Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders strongly condemns harassment of Ms. Tatsiana Revyaka
Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the
interrogation by the KGB of Ms. Tatsiana Revyaka, Board member of the
Human Rights Centre “Viasna”.
According to the information received, on August 17, 2012, Ms.
Revyaka was summoned to the KGB “as a person knowledgeable about the
circumstances relevant to the national security of the Republic of
Belarus”.
Ms. Tatsiana Revyaka reported that KGB officers interrogated her
about a publication on Viasna website on August 15, 2012 titled
“Mahiliou KGB interferes with electoral process”. The officers also
showed her a printout from the website charter97.org containing the same
reprinted information under the heading “Mogilev KGB terrorises
collectors of signatures”. The officers also inquired about the source
of the information and its authors and asked her whether she checked the
date mentioned in the article, arguing that publishing such information
without confirming it would discredit the state security of Belarus. As
a result, Ms. Revyaka was warned over the publication of unchecked
information on Viasna’s website.
However, despite all these verbal criticisms, the KGB allegedly told
Ms. Revyaka that it had no legal motivation to open judicial
proceedings against her.
The said publication describes how a KGB officer in Mogilev broke
into the apartment of Mr. Uladislau Yaroshau, a collector of signatures
and student at the Mogilev State University of Arkady Kuliashou, and
tried to learn about how much money he received for the collection of
signatures and who managed the process. He threatened to dismiss Mr.
Yaroshau from the university for his work in the team of an opposition
candidate and proposed to him to cooperate with the KGB.
The Observatory strongly condemns the harassment of Ms. Tatsiana
Revyaka, since it seems to merely aim at sanctioning her human rights
activities.
The Observatory is particularly concerned that the pressure on her,
and more generally on human rights defenders, has intensified in the
current pre-electoral context, while HRC Viasna and the Belarusian
Helsinki Committee conduct monitoring of the electoral process in the
framework of a campaign entitled “Human Rights Defenders for Free
Elections”.
Actions requested :
Please write to the Belarusian authorities, urging them to :
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological
integrity of Ms. Tatsiana Revyaka, as well as of all human rights
defenders in Belarus;
iii. Put an end to any kind of harassment - including at the
judicial level - against Ms. Tatsiana Revyaka as well as against all
other human rights defenders in Belarus;
iv. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human
Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations
on December 9, 1998, especially:
its
Article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and
in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection
and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national
and international levels”,
its
Article 6 (b) and (c), which states that “Everyone has the right,
individually and in association with others […] as provided for in human
rights and other applicable international instruments, freely to
publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and
knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms and [...] to
study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law
and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and,
through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to
those matters”.
and
its Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all
necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities
of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any
violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse
discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence
of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the
present Declaration” ;
v. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights
standards and international instruments ratified by the Belarusian
Republic.
Addresses:
· President Alexander Lukashenko, ul .Karla Marksa, 38, 220016
Minsk, Belarus, Fax : + 375 172 26 06 10 or + 375 172 22 38 72, Email:
contact@president.gov.by
· Head of the Administration of the President of Belarus, Mr.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Makei, Ul. K. Marksa 34, 220016 Minsk, Fax: +
375 17 226-06-10
· General Prosecutor, Grigory Alekseevich Vasilevich,
Internatsionalnaya str. 22, 220050 Minsk, Belarus, Fax: + 375 17 226 42
52
· Minister of Justice of Belarus, Mr. Viktor Grigorevich
Golovanov, Ul. Kollektornaya, 10, 220004 Minsk, Belarus, Email
kanc@minjust.by
· President of the Supreme Court of Belarus, Mr. Valentin
Olegovich Sukalo, Ul. Lenina, 28, 220030 Minsk, Belarus, Email:
scjustrb@pmrb.gov.by
· Permanent Mission of Belarus to the United Nations in
Geneva, 15 avenue de la paix, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22
748 24 51. Email: mission.belarus@ties.itu.int
· Embassy of Belarus in Brussels, 192 avenue Molière, 1050
Ixelles, Belgium, Fax : + 32 2.340.02.87, Email : embbel@skynet.be
Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Belarus in your respective country.
***
Paris-Geneva, August 20, 2012