Situation in the Field of Human Rights in Belarus in 2008
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
The Death Penalty in Belarus
Part 1. Histor ical Overview The Death Penalty in Belarus Vilnius 2016 1 The Death Penalty in Belarus The documentary book, “The Death Penalty in Belarus”, was prepared in the framework of the campaign, “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus”. The book contains information on the death penalty in Belarus from 1998 to 2016, as it was in 1998 when the mother of Ivan Famin, a man who was executed for someone else’s crimes, appealed to the Human Rights Center “Viasna”. Among the exclusive materials presented in this publication there is the historical review, “A History of The Death Penalty in Belarus”, prepared by Dzianis Martsinovich, and a large interview with a former head of remand prison No. 1 in Minsk, Aleh Alkayeu, under whose leadership about 150 executions were performed. This book is designed not only for human rights activists, but also for students and teachers of jurisprudence, and wide public. 2 Part 1. Histor ical Overview Life and Death The Death penalty. These words evoke different feelings and ideas in different people, including fair punishment, cruelty and callousness of the state, the cold steel of the headsman’s axe, civilized barbarism, pistol shots, horror and despair, revolutionary expediency, the guillotine with a basket where the severed heads roll, and many other things. Man has invented thousands of ways to kill his fellows, and his bizarre fantasy with the methods of execution is boundless. People even seem to show more humanness and rationalism in killing animals. After all, animals often kill one another. A well-known Belarusian artist Lionik Tarasevich grows hundreds of thoroughbred hens and roosters on his farm in the village of Validy in the Białystok district. -
The Generation Gap, Or Belarusian Differences in Goals, Values and Strategy 2 3
1 The Generation Gap, or Belarusian Differences in Goals, Values and Strategy 2 3 The Generation Gap, or Belarusian Differences in Goals, Values and Strategy Edited by Andrej Dynko 4 Komitet Redakcyjny: Andrzej Sulima-Kamiński, Valer Bulhakau, Andrej Dynko, Eulalia Łazarska, Amanda Murphy. © Copyright by Wyższa Szkoła Handlu i Prawa im. Ryszarda Łazarskiego w Warszawie, Instytut Przestrzeni Obywatelskiej i Polityki Społecznej, Warszawa 2008 Projekt jest współfinansowany przez National Endowment for Democracy. Oficyna Wydawnicza Wyższej Szkoły Handlu i Prawa im. Ryszarda Łazarskiego 02-662 Warszawa ul. Świeradowska 43 tel. 022 54-35-450 e-mail: [email protected] www.lazarski.edu.pl ISBN 978-83-60694-19-0 Materiały z konferencji w dniach 3-5 czerwca 2006 r. Nakład 300 egz. DegVXdlVc^Z`dbejiZgdlZ!Ygj`^degVlV/ 9dbLnYVlc^Xon:A>EH6! ja#>c[aVcX`V&*$&.-!%%"&-.LVghoVlV iZa#$[Vm%''+(*%(%&!%''+(*&,-*! Z"bV^a/Za^ehV5Za^ehV#ea!lll#Za^ehV#ea 5 CONTENTS Andrzej Sulima Kaminski. A few words of introduction ............................................7 THE GENERATION GAP: THE MOTOR OR THE BRAKES ? Jan Maksymiuk. Is the Belarusian Oppositio n Losing the Battle for Young Minds? ................................................................................................. 13 Dzianis Mieljancou. The Change of Generations within the Belarusian Opposition: Is There a Conflict? .................................................. 18 Walter Stankevich. A New Wave of Emigrants: Varied Goals and Values ............... 22 Ales Mikhalevich. Generations -
No. 21 TRONDHEIM STUDIES on EAST EUROPEAN CULTURES
No. 21 TRONDHEIM STUDIES ON EAST EUROPEAN CULTURES & SOCIETIES David R. Marples THE LUKASHENKA PHENOMENON Elections, Propaganda, and the Foundations of Political Authority in Belarus August 2007 David R. Marples is University Professor at the Department of History & Classics, and Director of the Stasiuk Program for the Study of Contemporary Ukraine of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His recent books include Heroes and Villains. Constructing National History in Contemporary Ukraine (2007), Prospects for Democracy in Belarus, co-edited with Joerg Forbrig and Pavol Demes (2006), The Collapse of the Soviet Union, 1985-1991(2004), and Motherland: Russia in the 20th Century (2002). © 2007 David R Marples and the Program on East European Cultures and Societies, a program of the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology. ISSN 1501-6684 ISBN 978-82-995792-1-6 Trondheim Studies on East European Cultures and Societies Editors: György Péteri and Sabrina P. Ramet Editorial Board: Trond Berge, Tanja Ellingsen, Knut Andreas Grimstad, Arne Halvorsen We encourage submissions to the Trondheim Studies on East European Cultures and Societies. Inclusion in the series will be based on anonymous review. Manuscripts are expected to be in English (exception is made for Norwegian Master’s and PhD theses) and not to exceed 150 double spaced pages in length. Postal address for submissions: Editor, Trondheim Studies on East European Cultures and Societies, Department of History, NTNU, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway. For more information on PEECS and TSEECS, visit our web-site at http://www.hf.ntnu.no/peecs/home/ The photo on the cover is a copy of an item included in the photo chronicle of the demonstration of 21 July 2004 and made accessible by the Charter ’97 at http://www.charter97.org/index.phtml?sid=4&did=july21&lang=3 TRONDHEIM STUDIES ON EAST EUROPEAN CULTURES & SOCIETIES No. -
BELARUS: the Struggle for Press Freedom
International Federation of Journalists BELARUS: The Struggle for Press Freedom Belarus: The Struggle for Press Freedoom 1 1. A Brief Introduction to Belarus Widely regarded as the last true dictatorship in Europe, Belarus has been run by President Alexander Lukashenka since 1994. Belarus is bordered to the north by Latvia 2004 to allow him to stand for a third term. and Lithuania, to the east by Russia, to the International observers have consistently south by Ukraine, and to the west by Poland. raised doubts about the validity of Belarus A declining population of less than 10 million elections, and many opposition candidates inhabits its 207,595 square kilometres. were disbarred from standing in the flawed Presidential elections of March 2006. Absorbed into the Russian Empire in the Widespread protests about the outcome, middle of the 19th century, Belarus declared including the creation of a ‘tent city’ in the itself a republic in 1918 before becoming part capital Minsk, were crushed. of the Soviet Union in 1922. Its current borders were established after World War II when Under the policy of ‘market socialism’ Belarus was occupied by the Nazis from 1941- Lukashenka has reversed privatisation and 44 and over 2 million of its people, including imposed controls on prices and currency most of the Jewish population, perished. rates. Although the economy has grown and trade with European countries has increased, Belarus achieved independence from the there is minimal foreign investment and the Soviet Union on 25 August 1991. However private sector is virtually non-existent. In 2005 it retained closer political and economic ties unemployment was officially listed at only 1.6% to Russia than any of the other former Soviet of a workforce of 4.3 million. -
ZRBG – Ghetto-Liste (Stand: 01.08.2014) Sofern Eine Beschäftigung I
ZRBG – Ghetto-Liste (Stand: 01.08.2014) Sofern eine Beschäftigung i. S. d. ZRBG schon vor dem angegebenen Eröffnungszeitpunkt glaubhaft gemacht ist, kann für die folgenden Gebiete auf den Beginn der Ghettoisierung nach Verordnungslage abgestellt werden: - Generalgouvernement (ohne Galizien): 01.01.1940 - Galizien: 06.09.1941 - Bialystok: 02.08.1941 - Reichskommissariat Ostland (Weißrussland/Weißruthenien): 02.08.1941 - Reichskommissariat Ukraine (Wolhynien/Shitomir): 05.09.1941 Eine Vorlage an die Untergruppe ZRBG ist in diesen Fällen nicht erforderlich. Datum der Nr. Ort: Gebiet: Eröffnung: Liquidierung: Deportationen: Bemerkungen: Quelle: Ergänzung Abaujszanto, 5613 Ungarn, Encyclopedia of Jewish Life, Braham: Abaújszántó [Hun] 16.04.1944 13.07.1944 Kassa, Auschwitz 27.04.2010 (5010) Operationszone I Enciklopédiája (Szántó) Reichskommissariat Aboltsy [Bel] Ostland (1941-1944), (Oboltsy [Rus], 5614 Generalbezirk 14.08.1941 04.06.1942 Encyclopedia of Jewish Life, 2001 24.03.2009 Oboltzi [Yid], Weißruthenien, heute Obolce [Pol]) Gebiet Vitebsk Abony [Hun] (Abon, Ungarn, 5443 Nagyabony, 16.04.1944 13.07.1944 Encyclopedia of Jewish Life 2001 11.11.2009 Operationszone IV Szolnokabony) Ungarn, Szeged, 3500 Ada 16.04.1944 13.07.1944 Braham: Enciklopédiája 09.11.2009 Operationszone IV Auschwitz Generalgouvernement, 3501 Adamow Distrikt Lublin (1939- 01.01.1940 20.12.1942 Kossoy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Life 09.11.2009 1944) Reichskommissariat Aizpute 3502 Ostland (1941-1944), 02.08.1941 27.10.1941 USHMM 02.2008 09.11.2009 (Hosenpoth) Generalbezirk -
Lobach the Sacred Lakes of the Dvina Region (Northwest Belarus)
THE SACRED LAKES OF THE DVINA REGION (NORTHWEST BELARUS) ULADZIMER LOBACH BALTICA 15 BALTICA Abstract The subject of research is the sacral geography of the Dvina region (in northwest Belarus), the sacred lakes situated in this region, and place-legends about vanished churches relating to these lakes. The author bases his research on the analytical method, and interprets folkloric sources, historical facts and data collected during ethnographic field trips. The main con- clusion of the article attests to the fact that place-legends about a vanished church (they relate to the majority of the lakes) ARCHAEOLOGIA indicate the sacrality of these bodies of water. In the past, sacrality might have contained two closely interrelated planes: an archaic one, which originated from pre-Christian times, and that of the Early Middle Ages, related to the baptism of the people of the Duchy of Polotsk. Key words: Belarusian Dvina region, sacral geography, sacred lakes, ancient religion, Christianisation, folklore. During ethnographic field trips organised by research- been found (four in the Homiel, and three in the Mahil- I ers from Polotsk University between 1995 and 2008, iou region). It should also be pointed out that the con- NATURAL HOLY a large amount of folklore data about lakes that still centration of lakes in the Dvina region (no more than PLACES IN ARCHAEOLOGY occupy a special place in the traditional vision of the 35 per cent of all the lakes in Belarus) is not as high AND world of the rural population was recorded. This means as is commonly supposed. Due to popular belief, the FOLKLORE IN THE BALTIC objects of ‘sacral geography’, which for the purposes region is often referred to as ‘the land of blue lakes’. -
Language Management and Language Problems in Belarus: Education and Beyond
Language Management and Language Problems in Belarus: Education and Beyond Markus Giger Institute of the Czech Language, Prague, Czech Republic Maria´n Sloboda Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic This article provides an overview of the sociolinguistic situation in Belarus, the most russified of the post-Soviet countries. It summarizes language policy and legislation, and deals in more detail with language management and selected language problems in Belarusian education. It also contributes to the work on language planning by applying Jernudd’s and Neustupny´’s Language Management Theory, particularly the concept of the language management cycle, to analysis of sociolinguistic issues in Belarus. doi: 10.2167/beb542.0 Keywords: Belarus, bilingual education, language management, language problems Introduction Belarus (or Belorussia/Byelorussia) became independent in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Its independence was not welcomed with much enthusiasm by the population that had strong emotional and cultural ties with Russia and the Soviet Union. Starting in 1994, this attitude resulted in political changes, which returned the country to the Soviet patterns of government, economy, social life, and linguistic development. The majority of the population of Belarus prefers to use Russian, although they declare to be ethnically Belarusian. Nevertheless, Belarusian is not limited to a minority group, members of the Russian-speaking majority also use it for symbolic functions. The language is still an obligatory subject in all Belarusian schools and has the status of a state language alongside Russian. This situation is a result of sociohistorical processes which have taken place in the Belarusian territory and which we will describe briefly in the Historical Background section. -
Review-Chronicle of Human Violations in Belarus in 2009
The Human Rights Center Viasna Review-Chronicle of Human Violations in Belarus in 2009 Minsk 2010 Contents A year of disappointed hopes ................................................................7 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in January 2009....................................................................9 Freedom to peaceful assemblies .................................................................................10 Activities of security services .....................................................................................11 Freedom of association ...............................................................................................12 Freedom of information ..............................................................................................13 Harassment of civil and political activists ..................................................................14 Politically motivated criminal cases ...........................................................................14 Freedom of conscience ...............................................................................................15 Prisoners’ rights ..........................................................................................................16 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in February 2009................................................................17 Politically motivated criminal cases ...........................................................................19 Harassment of -
Download Book
84 823 65 Special thanks to the Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies for assistance in getting access to archival data. The author also expresses sincere thanks to the International Consortium "EuroBelarus" and the Belarusian Association of Journalists for information support in preparing this book. Photos by ByMedia.Net and from family albums. Aliaksandr Tamkovich Contemporary History in Faces / Aliaksandr Tamkovich. — 2014. — ... pages. The book contains political essays about people who are well known in Belarus and abroad and who had the most direct relevance to the contemporary history of Belarus over the last 15 to 20 years. The author not only recalls some biographical data but also analyses the role of each of them in the development of Belarus. And there is another very important point. The articles collected in this book were written at different times, so today some changes can be introduced to dates, facts and opinions but the author did not do this INTENTIONALLY. People are not less interested in what we thought yesterday than in what we think today. Information and Op-Ed Publication 84 823 © Aliaksandr Tamkovich, 2014 AUTHOR’S PROLOGUE Probably, it is already known to many of those who talked to the author "on tape" but I will reiterate this idea. I have two encyclopedias on my bookshelves. One was published before 1995 when many people were not in the position yet to take their place in the contemporary history of Belarus. The other one was made recently. The fi rst book was very modest and the second book was printed on classy coated paper and richly decorated with photos. -
General Conclusions and Basic Tendencies 1. System of Human Rights Violations
REVIEW-CHRONICLE OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BELARUS IN 2003 2 REVIEW-CHRONICLE OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BELARUS IN 2003 INTRODUCTION: GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND BASIC TENDENCIES 1. SYSTEM OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS The year 2003 was marked by deterioration of the human rights situation in Belarus. While the general human rights situation in the country did not improve, in its certain spheres it significantly changed for the worse. Disrespect for and regular violations of the basic constitutional civic rights became an unavoidable and permanent factor of the Belarusian reality. In 2003 the Belarusian authorities did not even hide their intention to maximally limit the freedom of speech, freedom of association, religious freedom, and human rights in general. These intentions of the ruling regime were declared publicly. It was a conscious and open choice of the state bodies constituting one of the strategic elements of their policy. This political process became most visible in formation and forced intrusion of state ideology upon the citizens. Even leaving aside the question of the ideology contents, the very existence of an ideology, compulsory for all citizens of the country, imposed through propaganda media and educational establishments, and fraught with punitive sanctions for any deviation from it, is a phenomenon, incompatible with the fundamental human right to have a personal opinion. Thus, the state policy of the ruling government aims to create ideological grounds for consistent undermining of civic freedoms in Belarus. The new ideology is introduced despite the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus which puts a direct ban on that. -
Review–Chronicle
REVIEWCHRONICLE of the human rights violations in Belarus in 2005 Human Rights Center Viasna ReviewChronicle » of the Human Rights Violations in Belarus in 2005 VIASNA « Human Rights Center Minsk 2006 1 REVIEWCHRONICLE of the human rights violations in Belarus in 2005 » VIASNA « Human Rights Center 2 Human Rights Center Viasna, 2006 REVIEWCHRONICLE of the human rights violations in Belarus in 2005 INTRODUCTION: main trends and generalizations The year of 2005 was marked by a considerable aggravation of the general situation in the field of human rights in Belarus. It was not only political rights » that were violated but social, economic and cultural rights as well. These viola- tions are constant and conditioned by the authoritys voluntary policy, with Lu- kashenka at its head. At the same time, human rights violations are not merely VIASNA a side-effect of the authoritarian state control; they are deliberately used as a « means of eradicating political opponents and creating an atmosphere of intimi- dation in the society. The negative dynamics is characterized by the growth of the number of victims of human rights violations and discrimination. Under these circums- tances, with a high level of latent violations and concealed facts, with great obstacles to human rights activity and overall fear in the society, the growth points to drastic stiffening of the regimes methods. Apart from the growing number of registered violations, one should men- Human Rights Center tion the increase of their new forms, caused in most cases by the development of the state oppressive machine, the expansion of legal restrictions and ad- ministrative control over social life and individuals. -
Wedding Rituals in the Belarusian Palesse 43
Wedding Rituals in the Belarusian Palesse 43 Wedding Rituals on the Territory of Belarusian Palesse Iryna Charniakevich Department of Humanities Hrodna State Medical University Grodno, Belarus Abstract The article traces the local peculiarities of historical and ethnographic distribution of wedding rites in Belarusian Palesse. It is based on the analysis of a wide range of published sources, archival materials, and unpublished ethnographic field studies. This work was conducted in the context of Belarusian regional studies and concerns only the Belarusian part of Palesse, the territory which was subject to Belarusian ethnic processes in the early twentieth century and, in the second half of the twentieth century, was included in Belarusian territory; it does not apply to the entire region, that is Russian Poles’e, Ukrainian Polisse, and Polish Polesie. The analyzed rituals include all three stages of an East Slavic wedding ceremony: before the wedding, the wedding itself, and after the wedding. The common features and local differences of West and East Palesse weddings are discussed. This article is a part of my research entitled “Historical and Ethnographic distribution of wedding rites in Belarusian Palesse.” It is based on the analysis of a wide range of published sources, archival materials, and unpublished ethnographic field studies, including my own. Most of the sources used in this paper are from the first half of the twentieth century. However, taking into account the relative stability of traditional culture (at least prior to recent modernization) the use of published sources from the second half of the XIX century seems possible in a study like this.