BELARUS: Crackdown on peaceful demonstrators and activists. FIDH's member organisation in Belarus HRC “Viasna” raided
Paris,
December 20, 2010 - The International Federation for Human
Rights (FIDH) expresses its grave concern regarding the human rights situation
in Belarus,
particularly in the context of the Presidential elections of December 19, 2010
after which riot police brutally dispersed a demonstration protesting against
the unfair conduct of the election. Riot police beat and detained hundreds of
persons, including three presidential candidates, as well as Aleh Hulak,
Chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and coordinator of the “Human
Rights Defenders for Free Election” election monitoring campaign. He is
apparently currently facing charges.
Uladzimir Niakliayeu, a presidential candidate, was severely beaten on
his way to the protest and transported to the hospital where he was diagnosed
with a cerebral injury. According to reports, he was taken from his hospital
bed during the night and carried away by persons in his plain clothes. On
December 20, at 2 am, the police broke into the apartment of the United Civil
Party leader Anatol Liabedzka, and detained him. Some activists are already
facing criminal charges, such as the leader of the Malady Front, Dzmitry
Dashkevich, who was detained on fabricated charges following Art. 339 Part 3 of
the Criminal Code. Under unknown charges, Mikhail Pashkevich, a proxy of the
presidential candidate Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, was detained as well.
On December 20, 2010 at 3 am, 15 persons from the Committee for State
Security (KGB) raided the offices of FIDH's member organisation in Belarus, Human
Rights Centre VIASNA. Viasna members were in the office in order to carry out
an analysis of the data collected the day before from 600 election monitors
across the country, in the framework of the "Human Rights Defenders for
Free Elections" monitoring project, run jointly by Viasna and the Belarus
Helsinki Committee (BHC). Ten Viasna members were taken to the police
department in the Pervomaisky district. Lawyers Valentin Stefanovich and
Vladimir Labkovich were among those arrested. All of HRC Viasna's computers and
documentation were seized by the police. The staff members were released
shortly after 6 am. Half an hour later, the security forces returned to
Viasna's office in search for Mr. Labkovich (who had just been released but was
not on the premises).
Access to opposition websites became increasingly difficult during the
night, and on December 20, early in the morning, the offices of the “Charter '97” opposition website were
raided, and its editors allegedly arrested. At least 10 journalists from both
Belarussian and foreign agencies were injured and some were arrested or
detained. Repressions continue.
According to information received from the Human Rights Centre VIASNA,
the 2010 Presidential election was marked by a number of improvements over
previous elections, including better respect for civil and political rights
during the campaign. However, the process failed to meet a number of key
international standards for democratic elections, including the lack of
equitable access to the media for all candidates, the absence of an impartial
election administration and the unfair use of state resources in support of the
incumbent President. The failure to provide transparency and accountability in
the vote count was also notable.
The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy and Vice President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton noted that “the
trend set by the relative progress during the campaigning period was not
followed by a transparent and fair polling process. It is especially
regrettable that the election night was marred by violence... In particular,
the beating and detention of several opposition leaders, including presidential
candidates, is unacceptable”, she said.
FIDH condemns the arrests, detentions and harassment of members of the
opposition, activists and citizens who peacefully demonstrated in Minsk, as well as all
forms of harassment of human rights defenders denouncing the violations which
took place in the electoral context.
FIDH calls to
immediately:
- Release, without further delay, all individuals convicted for political reasons, who are imprisoned or serving other forms of punishment;
- Stop the persecution, arbitrary arrest or harassment of citizens for political reasons; take effective steps to investigate any cases of illegal arrests and disproportionate violence during the crackdown on the peaceful demonstrators;
- Take effective steps to ensure the freedom of the independent media, both domestic and foreign and to stop all forms of harassment against them;
- Enable freedom of assembly, and without delay return the confiscated materials to the HRC “Viasna” and to independent journalists;
- Enable NGOs involved in the independent observation of the election to conclude their work and to present their assessment without any further harassment.