Amnesty International urges Belarus to free prisoners of conscience held after post-election protest
11 January 2011
Amnesty International today
called for the unconditional release of 16 Belarusian activists and journalists
charged with ‘organizing mass disorder’ following a post-election demonstration
in December, and declared them prisoners of conscience.
Twenty-five opposition activists and journalists, including six presidential
candidates, have been detained and charged for their participation in a 19
December demonstration in Minsk following the presidential elections. They
are expected to face trial in two to three months.
The detainees are currently being denied adequate access to lawyers and doctors
despite some having been severely injured by riot police on the day of the
demonstration.
“Sixteen of these detainees are prisoners of conscience, facing trumped up
charges purely because of the peaceful expression of their political
opinions. They should be immediately and unconditionally released, and
all charges against them should be dropped” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty
International’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central
Asia.
“This prosecution and ill-treatment of people who were demonstrating peacefully
shows a blatant disregard for human rights by the Belarusian authorities and
merits the strongest condemnation from the international community.”
Although the prisoners of conscience are facing charges of ‘organizing mass
disorder’ accompanied by violent attacks and armed resistance that could carry
prison sentences of up to 15 years, Amnesty International has found no evidence
they either resorted to or incited violence before or during the
demonstrations.
Protesters were mostly peaceful during the Minsk demonstration, but for a small number
of masked young men who attacked the parliament buildings.
One eyewitness reported that one of the detainees, presidential candidate Mikalai
Statkevich, who was speaking at the time, called on the crowd to stop attacking
the parliament building doors. Video footage shows presidential candidate Vital
Rymasheuski attempting to stop the men from causing damage to the building.
Riot police then violently dispersed the demonstration.
Another detained presidential candidate Uladzimir Niakliayeu had received head
injuries when he was beaten by riot police as he was making his way towards the
demonstration. He was later dragged into detention by men in plain clothes from
the intensive care ward of the hospital where he was being treated. On 29
December he was unable to speak to his lawyer and appeared to be seriously ill,
but he has not been transferred to hospital.
Detained presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau was also seriously injured
during the attack on the demonstrators on 19 December, and may have a broken
leg. Andrei Sannikau’s lawyer saw him in court on 29 December but was unable to
speak to him.
Lawyers have been frequently denied access to the detainees with the
explanation that the two meeting rooms in the KGB detention centre are in use.
Over 700 people were detained for their participation in the demonstration. Most
have since been released after serving short administrative sentences, but key
political figures, activists and journalists are still detained in what appears
to be a clampdown on opposition activity. As well as the 25 now charged,
a further 13 people are still being detained and may soon be charged.
The 16 prisoners of conscience are:
• Aliaksei Mikhalevich, Mikalai Statkevich, Uladzimir Niaklyayeu,
Ryhor Kastusiou, and Andrei Sannikau who stood as presidential candidates in
the elections.
• Prominent journalists Natallia Radzina, the editor of
Charter 97 website, Iryna Khalip correspondent for the Russian newspaper Novaya
Hazeta, and Siarhei Vazniak, Editor of the newspaper Tovarishch.
• Aliaksandr Fiaduta, a political commentator, Pavel Seviarynets
an opposition activist and member of Vital Rymasheuski’s campaign team, Anatol
Liabedzka a member of the United Civic Party, Uladzimir Kobets, a member of Aliaksandr
Sannikau’s campaign team, Zmitser Bandarenka, the coordinator of the opposition
European Belarus campaign, Aliaksandr Arastovich, and Siarhei Martsaleu
members of Mikalai Statkevich’s campaign team, and Anastasiya Palazhanka,
the deputy leader of the Young Front movement.
Vital Rymasheuski, who stood as a presidential candidate, was released on bail
on 1 January, as were Anatol Paulau, and Aleh Korban, but the charges against
them remain in force.
Amnesty International is also looking into the cases of the other people who
have been charged with the same offence in connection with the demonstration on
19 December, and there may be further prisoners of conscience among them.