IHF Press Release on Belarus
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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 09:19:27 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: IHF Press Release on Belarus
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: IHF <[email protected]>
IHF Press Release on Belarus
New Series of Illegal Arrests and Administrative Punishments in Minsk
Minsk, Vienna, 2 March 1999. The International Helsinki Federation for
Human Rights (IHF) and the Belarusan Helsinki Committee (BHC) deplore
the recent arrests, detention and prosecution of organizers and
participants of a peaceful demonstration held on 27 February in the
Belarusan capital Minsk. These actions took place only two days after
a special police unit (OMON) interrupted a meeting of the legitimate
Central Electoral Commission and attempted to arrest its members.
Charges were brought against all members, including Viktor Hanchar,
Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission. On 1 March, when he was
to be tried, Hanchar was forced by unidentified persons into a black
"Volga" and taken to the Lenin District Police Station in Minsk. There
a judge sentenced him to 10 days "administrative arrest" for violation
of article 167-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. Other members
of the Central Electoral Commission received heavy fines. Still others
received warnings.
The organizers of an anti-fascist demonstration on 27 February were
cited for committing administrative offenses. While march participants
were given permission to walk along the sidewalks, the city
authorities failed to clear snow and ice, which forced the estimated
5000 marchers to move on to the road. Although the demonstrators had
no chance to observe the unrealistic rules for the march set by the
city authorities, they made sure traffic was not disturbed.
Nevertheless, on 1 March one of the march organizers, Ales Biliatsky,
was sentenced, according to art. 167-1 part 2 of the Belarus Code of
Administrative Offences, to 10 days administrative arrest. Trials of
the other two organizers, Z.Bandarenka and Valery Kostka were
postponed to 4 March. It is to be noted that police officers twice
attempted to pick up Valeri Kostka, a prominent member of the
Belarusan Helsinki Committee. This in spite of the fact that Kostka
was in the middle of an international conference on the judiciary held
by the Belarusan Helsinki Committee and the International Helsinki
Federation for Human Rights. The whole incident took place in a hotel
lobby - in full view of the approx. 80 participants, including judges,
lawyers and other experts from 9 different countries. It is also
interesting to note that Belarusan judges, for whom the conference was
organized, apparently were prevented from attending the seminar by the
authorities. This apparent government interference raises major
concerns about the independence of the judiciary in Belarus.
The IHF and the BHC appeal to the Belarusan government to drop the
charges brought in connection with the anti-fascist demonstration, and
to reverse the sentences handed down on the members of the Central
Electoral Commission. We urge the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the
United Nations, to call upon Belarus to explain the latest
anti-democratic measures and to make sure that citizens of that
country can exercise their internationally recognized rights.
___
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
http://www.ihf-hr.org/
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