel "Vesti" believes that investigators have made a statement about Oleg Bebenin´s suicide too quickly.

As is reported in "Vesti Nedeli" programme on Sunday, on September 3 in the evening an oppositional journalist Oleg Bebenin was found dead in his summer house in the outskirts of Minsk. He was an audacious critic of Lukashenko and his regime and an active participant of "Charter´97". He was just 36.

It was very quickly stated by investigation agencies that it had been a suicide. The journalist reportedly hanged himself. However neither his family nor acquaintances believe this version and speak about a murder. Oleg Bebenin had vast plans, and he had not left a suicide note. Besides, the journalist was conducting investigation of activities of the so-called "death squadrons" and mysterious disappearances of Belarusian politicians. Meanwhile, the date of the presidential election is to be announced in Belarus soon.

Andrey Sannikov, the leader of "European Belarus" and possible opposition presidential candidate states that the death of the Founder and the Leader of Charter97.org website raises many doubts:
"On request of the family we have withheld information before the results of medico-legal investigation. I visited the site of the tragedy and I must say that I do not believe in suicide of Oleg Bebenin. Many things rise serious doubts. A note has not been found, the latest SMS received by his friends show he planned to go to the cinema on Thursday evening. A week ago Oleg and his family returned from a holiday in Greece. It is strange that the Interior Affairs Ministry is already disseminating the story about his suicide, without waiting for the results of the medico-legal investigation."

"We had extensive plans, we met every day. Oleg is my friend; he is the main member of my team, a brilliant journalist and a very reliable person. I offer my sincere condolences to his wife, parents and all his relatives" - Andrey Sannikov said.

Dmitriy Bondarenko, Charter´97 Coordinator, has commented on the official results of examination of the circumstances surrounding the death of Oleg Bebenin:
"I would like to say that Oleg was not simply a journalist. In a possible Belarusian presidential campaign he was to become one of the leaders of the headquarters of the oppositional candidate for presidency Andrey Sannikov. And all of a sudden the person commits suicide. There is no motive for such behaviour. There is no suicide note, there are no problems at work, he has a dearly loved wife, sons, parents, a brother. The man collects his friends for a premiere screening of a film. The SMS which is known to be the last sent by him was about his coming to "October" cinema at 8 p.m. And then again, all of a sudden the person disappears for about 24 hours, not answering phone calls.

There is a wide gap between the time of death indicated by experts, and it is recorded in the documents. Policemen and workers of prosecutor´s office, including a forensic expert, who arrived to the summer house yesterday, documented that the death occurred around 2 p.m. on September 3. In the certificate of death issued to the family the date of death was the 2nd of September. That means, the gap is more than 15 hours.

Oleg cherished his little son. He was found in a noose made of a rope from a child´s hammock. Such thing is simply impossible. People, who saw Oleg on the day before, said that he was cheerful and energetic, and planned to go to the cinema. He said to his family that he planned some meeting during afternoon on the 2nd of September. We are still trying to find out whom he was to meet and whether they met.

As for the results of the expert examination: in fact, the results of the biochemical analysis of tissues, body organs and humors are to become known only by Wednesday (September 8, 2010). There are lots of other circumstances which make us doubt that Oleg departed out of this world of his own free will," Dmitriy Bondarenko said.

A British Human Rights Organization "Index on Censorship" has raised concerns over the death of one of the leading journalists of Belarus.

As one of the leading lights of Human Rights Organization Charter97, Bebenin had been harassed by the authorities on numerous occasions. In April 1997 he was abducted, reportedly by the KGB, and in September 1999, he was nearly beaten to death by fascist thugs with links to the belarussian KGB. Bebenin ran the charter97.org website, which is the leading source of information on the activities of the Belarussian dictatorship in the country. It comes just 2 months after the implementation of Decree No. 60 - a draconian law that strictly regulates the use of the internet in Belarus.

Mike Harris, the Public Affairs Manager of Index on Censorship, who is in Belarus now said:
"People in Minsk are very nervous, especially those close to Oleg. No suicide note was found, and Oleg just hours before his death had made phone calls to arrange a trip to the cinema with close friends. In recent months he had become increasingly concerned over the safety of fellow human rights activists and feared a repeat of the period 97-99 where he was nearly killed, and scores of dissidents disappeared in suspicious circumstances.
The Presidential election must take place before February next year. So called "president" Lukashenko is tightening the screw on human rights organizations, with arrests and mock executions of youth activists. This "suicide" has sent shock waves through civic society across Belarus," added the British human rights activist.

The Russian media is reporting that the death is likely to have been under the orders of the security services.

In the last year, Charter97 has faced continual intimidation from the authorities. On 6 December 2009, Eugene Afnagel, a youth leader, was kidnapped on the streets of Minsk and taken to the countryside to face a mock execution. Afnagel was told to stop asking questions of the authorities. During summer time of 2010 six youth leaders were subject to kidnappings and mock executions.

On 16 of March, 2010 computers were confiscated in the news office of charter97.org website as part of an indictment in a criminal libel case brought by a former KGB officer.

Recently attention of the KGB and the Interior Affairs Ministry of Belarus was locked on Charter´97. In spring a search was held in its news office and in the apartment of a journalist Iryna Khalip and Andrey Sannikov. Editor-in-chief Natalya Radzina was hit on the face during the search, she told then. The reason for the search was materials of the website about illegal rare animals hunting carried out by high-ranking workers of the Interior Affairs Ministry.

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek stated on learning of the death of Belarusian journalist - Oleg Bebenin:
"I am deeply moved by this sad event in Belarus. Oleg was working to create a more democratic Belarus through his work with Charter97. I call on the Belarusian authorities to carry out a full and transparent investigation into the death of Oleg Bebenin which will clarify all the circumstances around his tragic death. Our thoughts are with Mr Bebenin's friends and family."

On September, 6 the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) sent a letter to the names of Aleksandr Lukashenko, Head of Interior Ministry Anatoliy Kulyashov and General Prosecutor Grigoriy Vasilevich.

"We are extremely concerned about the atmosphere of fear and intimidation of journalists in Belarus and call upon the authorities of the country to do everything possible to ensure a profound investigation of the case of the death of a journalist Oleg Bebenin and to stop the practice of impunity for those who attacks journalists", - the letters signed by Aidan White, the General Secretary of the European Federation of journalists, say.

Besides suspicious circumstances of Oleg Bebenin´s death, EFJ mentions in its letters the threats, which Chef Editor of "Narodnaya Volya" Svetlana Kalinkina received. "We pay your special attention to the fact, that previous loud cases concerning deaths of Belarusian journalists, did not give any clear answers about their fate. Alongside with it are the cases of Dmitriy Zavadskiy, who disappeared on his way to the Minsk airport on July, 7, 2000, and Veranika Cherkasava, who was brutally slain in her apartment on October, 20, 2004", - EFJ letters say.

In the meanwhile the problem of involuntary disappearance is topical for Belarus. In the year of 1999 two famous oppositionists disappeared in the country without leaving a track- former Minister of Internal Affairs Yury Zaharenko and Vice Speaker of the Supreme Council of XIII Convocation Viktor Ganchar, and also a big businessman Anatoliy Krasouskiy. In summer of 2000 year Dmitriy Zavadskiy an operator of Russian TV channel ORT disappeared without leaving a track.

High officials of Belarus are suspected to be involved into abductions and murders.

Belarusian Journalist Oleg Bebenin Found Dead in his Summer Cottage

Oleg Bebenin was one of the founders and leaders of charter97.org website.

The body of Oleg Bebenin was found August 3rd, 2010 at 5.30 p.m. in his summer cottage not far from Minsk.

Oleg Bebenin was born in 1974. He graduated from the Belarusian State University, department of journalism. In 1990s he occupied the position of the deputy chief editor of "Imya", an independent Belarusian newspaper. Since 1998 he was the founder and head of charter97.org website. Oleg Bebenin had a wife and two sons.

What a great coincidence Oleg was working for the main opposition website in Belarus - http://www.charter97.org

Street Actions Around The World Against Dictatorship in Belarus!

( March 18th, 2009 )

Street actions against Lukashenko's dictatorship are to take place in many cities around the world on March 18, 2009

The events are timed to the anniversary of Lukashenko's election victory in 2006 which is not recognized by the international community. The protest is organized by Brussels-based international political non-governmental organisation the JEF-Europe (Young European Federalists) and their partners.

Organisers of the actions explain that it is dedicated specifically to Belarus, the last dictatorship in Europe. In more than 100 cities people are to protest against the unjust regime and demand the struggle against dictatorships to become one of the priorities in the foreign policy of the European Union.

"On 18 March 2009 European youth will remind our leaders and civil society that Europe is not a dictatorship-free continent," the JEF-Europe stresses.

They underline that the Belarusian dictatorship exists for 15 years, but the EU hasn't had clear policy towards the situation in Belarus. EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels confirmed their decision NOT TO IMPOSE (?!) visa bans on Belarusian officials. And it sounds real strange. Why did they do that? So the authorities can rig the results of the elections and nobody gets punished for doing that? Do they do the same it in other European countries? Why only people in Belarus need to suffer from unwise EU decisions?

The EU imposed travel sanctions on Lukashenko and 41 Belarusian officials after the presidential elections 2006. In October 2008, the EU foreign ministers suspended visa ban on Belarusian officials, including Aleksandr Lukashenko. Why? The EU ministers agreed to discuss the situation in six month to decide whether to reimpose the ban depending on the human rights situation in Belarus.

None of the positive changes happened in Belarus during those six month! Political repressions in the country have gone wild. New political prisoners have appeared. Leaders of entrepreneurs Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were arrested in Vaukavysk in February. "Young Front" activist Artsyom Dubski, participant of the Case of 14, was arrested in February, too. Forceful draft into the army can be observed in Belarus. In spite of medical condition, Franak Vyachorka, Ivan Shyla, and Zmitser Khvedaruk were call up for military service. Human rights activist Yana Palyakova, pressed by the Belarusian authorities, committed suicide. So authorities can kill people in Belarus and then go to Europe on vacations??? WTF!

Rights of opposition activists Alyaksei Bondar, Mikhail Kryvau, Mikhail Pashkevich, Alyaksandr Straltsou, Alyaksandr Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tsishkevich, Mikhail Subach, Paval Vinahradau, Maksim Dashuk, and Alyaksandr Barazenka, sentenced to restraint of liberty for participation in protest rallies of entrepreneurs, remain restricted.

Not only opposition activists but most of the Belarusian people stand for tightening sanctions against the Belarusian authorities. "Brussels must make it clear that freedom of the press and NGOs and above all respect for human rights, especially with regard to the opposition, are prerequisites for any EU gains and EU entry for Belarus officials", Toni Giugliano, Action Co-ordinator wrote.

The cities where the action will take place include not only European ones (Brussels, Prague, Copenhagen, Paris, Helsinki, Berlin, Warsaw, Geneva, Stockholm, London, Kyiv, Petersburg, Riga) but also Dubai, New York, Pretoria and so on. As for Belarus, it is said in the statement that the action will take place in the country also, but its place is not disclosed because of security reasons.

Declaration of Human Rights is Banned in Belarus!

Minsk, December 10th, 2008

The vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights comments on the arrests in Minsk at 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights proclamation.

"It is an unpleasant and disappointing fact, that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is banned for distribution in the country that signed it," Ales Byalyatski, vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights, told in an interview to the Charter'97 press center.

On December 10, human rights activists, distributing the Declaration of Human Rights on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of its proclamation, were arrested on Independence Avenue of Minsk. In total, more than 20 people including youth activists, distributing the declaration, were detained. Among the detained were Ales Byalyatski, Uladzimir Labkovich, Aleh Matskevich, Maryna Statkevich, and Syarhei Sys.

"We were handing around texts of the Declaration of Human Rights and leaflets about violations of human rights in Belarus. Unfortunately, we failed to hold an action according to our plan. We were detained by militiamen in mufti and guarded to the Tsentralny District Militia Department where we spent three hours. They wrote down our personal data and we were released without any explanations," Ales Byalyatski said.

Militia officers didn't introduce themselves though they must show their identity documents by law. The human rights activists were released. No reports were drawn up. Physical force was used against them during the detention.

"I can't say exactly who detained us because they were in mufti. Militia officers didn't introduce themselves, though we asked them to. They were rude, shoved the girls," Ales Byalyatski added.

According to him, more than 30 human rights defenders and youth activists took part in the rally.

A great number of militia and riot militia can be seen in the center of Minsk today. They repress all attempts to hold street action on the Human Rights Day.

On December 10, human rights activists of Hrodna organized a street action dedicated to the 60th anniversary of proclamation of the Declaration of Human Rights. Riot militiamen detained Viktar Sazonau, Uladzimir Khilmanovich, Yan Roman, Aleh Kalinkou and other participants of the action.

Is There Any Law in Belarus?

UN Commission on Human Rights Should Find it Out!

Minsk, December 6, 2008

The office the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations informed Iryna and Valerya Krasouskaya that their claim had been registered in the UN Commission on Human Rights on November 16.

As the press service of CIWR.ORG reports, Krasouskayas' claim was prepared by a Dutch law firm and it consists of 100 items, 25 documents of total more than 1000 pages is attached to it. In the own name and in the name of Anatol Krasouski, forcefully disappeared on September 16, 1999, Iryna and Valerya Krasouskayas urges the Belarusian authorities to:

1) interrogate suspects in involving in forceful disappearance of Anatol Krasouski, named in a special Memorandum of member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Christos Pourgourides;

2) satisfy numerous requests of members of Anatol Krasouski's family and the international society on conducting a careful open investigation of Anatol Krasouski's disappearance;

3) identify and point a grave site of Anatol Krasouski;

4) compensate victims of Anatol Krasouski's forceful disappearance for moral and material damage.

According to the claim of Krasouskayas, the Belarusian authorities violated articles 6, 7, 9, and 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The claim was filed in accordance with requirements of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the last international document signed by Belarus, obliging it to carry responsibility for crimes against its citizens.

The Belarusian authorities have 6 months to respond the claim of Iryna and Valerya Krasouskayas. After this term, it will have to enter plea to all items of the claim and/or admit its guilt and thus answer the claim of the victims.

Viktar Hanchar, vice speaker of the 13th Supreme Council of Belarus, and public figure Anatol Krasouski were kidnapped on September 16, 1999. The law enforcement bodies started an investigation, but all proofs known for the time being, have been cumulated by volunteers. Among them are glass fragments of a car, belonged to Anatol Krasouski, and blood, identified as blood of Viktar Hanchar, were found at the site of kidnapping in Fabrychnaya Street. These facts explain details of the kidnapping to the wide public and prove it was organised by the secret services, "Narodnaya Volya" notes.

In June 2001, the world community was presented evidence of KGB investigators Petrushkevich and Sluchak, who told the details of a system of neutralization of uncomfortable people in Belarus formed during the rule of Lukashenka and controlled by him.

In 2004, member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Christos Pourgourides, presented a memorandum where he said Belarusian high ranking officials were involved in forceful disappearances in Belarus. The PACE adopted a resolution urging Belarus to interrogate the mentioned in the report suspects and conduct a transparent investigation of disappearances. Belarus continues to ignore demands of the PACE. Nothing is known about destinies of forcefully disappeared Yury Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasouski, and Zmitser Zavadski.

Parliamentary Election in Belarus 2008

(What Happens When Nobody Controls the Government)

Belarus will conduct a Parliamentary Election on September 28, 2008. And Belarus "President" Lukashenko promises his country's upcoming election will be open and democratic. So, let's talk about democracy (and regular dictatorship in between the lines).

Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by people under a free and fair electoral system. What happens if there is no free and fair electoral system? And what happens if the whole electoral system is controlled by the government. Who is controlling the government? Nobody! The main thing is when there is no democracy - there is no control by the people over the government's actions. Ask the people of Zimbabwe do they want to live with no food, no water and 2000000% inflation. Probably, they don't. And, probably, that's what can happen when people loose control over their government.

So, when there is no control, there is no balance of power, there is no law, there is no opposition, no freedoms, no human rights, because two main principles of democracy are purposely destroyed by the government. The first principle is: all members of the society have equal access to power. And the second one is: all members of the society enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties. So, when people are separated from voting, or when they can vote for the government's candidates only, they are abused by the "tyranny" of the undemocratic dictatorial government. They are misinformed by the government's mass media and are not able to vote in their own personal interests. So, the dictatorial government does not care about people, and their votes, and their personal interests. The dictatorial government is pursuing their own personal interests and can easily falsify the results of any elections in the interests of so called president, his pocket ministers and bureaucratic representatives (in short, president's gang members).

As we know, Belarus is a presidential republic, governed (or plundered) by an illegitimate president and the National Assembly consisting of the 110-member House of Representatives, the lower house, and 64-member Council of the Republic, the upper house. Therefore, the President, Prime Minister, National Assembly, Council of Ministers, the Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Court, basically couple of hundreds of elite people in charge have ALL THE POWER what they need to do anything (stealing, killing, selling Belarus to Russia) without the rest about 9.5 million Belarusian people's concern.

Since the first president's election in July 1994, Lukashenko consolidated all the power in his hands and dominated all branches of the government. He used a non-democratic November 1996 Referendum to amend the 1994 Constitution in order to broaden his powers and illegally extend his term in the office. This was the first time when he stole votes from the people of Belarus. After that he learned fast how to falsify any elections. Then he stole some terms in power for his personal use and began to count his 5-year term not from July 1994 but November 1996, taking illegally two more years of power. After his re-election in 2001 Lukashenko fell in love with massive vote-counting fraud forgetting forever any common standards of fairness. In 2004 he did it again fraudulently removing presidential term limits. No wander that March 2003 local elections and October 2004 parliamentary elections failed to meet any international standards. In March 2006 he re-elected himself again disregarding rights and freedoms of all Belarusian people.
What a shame!

Going back to a Parliamentary Election of October 12, 2008 there are 6523 polling stations with 110 district commissions and only 0,05% of the opposition control. How the parliament elected through not-open to voters' control polling stations can be legal? What kind of open and democratic election is that?

What Belarusian people and the opposition can not understand is that nobody is going to help them, not the US, not the EU, they have to help themselves. Every Belarus should finally admit that any election with the present "president" and his gang will be fraud and farce, and people's vote will be rigged as usual leaving then powerless to change anything again and again (for centuries?). For how long they can suffer because of the unworthy, corrupt, ignorant, illegal government obstructing any progress in Belarus. There is no better life, no progress without democracy, without legitimate elections. Did you travel to North Korea, Zimbabwe or Cuba lately? Do you want to see how people can live without any control over their government? The answer is simple; most of the people are hungry, oppressed and living in fear in very poor conditions after tens of years of rigged elections.

This time every person in Belarus should boycott the government's "election" and demand a new open, free and fair real election for all the people of Belarus. People should demand of the present government to return to the Constitution of 1994, reconsider all amendments and get dismissed. New democratic government should be elected. What the EU and US can not understand is that Belarus is not a "vassal" of Russia, the present government is. Most of Belarusian people are pro-European and pro-democratic but they never had a chance their voice to be heard during the last 14 years of Lukashenko's dictatorship. The Council of the Republic has the right to launch an investigation into charges of treason or other major crime brought by the lower chamber against the president and to dismiss the president by a two-thirds majority. All new members of the National Assembly should be elected democratically this time. Only Belarusian people themselves should fight for their rights. The real opposition is more than 9 million of people, just help them to make an informative decision, and just tell people the truth one on one.

Two So Called Presidents Have Met in Sochi On 8/19/2008

(Dictatorships Unite in Isolation From the Rest of the World)

So called president of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko called actions of Russia during the war in Georgia quiet and accurate. "Everything has been done perfect, in a very calm, wise and beautiful manner," Lukashenka said in Sochi at the meeting with so called Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev. "Russia has done everything very accurately," the Belarusian ruler obligingly added, that actions of the West in the same situation would be such that "the whole world would be stirred".

Lukashenko noted that actions of the Russian Federation for settlement the conflict are to contribute to peace in the region "for long times".
He believes that the events "nudge us to some not simple actions in the framework of the Union State". Lukashenko underlined that "never called that [Russia's actions in Georgia] a war". He noted once again that everything was done by Russia in a calm manner.

Today (August 19th, 2008) Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Russian "president" Dmitriy Medvedev in Sochi. As informed by Russian officials, during the meeting the "heads" of the states were to discuss issues of transition to market formation of prices, preparation to the CIS summit, as well as Russia's war with Georgia and the stance of Belarus towards it.

The Ambassador of Russia to Belarus Alexandr Surikov criticized the Belarusian authorities for "keeping timid silence" in the situation in South Ossetia. To his mind, Moscow expected humanitarian aid and "words of support". Next day Lukashenko expressed condolences to victims, and yesterday evening 63 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered to Vladikavkaz from Belarus.

On August 13 at the meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorski tried to achieve lower price for gas in 2009 (Gazprom plans to raise it to $200 per 1,000 cubic metres), and a long-time loan of $2 bn. But talks on economic topics were postponed till the beginning of autumn.

The position of Belarus towards the conflict in South Ossetia caused the proposal to Aleksandr Lukashenko to find agreement with Russian president Dmitriy Medvedev first. Dmitriy Medvedev and Aleksandr Lukashenko have agreed upon holding another session of the Supreme State Council of the "Union State". Also leaders of the states "agreed to carry to completion the work on the intergovernmental agreement on creation a single air defence system, which is to be signed during this session".

During the meeting of the "presidents" the schedule of the upcoming political contacts till the end of the year was discussed. An agreement on holding another session of the Supreme state council of the "Union State" in Moscow this autumn has been reached.

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