14
Concerns in Europe: January - June 2001
AI Index: EUR 01/003/2001
Amnesty International September 2001
Index: EUR 49/005/2001) highlights the considerable
obstacles faced by individuals engaged in human
rights defence and promotion in Belarus.
Prisoner of conscience -
human rights defender Valery Schukin
On 12 June 60-year-old Valery Schukin the veteran
human rights defender, independent journalist and
member of the dissolved Belarusian parliament began
a three-month prison sentence. He was convicted by
Minsk City Court on 17 April for his role in organizing
the October 1999 pro-democracy Freedom March, and
for alleged hooliganism relating to an incident which
occurred on 16 January, when police officers refused
him entry to a press conference given by the Minister
of the Interior, Vladimir Naumov, in Minsk. A
struggle reportedly ensued between the human rights
activists and guards policing access to the conference,
who violently forced him to the ground. In early July
Valery Schukin was transferred to Zhodino prison
where prison officials allegedly forcibly shaved off his
long beard using a blunt razor.
New legal restrictions of the rights to freedom
of association and assembly
AI expressed concern about the introduction of two
presidential decrees, apparently designed to hamper
the peaceful protest activities of Belarus’ opposition
in the run-up to the presidential election, planned for
9 September. On 14 March President Alyaksandr
Lukashenka issued the decree “Several Measures on
Improving Distribution and Use of Foreign
Humanitarian Aid”, which effectively prohibited the
use of foreign funding for pro-democracy purposes.
The decree prevents foreign monetary and non-
monetary aid given to non-government organizations
(NGOs) and political parties from being used for a
broad range of activities, including the organization
and monitoring of elections and various protest
actions. NGOs will run the risk of incurring fines and
closure if they violate the broadly-sweeping
legislation.
On 11 May Presidential decree, “On Certain
Measures to Improve Procedures of Holding
Meetings, Rallies, Street Processions, Demonstrations
and other Mass Actions and Pickets”, also came into
effect, which imposes new restrictions on the right of
freedom of assembly. Under the decree the body
organizing a sanctioned event will be held entirely
responsible for the action and may be fined or de-
registered if public order is deemed to have been
violated.
Arbitrary detention of Zubr human rights
activists
During the period of review a significant number of
activists of the newly emerged youth pro-democracy
and human rights organization, Zubr, served periods
of imprisonment after being arrested on account of
their peaceful protest activities. On 5 March three
Zubr activists were detained outside the Presidential
Administration Building in central Minsk for
protesting
against
the
spate
of
possible
“disappearances” in Belarus. One of the three youths,
Anton Telezhnikov, was sentenced to 15 days’
imprisonment. AI considered him to be a prisoner of
conscience.
In the early hours of 5 April four Zubr activists,
Aleksey Shidlovsky, Timofey Dranchuk, Dmitry
Drapochko and Ales Apranisch, were detained in
Minsk for allegedly spray-painting on the wall of a
factory: “Where is Gonchar? Where is Zavadsky?
Where is Zakharenko?”. They were released late the
following day and were allegedly not given prompt
access to a lawyer. The youths are currently facing
criminal charges and were expected to be tried later in
2001. In February 1998 Aleksey Shidlovsky was
sentenced to 18-months’ imprisonment for a similar
offence and was adopted by AI as a prisoner of
conscience.
On the same day, another Zubr youth activist,
Nikita Sasim, was reportedly detained in the town of
Baranovichi, south-west of Minsk, by two police
officers for writing the word ‘Zubr’ on walls. He was
held overnight. According to the human rights
organization Spring-96, the police officers beat the
handcuffed youth and poured paint over his head.
During his interrogation on 6 April the police officers
allegedly forced the youth to the floor of the prison
cell and threatened to torture him with electric shock
treatment. He was released later that day when his
mother collected him from the Moskovsky District
Department of Internal Affairs, where he was being
held.
On 21 April 33 young people were detained
during a peaceful anti-presidential event in Gorky
Park in Minsk. A number of the detainees alleged that
police officers used excessive force to detain them or
otherwise ill-treated them. Fourteen of the 33 youths
remained in detention at Okrestina detention centre in
Minsk until 25 April when they were brought before a
court, which sentenced them to three days’
imprisonment. Having remained in Okrestina
detention centre since 21 April they were allowed to
go free. Participants Sergei Pyanukh and Valery
Zherbin were later sentenced to 10 days’
imprisonment in May. AI considered them to be
prisoners of conscience.
In the period under review AI learned of
significant numbers of other pro-democracy and
human rights activists who were arbitrarily deprived
of their liberty. On the peaceful Day of Freedom
demonstration on 25 March around 15 demonstrators
were detained in Minsk for organizing or participating
in an unsanctioned demonstration. While most of the
detainees escaped imprisonment with a fine, several
others including 20-year-old Dmitry Chubarenka,
Spring-96's Ales Byalytski and Vincuk Via
orka were
subsequently sentenced to between 10 and 15 day
terms of imprisonment. AI considered them to be
prisoners of conscience.