DOCSLIB.ORG

Telegram As a Tool for Dissent: the Case of Mobilizing Mass Protest

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Telegram As a Tool for Dissent: the Case of Mobilizing Mass Protest 1 Telegram as a Tool for Dissent: The Case of Mobilizing Mass Protest in Belarus Thesis By Kathrin Yaromich Submitted in Partial fulfillment Of the Requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts In Mass Media and Communication State University of New York Empire State College 2020 2 Statutory Declaration / Čestné prohlášení I, Kathrin Yaromich, declare that the paper entitled: Telegram as a Tool for Dissent: The Case of Mobilizing Mass Protest in Belarus was written by myself independently, using the sources and information listed in the list of references. I am aware that my work will be published in accordance with § 47b of Act No. 111/1998 Coll., On Higher Education Institutions, as amended, and in accordance with the valid publication guidelines for university graduate theses. Prohlašuji, že jsem tuto práci vypracoval/a samostatně s použitím uvedené literatury a zdrojů informací. Jsem vědom/a, že moje práce bude zveřejněna v souladu s § 47b zákona č. 111/1998 Sb., o vysokých školách ve znění pozdějších předpisů, a v souladu s platnou Směrnicí o zveřejňování vysokoškolských závěrečných prací. In Prague, 27.04.2020 Kathrin Yaromich 3 Acknowledgements It is with genuine pleasure that I express my gratitude to all the people who have inspired and accompanied me throughout my journey towards the completion of this project. My Bachelor thesis would not be possible without the ever-present guidance of my mentor Todd Nesbitt, whose supportive attitude, timely advice, and enthusiastic remarks led me towards the accomplishments of the task, and Professor Iveta Hlouchova, whose dedication, kindness, and keen interest in the world affairs helped me to become a more curious, critical, and perceptive person. I would also like to thank each and every faculty member at the University of New York in Prague and SUNY Empire State College from whom I had the opportunity to learn. With a deep sense of reverence, I acknowledge my gratitude towards my mother, who has supported me unconditionally and encouraged me to realize my ambitions. I also want to thank all my friends whose kind words of support and motivation helped me along the way. Last but not least, I would like to thank all the fellow Belarusians of the democratic opposition, whose bravery, determination, and strength have enabled the fight for freedom. 4 Table of Contents 1. Introduction 6 2. Media Landscape in Belarus 10 2.1. Traditional media 10 2.1.1. Television 11 2.1.2. Radio 12 2.1.3. Print media 13 2.2. The Internet 14 3. Introduction to Telegram 17 3.1. Telegram Application Overview 17 3.2. The War on Telegram across the world 18 3.2.1. Iran 19 3.2.2. Hong Kong 20 3.2.3. Russia 21 4. Telegram in Belarus 24 4.1. Telegram as a Media Phenomenon of 2020 24 4.2. Mass Coordination in Belarus through Telegram prior to the Post-election Protests of 2020 28 4.3. The 2020 Post-Election Protest Plan 29 4.4. Telegram Activity and Behavior Analyses 31 4.4.1. Activity Analysis 31 4.4.2. Behavior Analysis 33 4.5. The Present and the Future of Telegram Channels in Protest Coordination 35 5. The Power and Fragility of Telegram-revolution 37 5.1. Telegram across the Stages of Social Movement 37 5.1.1. Emergence 37 5.1.2. Coalescence 39 5.2. Telegram Channels in the Context of Political Innovations 40 5.3. The Potential Weakness of Rapid Organizing 42 5.4. Protest Visibility and Telegram 43 6. Conclusion 48 5 Abstract Can a messaging platform become the key actor in mobilizing the protest movement and sustaining it over a long-term period? That is the essential question this paper seeks to answer by looking at the case study of Belarus and the use of Telegram application during the protest in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential elections. In order to provide a comprehensive analysis of the Telegram media phenomenon in Belarus, this thesis first looks at the media landscape of the country, followed by the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, and the use of Telegram in general. Further, a close focus is allocated to Telegram’s role during the mass protest in the aftermath of the Belarusian 2020 elections in August. The paper concludes that despite several advantages associated with the use of the Telegram platform, such as instancy, wide reach, and the increase of protest visibility, there are also dangers of rapid organizing caused by the lack of inter- institutional communication among media, NGOs, and opposition leaders. Thus, the effectiveness of protest organizing can potentially be improved by bringing about change at every level, from organizational to political and social. Keywords: protests in Belarus, social movement, protest movement, mobilization, Belarus, Belarus elections 2020, Telegram 6 1. Introduction “The riot is the language of the unheard”, echoed the famous words of Martin Luther King in Belarus as millions of people faced a deep sense of betrayal and neglect when their voices and votes were yet again dismissed. In the aftermath of the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, the victory of the incumbent president Alexander Lukashenko who has been in power for 26 years, sparked a wave of the largest protests in the country’s history. As claimed by the Central Election Commission of Belarus (2020), Lukashenko won 80.23 percent of the vote. Yet, when the exit poll results appeared on election day, thousands of people across the country fled to the streets to express their disbelief in the fairness of the election system and to demand Lukashenko’s resignation. Alexander Lukashenko has won every presidential election since the first one in the country’s sovereign history in 1994, with all but the first being considered by international monitors as neither free nor fair (CDG, 2019). Throughout his rule, all dissenting voices have been suppressed: while some were forced to exile, several other prominent opponents have gone missing and are believed to be dead (Trippe & Sotnik, 2019). During this election campaign, many new opposition faces emerged, but they did not make it to the elections as they were either detained or had to go into exile. Only Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya, the wife of the detained candidate Sergei Tikhanovsky, participated in the race because, at the time, no one considered a stay-at-home mom as a threat that could challenge the regime. Eventually, she claimed to have won a decisive victory with at least 60 percent of the vote in the districts where the votes were counted fairly (Manenkov & Litvinova, 2020). Forced to exile, she has been meeting with European leaders and negotiating the future of Belarus as a recognized leader. 7 From August 2020 to December 2020, the protests continued in some form or another. Every Sunday, thousands of people across the country went “on a walk” and brought flowers, balloons, and national red-and-white flags with them as a symbol of peaceful resistance. On Saturdays, women used to ‘march for freedom’, and pensioners – who typically have been considered the main source of Lukashenko’s reliance and support – also had their own marches on Monday. October 26 marked the national strike day when Belarusian factory workers, students, and business owners stopped their work demanding Lukashenko to resign. Subsequently, many of the businesses have been shot down, students expelled, and workers fired due to their participation. According to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, around 7,000 people were detained only during the first four days of the protests, and by the end of November, almost 24,000 had been detained (UN, 2020). Furthermore, from the start of the presidential campaign in the spring of 2020 until November 10, 2020, at least 5,000 individuals were brought to administrative liability on political grounds; at least 950 persons became suspects in politically motivated criminal cases, and 147 of them were recognized as political prisoners. Protesters faced rampant abuses: they were randomly chased and kicked; detainees were beaten by security; and unidentified masked men together with riot police were dispersing protests, heightening a climate of fear and impunity. As a result, thousands of complaints of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment in custody were lodged (UN, 2020). Among those detained from August through December 4th were 373 journalists (UN, 2020). In fact, authorities kept the media in their crosshairs during the months of ongoing protests against the president. Journalists were frequently detained for days and were accused of taking part in demonstrations; they were beaten, their equipment 8 destroyed, and accreditation canceled. The Belarusian Association of Journalists (2020) registered more than 500 violations of journalists’ rights. Belarusian authorities attempted to restrict the work of the media by multiple means: Internet blackouts, cancellation of journalists’ accreditations, revoking credentials of a country’s biggest news outlet TUT.BY, and blocking over 100 websites, including news sites. In the aftermath of the government restrictions of the independent media resources in Belarus, Telegram channels, which are more secure and harder for the authorities to block, have emerged post-elections as an important source of information and communication. These channels have gained multimillion audiences and played a central role in publicizing and mobilizing the opposition movement by being the primary source of both information and protest planning. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the effectiveness of Belarusian Telegram channels and chats in organizing mass resistance to the government in order to assess their potential in bringing about social change. It begins with an overview of the media landscape in Belarus, including traditional and online media, so that the use of Telegram can be understood in a larger media framework.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Romanian Political Science Review Vol. XXI, No. 1 2021
    Romanian Political Science Review vol. XXI, no. 1 2021 The end of the Cold War, and the extinction of communism both as an ideology and a practice of government, not only have made possible an unparalleled experiment in building a democratic order in Central and Eastern Europe, but have opened up a most extraordinary intellectual opportunity: to understand, compare and eventually appraise what had previously been neither understandable nor comparable. Studia Politica. Romanian Political Science Review was established in the realization that the problems and concerns of both new and old democracies are beginning to converge. The journal fosters the work of the first generations of Romanian political scientists permeated by a sense of critical engagement with European and American intellectual and political traditions that inspired and explained the modern notions of democracy, pluralism, political liberty, individual freedom, and civil rights. Believing that ideas do matter, the Editors share a common commitment as intellectuals and scholars to try to shed light on the major political problems facing Romania, a country that has recently undergone unprecedented political and social changes. They think of Studia Politica. Romanian Political Science Review as a challenge and a mandate to be involved in scholarly issues of fundamental importance, related not only to the democratization of Romanian polity and politics, to the “great transformation” that is taking place in Central and Eastern Europe, but also to the make-over of the assumptions and prospects of their discipline. They hope to be joined in by those scholars in other countries who feel that the demise of communism calls for a new political science able to reassess the very foundations of democratic ideals and procedures.
    [Show full text]
  • EP Resolution of 26 November 2020
    European Parliament 2019-2024 TEXTS ADOPTED Provisional edition P9_TA-PROV(2020)0331 The continuous violations of human rights in Belarus, in particular the murder of Raman Bandarenka European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2020 on the continuous violations of human rights in Belarus, in particular the murder of Raman Bandarenka (2020/2882(RSP)) The European Parliament, – having regard to its previous resolutions on Belarus, in particular those of 17 September 2020 on the situation in Belarus1, of 4 October 2018 on the deterioration of media freedom in Belarus, notably the case of Charter 972, of 19 April 2018 on Belarus3, of 6 April 2017 on the situation in Belarus4, and of 24 November 2016 on the situation in Belarus5, – having regard to its recommendation of 21 October 2020 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) on relations with Belarus6, – having regard to the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2020, which was awarded to the democratic opposition in Belarus on 22 October 2020, – having regard to the statement of the President of the European Parliament of 13 August 2020 and that of the leaders of the five political groups of 17 August 2020 on the situation in Belarus following the so-called presidential elections of 9 August 2020, – having regard to the European Council conclusions of 1 October 2020 and of 16 October 2020, and to the Council conclusions on Belarus of 12 October 2020, – having regard to the Council decision of 6 November 2020 to add 15 members of the Belarusian authorities, including Aliaksandr Lukashenka, to the list of sanctioned individuals, bringing the total number of Belarusians subject to a travel ban and asset 1 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0231.
    [Show full text]
  • Das Ukraine-Déjà-Vu
    Samstag, 05. Juni 2021, 14:00 Uhr ~14 Minuten Lesezeit Das Ukraine-Déjà-vu Der Minsker Zwischenfall wirft ein Licht auf die Bemühungen des Westens um einen Umsturz in Weißrussland. von Rubikons Weltredaktion Foto: Skorzewiak/Shutterstock.com Bisher konnten wir nur Putin zitieren, der von einem aufgeflogenen, geplanten Putsch in Weißrussland, nebst Mordplänen an Lukaschenko, berichtete (2). Jetzt aber legt der amerikanische Journalist Ben Norton Beweise vor, dass der Westen einen Regimewechsel in Minsk seit Langem plant und mit lokalen Helfern ins Werk zu setzen trachtet. Darunter ist auch jener Roman Protasewitsch, der in Minsk verhaftet wurde und darüber zum Liebling des Westens avancierte. Hier ist eine deutliche Warnung auszusprechen. Wir haben es nicht mit Anfängern zu tun. Die Gefahr eines Putsches gegen Lukaschenko ist real, die Ähnlichkeiten mit dem Ukraineputsch von 2014 sind nicht zu übersehen (3). Angesichts dieser Bedrohungslage kann die Frage ernsthaft gestellt werden, ob Lukaschenko den Regimewechselspezialisten verhaften durfte — um sich und sein Land zu schützen und diesem Land ein Schicksal zu ersparen, wie es die Ukraine, Syrien, Libyen, Venezuela oder Russland unter Boris Jelzin erdulden mussten. von Ben Norton Ein profilierter weißrussischer Regimewechsel-Aktivist, dessen Verhaftung aus einem zur Landung gezwungenen Flugzeug heraus einen internationalen Skandal auslöste, hat starke Verbindungen zu neofaschistischen Gruppen, die seine politischen Sponsoren in den Hauptstädten des Westens geflissentlich übersahen. Der rechtsradikale Aktivist Roman Protasewitsch war am 23. Mai 2021 in einer irischen Verkehrsmaschine der Ryanair unterwegs, als diese den weißrussischen Luftraum erreichte und von den Luftfahrtbehörden des Landes zum Landen aufgefordert wurde. Nach der Landung wurde Protasewitsch aus dem Flugzeug geholt und verhaftet.
    [Show full text]
  • Protecting Democracy During COVID-19 in Europe and Eurasia and the Democratic Awakening in Belarus Testimony by Douglas Rutzen
    Protecting Democracy During COVID-19 in Europe and Eurasia and the Democratic Awakening in Belarus Testimony by Douglas Rutzen President and CEO International Center for Not-for-Profit Law House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment September 10, 2020 In April, Alexander Lukashenko declared that no one in Belarus would die of coronavirus.1 To allay concerns, he advised Belarussians to drink vodka, go to saunas, and drive tractors.2 In Hungary, Orban took a different approach. He admitted there was COVID-19, and he used this as an excuse to construct a legal framework allowing him to rule by decree.3 Meanwhile, China is using the pandemic to project its political influence. When a plane carrying medical aid landed in Belgrade, the Serbian President greeted the plane and kissed the Chinese flag. Billboards soon appeared in Belgrade, with Xi Jinping’s photo and the words “Thanks, Brother Xi” written in Serbian and Chinese.4 COVID-19 is not the root cause of Lukashenko’s deceit, Orban’s power grab, or China’s projection of political influence. But the pandemic exposed – and in some countries, exacerbated – underlying challenges to democracy. In my testimony, I will summarize pre-existing challenges to democracy. Second, I will examine how COVID-19 combined with pre-existing conditions to accelerate democratic decline in Europe and Eurasia. Third, I will share attributes of authoritarian and democratic responses to the pandemic. I will conclude with recommendations. Pre-Existing Challenges to Democracy According to Freedom House, 2019 marked the 14th year of decline in democracy around the world.5 The “democratic depression” is particularly acute in Eurasia, where the rule of law and freedom of expression declined more than in any other region.6 Indeed, Freedom House classifies zero countries in Eurasia as “free.” ICNL specializes in the legal framework for civil society, particularly the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly, and expression.
    [Show full text]
  • BELARUS Restrictions on the Political and Civil Rights of Citizens Following the 2010 Presidential Election
    BELARUS Restrictions on the Political and Civil Rights of Citizens Following the 2010 Presidential Election of person. Article 4: No one shall be held in slavery Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. Article 5: No one shall be subjected to in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 6: Everyone has the right to recognition spirit of brotherhood. Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, everywhere as a person before the law. Article 7: All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimi- without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, nation to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination. Article 8: Everyone has the right to an effective rem- basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person edy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. by law. Article 9: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security June 2011 564a Uladz Hrydzin © This report has been produced with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
    [Show full text]
  • Want to Read More?
    The Belarusian CRISIS And the Influence of Russia By Pavlo Troian, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine PHOTOS BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS he large-scale protests after the August 2020 presidential election in Belarus are proof that many Belarusians are T not ready to accept the victory of incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko that was announced by the Central Election Commission. According to the official results, he won more than 80% of the votes. The situation was further aggra- vated by the unprecedented level of police violence against protesters who took to the streets to express their disagreement with the official election results. The Belarusian authorities relied on Russian support and accused the West of organizing protests with the aim of overthrowing the government. However, Lukashenko made similar accusations against Russia before the election protests. Why did the situation turn upside down? Let us consider the reasons. Lukashenko has ruled the country for 26 years and is the longest-reigning leader of a European country (not counting monarchs). He was first elected in 1994, and reelected in 2001, 2006, 2010 and 2015. In 2004, he initiated a referendum that removed from the constitution a limit to the maximum number of terms the same person can hold the presidency. During his tenure, Lukashenko has repeatedly been accused of restricting civil rights and freedoms and usurping power. There were accusa- tions of organizing political assassinations — several opponents of A woman in a former Belarusian national flag reacts as opposition supporters gather during a rally to protest the official presidential election results. per Concordiam 55 Lukashenko disappeared without a trace in the late 1990s and army, parliament, council of ministers and other suprana- early 2000s.
    [Show full text]
  • Germany and France Seek EU Backing on Putin Summit
    14 Friday International Friday, June 25, 2021 Germany and France seek EU backing on Putin summit bid Kremlin says Putin backs increased EU-Russia dialogue MOSCOW/BRUSSELS: President Vladimir EU leaders to relaunch regular meetings with Putin backs a proposal from Germany and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a controver- France for the EU to restart summits with Russia, sial bid that Ukraine slammed as “dangerous”. the Kremlin said yesterday. Berlin and Paris late Wednesday put for- “We assess the initiative positively,” Kremlin ward a last-minute proposal for the bloc to spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Putin contemplate the idea of a potential summit is a supporter of creating mechanisms for dia- with Putin in the wake of US President Joe logue and contacts between Brussels and Biden’s sit-down with him in Geneva last week. Moscow.” Moscow said Putin was a “supporter” of the Peskov was responding to a question about a proposal, which would potentially revive a proposal by Berlin and Paris for the 27-member regular fixture that was frozen in 2014 after bloc to contemplate a potential summit with the the takeover of Crimea by Russia. Kremlin chief. Many EU member states oppose “In my opinion, we as the European Union the idea and Ukraine’s foreign minister blasted must also seek direct contact with Russia and the proposal earlier yesterday ahead of a debate the Russian president,” Chancellor Angela on the issue by the European Union’s leaders. Merkel told Germany’s parliament ahead of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the summit.
    [Show full text]
  • Forced Labor and Pervasive Violations of Workers’ Rights in Belarus
    FORCED LABOR AND PERVASIVE VIOLATIONS OF WORKERS’ RIGHTS IN BELARUS Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Article 4: No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, December 2013 / N°623a The FIDH and Human Rights Center Viasna Mission The gross, systematic, and widespread violations of political and civil rights in Belarus have been the subject of numerous reports prepared by both international and Belarusian observers. I. INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 0HDQZKLOH3UHVLGHQW/XNDVKHQNRDQGJRYHUQPHQWRIÀFLDOVLQJHQHUDODUHXVLQJDQ\IRUXPWKH\FDQ to stress that Belarus is a model of social and economic rights by contrasting the robust guarantees its residents receive with the situation of residents in neighboring countries who suffered a number of II. LABOR AS A CORE VALUE… AND AN UNLIMITED OBLIGATION ------------- 11 economic upheavals folowing the fall of the Soviet Union.
    [Show full text]
  • Violations of the Rights of Creative Professionals, Activists and Artists
    Violations of the rights of creative professionals, activists and artists during the post-election crackdown in Belarus between October 2020 and January 2021 Report: Violations of the rights of creative professionals, activists and artists during the post-election crackdown in Belarus between October 2020 and January 2021 Produced by: International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) Truth Hounds Georgia Belarusian PEN Center Legal Transformation Center (Lawtrend) With support of German Federal Foreign Office and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Within the framework of the Civic Solidarity Platform. Artworks by Jura Ledyan: https://www.behance.net/Ledyan / https://www.instagram.com/jura.ledyan/ Cover - Welcome to Minsk: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEd7NpanK7z/ Page 7 - Belaruskaya gotika: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEu4Mkkntvj/ Page 10 - Vystavka omon: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEE_BMWHf9z/ Page 12 - Sabachku: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEkmqV2nIFE/ Page 13 - Omon ubivayet: https://www.instagram.com/p/CExrY0InGCp/ Page 21 - Gor’ko: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEuCcj8HQMq/ Page 23 - Useagulnaya zabastouka: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGyCB-JnO0W/ Page 28 - 5 otlichiy: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGvqX8Pn_hC/ Page 31- Krik: https://www.instagram.com/p/CExBg-ZHQfe/ Page 33 - Zyvie Belarus: https://www.instagram.com/p/CD2c6SpnJqb/ Page 35 - Omon v semye: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGdZN-5HhlP/ Page 36 - Mother of a partisan: https://www.instagram.com/p/CHuRRk7ncB9/ Page 37 - Ministerstvo vnutrennikh bed: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGdZX__HkBA/ Back cover - Svadebnyy tanets: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGyGd0YHD9O/ © International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), 2021. Contents I. Executive summary 4 II. Methodology 6 III.
    [Show full text]
  • Sur La Route De Magadan (Cahier)
    derrière les barreaux n’étaitNotre pas inutile. lutte prouvera encorepression une en fois continu quequ’on sur la ne le peut lutte système abandonner departie doit à ceux des se mi-chemin qui détenus ce faire sont que, politiques qui sans sous en a interruption. la été Biélorussiebesoin pression commencé a d’oxygène : de été que la l’opinion libérée deefforts publique soutien, témoigne inhumains et autant et moral une de totale queavec l’UE, mobilisation matériel. leur une des Le liberté forces. grande ; fait Ils la ont autant lutte contre lemettre système sur par la l’intérieur voie exigeleurs de des la convictions. correction. Parleur conséquent, faute ils mais, ne quiaux peuvent plus « inaptes pas, est, ». n’ont àan. Les aucune Il priori, anarchistes suffit intention n’ont, se d’un de nonen ordre renoncer août seulement, d’en à pas 2012 haut Dmitriy reconnu pourprévoit Dashkevitch jusque prolonger 1 s’est infiniment an vu la deexigences prolonger détention peine en sa de plus. peine Il l’administration y d’un Pénal de a de déjà l’institution eu la correctionnelle un république précédent ») biélorusse : qui (« Refus obstiné d’obéissance aux II ne faut pas penser que la lutte de nos camarades s’est terminée ABC- Biélorussie 159 2014 Ihar Alinevich Editions Belles comme une prison qui brûle Sur la route de Magadan La pratique de pression communément employée sur les détenus Il nous semble important d’apporter une attention particulière Il faut comprendre que la prison biélorusse est appelée à « cor- 158 anarchistes ont déjàchambre au d’isolation.
    [Show full text]
  • 2021 ESCTD Report
    ECONOMICS AND SECURITY COMMITTEE (ESC) Sub-Committee on Transition and Development (ESCTD) BELARUS: POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND DIPLOMATIC CHALLENGES Preliminary Draft Report Michal SZCZERBA (Poland) Rapporteur 019 ESCTD 21 E | Original: English | 16 April 2020 Founded in 1955, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly acts as a consultative interparliamentary organisation which is institutionally separate from NATO. This working document only represents the views of the Rapporteur until it has been adopted by the Economics and Security Committee. It is based on information from publicly available sources or NATO PA meetings – which are all unclassified. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION: THE EMERGENCE OF A BELARUSIAN STATE .................................. 1 II. A HYBRID AND HIGHLY POLITICISED ECONOMIC MODEL .......................................... 2 III. BELARUSIAN IDENTITY ................................................................................................... 3 IV. THE 2020 ELECTIONS ..................................................................................................... 4 V. THE BELARUSIAN POLITICAL OPPOSITION, MASS DEMONSTRATIONS AND THE LEADING ROLE PLAYED BY WOMEN ..................................................................... 5 VI. GEOPOLITICS, THE BELARUSIAN DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT AND RUSSIA .............. 8 VII. THE ENERGY CARD AND THE UNION STATE ............................................................... 9 VIII. RUSSIA AND THE 2020 BELARUSIAN PROTESTS ......................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Navy Relaxes COVID-19 Rules Munity to Redouble Its Efforts to Determine the Virus’ Origin
    FACES MILITARY NHL Zack Snyder mixes NATO warns of Rookies making social commentary Russia’s behavior early impact for into zombie movie toward Ukraine teams in playoffs Page 18 Page 3 Page 24 Illinois Reserve unit found to have mishandled assault reports ›› Page 3 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 29 ©SS 2021 THURSDAY,MAY 27, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas VIRUS OUTBREAK Follow-up probe into pandemic’s origins sought The Washington Post WASHINGTON — The United States’ top health official called Tuesday for a swift follow-up in- vestigation into the coronavirus’ origins amid renewed questions about whether the virus jumped from an animal host into humans in a naturally occurring event or escaped from a lab in Wuhan, Chi- na. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told an annual ministe- rial meeting of the World Health Organi- zation that inter- national experts should be given “the independ- ence to fully as- Becerra sess the source of the virus and the early days of the outbreak.” Becerra’s remarks, which were prerecorded, signaled that the Bi- MOLLY CRAWFORD/U.S. Navy den administration would contin- Sailors assigned to Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal return to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in April. ue to press the WHO to expand its investigation to determine the vi- rus’s origins. Additionally, Biden on Wednes- day asked the intelligence com- Navy relaxes COVID-19 rules munity to redouble its efforts to determine the virus’ origin. In a statement, Biden said he has Fully vaccinated sailors can now make some port calls and often go mask-free asked for a report within 90 days and hopes the intelligence com- BY NANCY MONTGOMERY RELATED plans and strategy, said in a state- “safe haven” ports, including in munity “will collect and analyze Stars and Stripes ment.
    [Show full text]