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Violations of Human Rights in Belarus in 2006 Violations of Human Rights in Belarus in 2006. Analytical Review. Violations of Human Rights in Belarus in 2006 Analytical Review Minsk 2007 1 Violations of Human Rights in Belarus in 2006. Analytical Review. Violations of Human Rights in Belarus in 2006. Analytical Review. Authors: Ales Bialiatski Uladzimir Labkovich Tatsiana Reviaka Valiantsin Stefanovich Editors: Yury Chavusau Tatsiana Reviaka The Review presents the analysis of the situation of human rights in Belarus in 2006. It contains the most eloquent and typical facts of violations of Belarusian citizens’ rights and liberties during this period. The Review was prepared on the basis of personal applications of victims of human rights violations, the facts that were registered by human rights activists and the information that was taken from open sources (mass media, web-sites spring96.org, baj.ru, charter97.org, etc.). The book is illustrated with photos by Yury Dziadzinkin, Siarhei Serabro, photo.bymedia.net, svaboda.org, etc. 2 Violations of Human Rights in Belarus in 2006. Analytical Review. INTRODUCTION The previous Chronicle Review of Human Rights Violations in 2005 was about 500 pages. In conjunction with the volume of facts and events which had to be processed, its publishing was delayed. The book came out only in the second half of 2006. We realized that the number of facts, concrete stories and incidents of human rights violation in Belarus in 2006 is so high, that it may become an impossible mission to publish the book. That is why, with the goal to keep the efficiency and relevance of the Review, we made a decision to change its format, and to refuse from scrupulous factual account of human rights violations and make it more analytical. In this edition of the Review we set a goal to track down the tendencies and changes in the human rights situation in 2006, giving only the most obvious and typical examples. We leave a detailed fact account for the future researchers of this period of history. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of cases of human rights violations is described on informational web-sites. Its most complete package lies in court archives, KGB folders, and president’s office files. We hope that they will not disappear forever, and will see the light of day some time in the future. The year of 2006 became a breaking point in maturing of our people. Working on the Review, we pointed out a great rise in the civic activity connected with the presidential election in Spring. We encountered so many facts of civic courage, youth activity, and unwillingness to bear injustice, which mostly comes from the authorities in present Belarus. These facts could really make a real chronicle of Belarusian people fighting for independence, democracy, and human rights. That is why the authorities increased the level of repression used against their political opponents. The system created by Aliaksandr Lukashenka and his mates is absolutely totalitarian. Aggressiveness to political and ideological opponents, suspicion and self-distrust, penetrating in all state structures, attempts to control any displays of civic activity, and inability to transform are the typical feature of the regime. More and more weight in the 3 Violations of Human Rights in Belarus in 2006. Analytical Review. state management is given to repressive structures – the police and its special departments, prosecution offices, tax inspectorate, and, especially, KGB. Courts, as an independent branch of power, are less and less significant. Spring of 2006 showed the absolute inability of Belarusian courts to have an unbiased opinion and demonstrated total dependence of judges on the executive authorities. Courts were used as a repressive tool, aimed against political opponents of the regime. The Lukashenka-created network of ideological workers – a huge number of full-time ideologists at higher educational institutions, executive committees, and state-owned companies — had more and more of an influence on the life of the society. The ideologists closely observed the “appropriateness” of opinions of Belarusian citizens; they “organized” the needed election results, and participated in expulsion of students from colleges and firing of employees for political reasons, becoming an element of the repressive machinery. State-owned mass media became even more ideologized. While what remains of the independent press are under the strong economic, administrative, and political pressure, and make wonders to survive in unfavorable conditions, state-owned mass media deal with open propaganda, organize campaigns of slander against opponents of the regime, and demonstrate complete absence of human morals and journalists’ ethics. Once ordinary journalistic editions, they have become a real ideological weapon serving the totalitarian state system. The official trade union of Belarus has in fact turned into another state ministry and does not defend the workers’ rights at all. The working contract system for all workers has become a repressive tool in the hands of executive authorities, which is used against citizens who do not agree with this or that element of organization of our public system. Such entities of political and public system as political parties and non-governmental organizations have less and less significance in the life of our society. They are subject to endless repression and restrictions from the created system of state management. The problem of keeping power by any means is the main and fundamental one in all actions of the incumbent president and his circle. Only that can explain the anti-constitutional amendments to the Constitution in 2004, which gave Lukashenka an opportunity to run for presidential post for an unlimited number of times. This is also the basis of the changes in the legislation, which allow the authorities to persecute 4 their political and civic opponents “legally”, on the ground of laws. Often Violations of Human Rights in Belarus in 2006. Analytical Review. they violate in these laws and act out of accordance with the human rights standards and current Belarusian legislation. That is why the extremely high level of repression encountered by the Belarusian society in 2006 was not accidental. The authorities perceived any civic activity as a threat. They used all possible means to prevent the displays of real moods and opinions in the Belarusian society from going to the surface of public life. The regime did everything possible to disorganize and intimidate the Belarusian citizens, to keep them in a passive zombie state. The repression affected the wide layers of the Belarusian society. We have never seen so many criminal charges against the opponents of the regime, and administrative trials for participation in rallies, pickets and demonstrations and distribution of printed materials. KGB has never been so zealous in putting its efforts to neutralize the activity of Belarusian citizens. Never have so many students and workers been expelled and fired for their civic and political convictions. Civic and political activists were groundlessly accused of such serious crimes as preparation of terrorist acts, rapes, illegal possession of fire arms, and drug transportation. Top state officials spoke on TV calling all possible participants of post-election protests potential terrorists. At the same time, a huge billow of repression created by the authorities reflects the real level of resistance to unlawfulness and injustice in the Belarusian society. The year of 2006 proved that a significant part of Belarusian citizens want to live in a democratic lawful state, which would respect their rights. That is why quite an abstract slogan “For Freedom”, initiated by the non-governmental organizations and picked up by the United Democratic Forces, has become so important in the Belarusian society. This short phrase accumulates all hopes and desires of the oppressed and non-free society. New countdown of time began in 2006 in Belarus. People are less and less intimidated by pressure and restrictions. They demonstrate more and more open and hidden resistance to implementation of the political orders and participation in various campaigns organized by the authorities. Potential repression has less influence on the political and civic activists who are ready to sacrifice their freedom in the fight for democratic ideals and principles. The repressed activists have serious support and sympathy in the society. Psychologically they do not believe themselves to be renegades and dissidents, because many people in Belarus are on their side. Gradually the Belarusian society is coming out of the moral and political crisis where they were placed by the regime. 5 Violations of Human Rights in Belarus in 2006. Analytical Review. We hope that when changes come this research will help to quickly and efficiently get rid of the post-Soviet totalitarian system created by the current Belarusian authorities which literally entangles our public and social life. For our society to have good chances for moral recovery, for irrevocability of democratic processes, when changes come, we have to know the names of all people who organized and implemented repression against the citizens of Belarus, so that in the future they would not have anything to do with state management and power. People should know their “heroes”, and the “heroes” should also know that the time will come and they will be accountable for the crimes against their people. We are convinced that awareness of the Belarusian society, moral guidelines based on European values, understanding of importance of the human rights, and personal dignity of our people will give totalitarian authorities in Belarus no chance to exist. Ales Bialiatski. 6 Violations of Human Rights in Belarus in 2006. Analytical Review. 1. Human rights related amendments to the legislation of the Republic of Belarus In the Constitution the Republic of Belarus is declared a unitary democratic social constitutional state. The Constitution declares the principle of the law supremacy and restricts the powers of all state organs by the limits of the Constitution and constitutional legal acts.
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