| | | | ïî-ðóññêè / ïà-áåëàðóñêó | | | | |
|
| | |
OSCE Urged to Resolve Dispute with Belarus over Monitoring Group US Ambassador Stephan M. Minikes addressed on September 11 the OSCE Permanent Council session in Vienna, urging the OSCE to solve conflict over the AMG group, headquartered in Minsk. Following read the full text of the speech: U.S. GOVERNMENT DECRIES BELARUSIAN DENIAL OF OSCE ADVISER'S VISA EXTENSION 20.09.2002 U.S. GOVERNMENT STATEMENT ON IVASHKEVICH TRIAL The United States joins the European Union and the OSCE Representative on the Freedom of Media in condemning the conviction and sentence imposed on the editor-in-chief of the Belarusian newspaper Rabochy, Mr. Viktor Ivashkevich. Mr. Ivashkevich, who was charged with insulting Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko in a trial closed to domestic and international observers, was sentenced on September 16 to two years of corrective labor. 1.10.2002 PACE RESOLUTION ON BELARUS WINS BY UNANIMOUS VOTE WITH 1 ABSTAINER Out of 57 deputies of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, who engaged in the voting on the text of the Resolution on Belarus, 56 voted in favor of approval and once one person abstained. So, PACE hasn’t yet decided to restore the right of Belarus to again be granted a “special observer’s” status, of which it was stripped in January 1997. Chronicles of human rights violations in September 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter’97 organizing committee member US DEPT. OF STATE STRONGLY CRITICAL OF BELARUS RELIGIOUS LAW Among the former Soviet republics Belarus has the worst record of freedom of faith violations. Recently the Belarusian parliament approved one of the most repressive religious laws in the whole of Eurasia. Such a conclusion is contained in the new annual report of the US Department of State on the freedom of faith in various countries. Following read the full transcript: September 7, 2002 Human rights violations records for October 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, member of Charter’97 Human rights violations records for November 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, human rights coordinator of Charter`97 BELARUSIANS DON’T FEAR NATO AND WANT TO JOIN EUROPE Interesting data were presented today at another quarterly briefing of the Belarusian “thought factories”, at which they considered political, economic and sociological outcomes of the third quarter of 2002. According to the results of the NISEPI sociological research, 53,8% of Belarusians are supportive of the unification of Belarus and Russia. 53,4% would vote for Belarus’ accession into the European Union at the hypothetic referendum. Moreover, what we see is a great rise in pro-western moods. The number of people, deeming that NATO extension eastwards bears no threat to Belarus increased since 1999 by more than two times. At the same time only 32,2% of our countrymen uphold Putin’s idea on Belarus’ incorporation by Russia. Published on the site on 10.10.2002 US DEPT. OF STATE STRONGLY CRITICAL OF BELARUS RELIGIOUS LAW Among the former Soviet republics Belarus has the worst record of freedom of faith violations. Recently the Belarusian parliament approved one of the most repressive religious laws in the whole of Eurasia. Such a conclusion is contained in the new annual report of the US Department of State on the freedom of faith in various countries. Following read the full transcript: Released on October 7, 2002 Belarus: Assault at Press in 2001 Committee to protect journalists President Aleksandr Lukashenko continued his assault on the independent and opposition press in 2001, and he managed to cling to power in September 9 presidential elections amid charges of human rights violations and extensive electoral fraud. Throughout the year, independent publications faced harassment, censorship, seizures, and closures for criticizing the regime. Little progress was made in the infamous case of disappeared cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky, and troubling legal "reforms" were proposed at end of the year. Published on the site on 16.10.2002 Declaration by Presidency on Behalf of EU Regarding Belarus The EU is alarmed by the deterioration of the situation regarding freedom of media and freedom of expression in Belarus. The censorship and harassment of independent media by the Belarus state are cause for great concern. The EU deeply regrets the repression of journalists, trade unions and others critical of President Lukashenko. The EU fully supports the statement of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media prompted by the recent sentencing of editor in chief Mr. Ivashkevich for defamation of President Lukashenko, and refers to the EU statement in the OSCE Permanent Council. The trials of Mr. Ivashkevich, Mr. Markevich and Mr. Mozheiko, as well as the proceedings taken against Mrs. Khalip, are worrying examples of the intimidation of media representatives by the Belarus authorities. The EU urges the Belarus authorities to revoke these sentences. 16.10.2002 Senator McCain: Our Enemy’s Friend Is Our Enemy “Alexander Lukashenko`s Belarus cannot long survive in a world where the United States and Russia enjoy a strategic partnership,” – said at the November 14 international conference “Axis of Evil: Belarus – the Missing Link” the US senator from the Republican Party John McCain: “Lukashenko`s rule is an offense to the values whose victory was secured almost everywhere else in Europe with the end of empire. His rule will threaten America and Europe,” – concluded the senator. Read below the full transcript of John McCain’s speech: 14.11.2002 Human rights violations chronicle in December 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter'97 human rights coordinator Human Rights Violations Chronicle in Belarus in 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter'97 human rights coordinator Human Rights Violations’ Chronicles In Belarus In February 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter’97 organizing committee member Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - Belarus’2001 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 4, 2002 US State Dept. Releases Report on Drugs in Belarus 1 March 2002 Human Rights Violations’ Chronicles In Belarus In March 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter’97 organizing committee member Human Rights Violations’ Chronicles In Belarus In April 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter’97 organizing committee member Trodden Underfoot: Peaceful Protest in Belarus Amnesty International Human Rights Violations’ Chronicles In Belarus In May 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter’97 organizing committee member BILL, PROPOSED FOR US CONGRESS CONSIDERATION BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH Below you may familiarize yourselves with the draft Bill on Belarus, proposed earlier in the day by congressman Christopher Smith for the UN Congress consideration. Human rights violations monitoring for June 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter’97 organizing committee member July, 2002 human rights violations chronicles Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter’97 organizing committee member EU Alarmed Over Belarus’ Human Rights Record The European Union reiterates its wish to welcome Belarus among the democratic states in Europe. However the EU is seriously concerned about the situation on human rights and democracy in the country. The EU is concerned about the draft of the law "On freedom of conscience and religious organisations" which was approved on June 27 by the House of Representatives to be submitted later to the Council of the Republic for final approval. Published on the site on 28.08.2002 "Shock"in Congress as Belarus Authorities Bulldoze New Church (Washington) - United States Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) is "shocked, but not surprised" that Alexander Lukashenka's government demolished a newly constructed church building on August 1st while parishioners were preparing for its solemn consecration. Published on the site on 7.08.2002 Chronicles of human rights violations in Belarus in August 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, member of the Charter’97 organizing committee Coalition in Defense of Democracy, Human Rights in Belarus Calls on US Gov. to Exert Pressure on Official Minsk The Coalition in Defense of Democracy and Human Rights in Belarus, uniting 12 Belarusian-American and 2 Belarusian-Canadian organizations in promoting democracy and human rights in Belarus, passed the following statement on the occasion of the first year of Lukashenko second tenure in office: Published on the site on 9.09.2002 OSCE Departs Belarus? The Portuguese OSCE Chairmanship deems that the AMG mission in Minsk is no longer able to carry out its duties, reads the statement issued on September 10, 2002 in Vienna. The OSCE official reaction came after the Belarusian authorities denied entry visa to the last remaining AMG official Megan Fitzgerald – by September 12 she is supposed to leave Belarus. Read below the full text of the statement: Published on the site on 10.09.2002 Ludmila Gryaznova’s Speech At OSCE Conference in Warsaw On September 9-19 Warsaw is hosting under the OSCE auspices an international conference on human dimension. Belarus is represented at the forum by two parallel delegations – official and non-governmental. On Sept.12 there took place hearings on the freedom of press, during which the floor was given to the official FM representative Maksim Ryzhenkov, chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zhanna Litvina and Charter’97 organizing committee member Ludmila Gryaznova. Following comes the text of Ludmila Gryaznova’s speech: Human Rights Violations’ Chronicles In Belarus In 2001 Ludmila Gryaznova January, 2002 Memorandum On The Draft Law Of The Republic Of Belarus On Mass Media By Article 19, Global Campaign For Free Expression London, January 2002 Human Rights Violations’ Chronicles In Belarus In January 2002 Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter’97 organizing committee member Wives of Disappeared Belarusian Politicians Appeal to US President Over Repressions 21 February 2002 LUKASHENKA’S REGIME TO BE PUNISHED BY SANCTIONS FOR ILLICIT ARMS DEALS 27 February 2002
Dear Colleagues. Remember, please, you are expected to refer to the Charter`97 Press Center when using the site materials.
| | | |
