Subject: [CivilSoc] A Tightening Noose for NGOs in Belarus
From: Center for Civil Society International (ccsi@u.washington.edu)
Date: Wed Jan 10 2001 - 15:12:54 EST
Following are copies of two faxes recently sent to Belarus President
Lukashenko by Cathy Fitzpatrick, head of the International League for
Human Rights (ILHR), concerning threats by the Belarus government to
two NGOs, "Magic" and "Viasna" (Spring). Each reveals in detail the
low-profile, bureaucratic, illegal, and unrelenting methods by which
the Lukashenko government works to extinguish independent political
and social organizations in Belarus.
CivilSoc members wanting to add their voices to one or both appeals
can do so by sending support letters to the fax numbers below. (The
fax numbers used by ILHR would be the first to try, but alternative
fax numbers for President Lukashenka, according to CCSI's records,
are 011 375 172 22 38 72 and 011 375 172 23 58 25.)
Holt Ruffin
Center for Civil Society International
1. The case of "Viasna"
-----------------------
To: Alexander Lukashenko
Republic of Belarus
FAX: 011 375 172 26 06 10
Cc: Amb. Michael Kozak
FAX: +375 172 34 78 53
January 9, 2001
Dear Mr. Lukashenko,
The International League for Human Rights, an international
non-governmental human rights organization with consultative status
at ECOSOC UN, is writing to express serious concern about the
continuing harassment of Viasna [Spring], a prominent Belarusian
human rights NGO.
On December 19, 2000, Viasna received its second warning from the
Justice Ministry, alleging that the Center had not responded to the
Ministry's first warning, and threatening to close the organization
if no written response was received within two weeks. The first
warning, sent on October 26, 2000, claimed that the name of the
organization did not match the one on its registration certificate.
According to the Ministry, instead of the incorrect Viasna Human
Rights Center, the organization's title on its stationery and
literature, the title should read Viasna Public Association Human
Rights Center. Despite the Ministry's insistent claim that Viasna did
not respond, Valentin Stefanovich, Viasnas legal adviser, stated that
he mailed a response to the first warning on November 27, 2000.
Furthermore, the distinction between "Human Rights Center" and
"Public Association Human Rights Center" appears non-existent, and
seems to have been concocted merely to harass this group.
These Justice Ministry warnings appear to be part of a pattern of
harassment of this and other human rights groups in Belarus which are
outspoken and uncompromising in advocating human rights protection.
As these groups have gained more public support and renown, the
government backlash against them has grown more fierce. Viasna, in
particular, has been pressured by the Justice Ministry to leave out
of its registration papers the very right to defend human rights--its
core mandate. This is in gross violation of the commitments
undertaken by Belarus to uphold international standards for freedom
of speech and assembly, and also the right to "know and act upon
one's rights" within the OSCE framework, and Belarus' commitment to
uphold the principles of the Defenders' Declaration of the United
Nations General Assembly. Indeed, the notions of some states that
human rights protection does not include recognition of the right to
vocal human rights advocacy as well as legal defense for the public
at large were specifically rejected during the negotiation process of
the Defenders' Declaration and in the final text.
The League calls upon you and your government to immediately cease
the harassment of Viasna and other NGOs in keeping with your
international commitments and your stated intention of legalizing
NGOs.
Belarus can never be considered part of the democratic European
community until the government takes appropriate measures to assure
that the crucial freedoms of speech and assembly are protected and
upheld.
Thank you for your attention. We await your response.
Sincerely,
Catherine Fitzpatrick
Executive Director
2. The case of "Magic"
----------------------
To: Alexander Lukashenko
Republic of Belarus
FAX: 011 375 172 26 06 10
Cc: Amb. Michael Kozak
FAX: +375 172 34 78 53
Cc: Amb. Hans-Georg Wieck
FAX: +375 172 72 34 98
January 10, 2001
Dear Mr. Lukashenko,
The International League for Human Rights, an international
non-governmental human rights organization with consultative status
at ECOSOC UN, is writing to express serious concern about the sealing
of the part of Magics (an independent publishing house) equipment,
leased by Soros Foundation, on January 9, 2001. This development is
especially worrying in view of the persistent rumors within Belarus
that the government is planning to close all of the countrys
remaining independent publishing outlets.
On September 5, 1997, a contract was signed, which transferred the
publishing equipment from the Belarusian Branch of the Soros
Foundation to the Open Society Institute. Later, this equipment was
leased to Magic. In October, 2000, the Supreme Court of Belarus
closed Magic and confiscated its equipment in order to cancel the
debts the Soros Foundation allegedly owed the state of Belarus. The
League has repeatedly taken the position that this characterization
of the "tax debts" of the Belarusian Soros Foundation is
politically-motivated and unjust, since charitable, non-profit
activity for education, humanitarian work, human rights, and
democracy-building ought not to be taxed. In any event, the sealing
of Magic equipment is unlawful since it no longer belongs to the
Soros Foundation, and, therefore, cannot be used to pay the
Foundations alleged debts.
The League sees further evidence of a political motivation for this
act in the earlier detention of Yuri Budzko, director of Magic, who
was charged with violation of Article 167.3 of the Administrative
Violations Code (violation of electoral legislation) for publishing a
special issue of Rabochy, an independent newspaper, calling for
boycott of the parliamentary elections. The League notes that calls
for a boycott are in fact legal under the Belarus Constitution and as
well as under international standards for the protection of freedom
of speech and the press.
The closure of Magic will prevent eighteen newspapers from being
published, including such popular independent newspapers as Narodnaya
Volya and Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta. Therefore, the League views
the sealing of a substantial part of Magic's equipment as yet another
step in the continuing and recently stepped-up campaign to crack down
on the free press in Belarus. We urge you to ensure that this and
other gross violations of the basic principles of freedom of press
are ended immediately. Thank you for your attention, we await your
response.
Sincerely,
Catherine Fitzpatrick
Executive Director
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