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| Politic News |
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Opposition Candidate at President elections Dr. Alexander Kazulin is sentenced to 5 and a half years in jail-
15/07/2006
"I oppose the system. This ruling system handed down a sentence to itself today. It was obvious that the authorities are in a panic fear of truth, and it had became completely obvious during the trial that they were attempting to cover up the March 25 armed violence against and inhuman treatment of its own people" Dr. Kazulin’s lawyer passed his client’s statement. "The authorities are so confident of their impunity that they have for the first time ever convicted a presidential candidate on obviously trumped-up charges. Today the entire country is turning into a prison. One should now demand freedom not for Kazulin but for all political prisoners and the entire Belarusian nation."
Alexander Kazulin was expelled from the courtroom and barred from making a final statement on Wednesday, July 12. He was expected to be allowed back to the courtroom only to hear the ruling. In a bizarre ending of the six-day trial, the Judge of the Maskovsky District Court Aliaksei Rybakou ordered all people out of the courtroom before pronouncing the ruling after Kazulin called him a "hangman" and the politician’s supporters started chanting "Freedom to Kazulin." Reporters and diplomats also were removed from the courtroom, with only the prosecutor, Kazulin’s lawyer and the court secretary remaining to hear the verdict.
The family and the lawyer expressed plans to appeal the ruling to the Minsk City Court. "We regard the sentence imposed today as illegal and unjustified. We believe that Dr. Kozulin should have been acquitted," Kazulin’s lawyer stressed.
It is not really believed that the appeal to the City or higher court will change the verdict, but that can definitely help to keep Kazulin’s case in focus of public attention, at least internationally. While Alexander Milinkevich, United Candidate at previous President elections, denounced Kazulin’s conviction and stated that "securing the release of Alexander Kazulin and all political prisoners in Belarus was the act of honor for the Belarusian pro-democracy forces," the judge Aliaksei Rybakou was driven from the court in the armored vehicle.
Alexander Kazulin was accused of organizing a mass disorders during the 25 March events in Minsk, as well as hooliganism (in a separate episode on 2 March when he was arrested during election campaign, he smashed the portrait of Lukashenka at the police station).
The trial produced some surprises. Video materials demonstrated at the courtroom refuted testimonies of some police officers that Kazulin called for mass disorders during the 25 March event, when the armed police smashed the demonstration in Minsk city center. In fact, video evidence showed that Kazulin was calling for order and calm. Other controversies also were disclosed.
This sentence shocked not only people in Belarus. US Department of State Calls to Release Alexander Kazulin. The statement signed by a representative of the US Department of State Sean McCormack the court ruling is condemned. The trial is called fully politically motivated and prepared with the aim to punish Kazulin for his political views: “The US government will continue measures for introducing appropriate sanctions against those who are responsible for human rights violations.” “We call upon the Belarusian government to release Kazulin and all those who had been imprisoned on politically motivated grounds, including the four public activists,” said in the statement.
Head of diplomatic mission of the EU in Belarus - German Embassy - expressed regret for the verdict. In its statement was written: “With close attention the EU followed the trial and hoped for Kazulin’s release.” The ruling of the court, according to ambassador, is connected to the fact that Dr. Kazulin had run for presidency. “The verdict of the court contradicts basic freedoms, the rule of law and international commitments of Belarus.”
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Mass protest on April 26 -
29/04/2006
On the 26th of April in the centre of Minsk Belarus’ opposition held a mass protest action. Around 10 thousand people gathered to commemorate the 20-th Anniversary of Chernobyl catastrophe and to protest against the policy of Lukashenka regime in sphere of dealing with the consequences of the disaster.
In particular people were angry with misinforming about the situation by the state-controlled mass media, policy of encouragement of enterprise in the contaminated areas, involuntary sending of graduates to the area, mistreatment of victims of the catastrophe and preventing the delivery of humanitarian help from around the world to the country.
Alexander Milinkevich, united candidate from opposition at the recent president elections, headed opposition action. Speaking before the gathering he expressed hope of the future victory op freedom over dictatorship. “We wont wait 5 years to defeat dictatorship,” he said.
After the action, youth opposition activists Eugeni Afnagel and Alexei Shidlouski, as well as the leadership of Belarus’ opposition Alexander Milinkevich, Vincuk Vyachorka, Alexander Buhvostau and Sergei Kalyakin were arrested. Some of them were convicted, the situation with other was unclear.
These series of arrest, no doubt as the last source of the regime to suppress opposition movement, shocked not only people inside the country, but appalled many people abroad. PACE, European Commission, US Department of State and many other countries and organizations expressed their deep concern. Future sanction on the regime may be expected.
Another opposition action of the 1 of May demonstrates the strengthening of opposition movement even in the face of repressions.
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Elected a unified candidate form opposition at the President elections 2006
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05/10/2005
At the Congress of Democratic Forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich became a unified candidate from political opposition to Lukashenka regime at the President elections of the next year. He won a close contest with another candidate Anatol Lyabedzka.
Short biography: Alyaksandr Milinkevich was born on the 25-th of July, 1947 in Hrodna. Possesses a Master Degree, was teaching at colleges in Belarus, France and US. Has participates in a number of cultural events and TV presentations.
After becoming a unified candidate, Alyaksandr Milinkevich told the Radio Liberty of his intention to relocate form Hrodna to Minsk. He also announced his decision to invite his former contender to work in his election headquarter.
‘It`s impossible to beat Lukashenka in the elections, because we haven`t had real elections in Belarus for a long time. We will use the elections - which are our constitutional right - to conduct a broad political campaign. We hope to win this campaign,’ Alyaksandr Milinkevich said.
‘The main thing is to bring Belarus back to the ranks of civilized countries. We need to restore independence of the three branches of power. We should give freedom to press, and we should start economic reforms.
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Belarus’ politicians predict new repressions after
harsh changes to Criminal Justice Law
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20/12/2005
“If earlier independent media, political and social
groups met a wave of obstacles, now they are to be
barely able to breath,” Alexander Kazulin, leader of
social-democratic movement, said. “Many people are to
be send behind the bars.”
According to harsh changes to Criminal Justice
Law, now “discrediting of the Republic of Belarus” is
a criminal offence punishable up to 2 years in prison.
Independent experts express opinion that now the
regime is able to prosecute not only those who against
it, but also those who not enough support it. Speaking
of the scale of the changes to Criminal Justice, this
bill called objections even inside Lukashenka’s
marionette parliament, but was adopted regardless.
According to numerous analytics experts joined by
international voices,
the provisions of the bill appear to violate
international norms and many of Belarus' human rights
commitments, including the rights to freedom of
association and freedom of expression. This bill seems
clearly aimed at intimidating Belarusian citizens and
stifling free speech as the country approaches
presidential elections in 2006.
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Mass action of protest on March 25
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29/03/2005
On the day of 87th anniversary of Proclamation of the Belarusian
Republic in the center of Minsk a mass action of
protest against Aliaksandr Lukashenko ruling was
held. Despite attempts of the regime to stop this
opposition event, more than 2 thousands people
gathered in the city center to express their position.
Protesters went to Kastrychnitskaya Square, holding
white-red-white national flags, symbolic of the
European Union and orange stripes - as a tribute to
Orange Revolution in Ukraine. Some participants were
holding photos of political prisoners.
The square was soon surrounded by police forces that
started pushing and throwing out people. Under this pressure
protesters had to withdraw to Francisc Skaryna
Avenue, all the time shouting requirements and slogans to
morally support themselves. Some people were caught
and taken away by hostile police forces. After
spending some more time in the center of Minsk, people
receded.
Action on the 25-th day of March had not become a
revolution. Opposition is still too weak to stand against
the regime - mainly because of the informational blockade.
But Lukashenko regime, using a rude force against
Demonstrants and convicting for participation in the action
Nearly 30 people, showed that it was very much afraid
of opposition. After recent events in Ukraine and
Cyrgyzstan, the Belarusian regime is applying harsh
measures in relation to opposition.
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Opposition parties again under pressure: now they have to relocate their branches
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17/02/2005
"They want to force us to leave our party cells, but we are not going to do so. We are not afraid of anything, including the cancellation of our registration," Vintsuk Vyachorka of the Belarusian Popular Front said. "I just would like to urge those who authored and execute the plan for eliminating Belarusian political parties to look at Ukraine and start thinking about the future."
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the United Civic Party, the Belarusian Popular Fronts and some other parties received warnings. The parties are requested to comply with the requirement to relocate their cells from residential to office buildings within one month.
But oppositional parties met serious difficulties trying to follow the authorities requirement. In some cases they were not able to find place in non-residential premises controlled by loyal to the regime local authorities, in other cases the amount of formalities was too huge to meet the relocation deadline, also had to be taken into consideration, that the branch could propose a candidate at the elections only in the area of its registration and other serious difficulties.
It is thought that the requirement to relocate branches from offices in residential areas to business property is against the law. Some consider the ministry requirement as a ruthless suppression of opposition, designed to make candidate fielding at the next elections difficult, but believe that this obstacle will be overcame by the parties.
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Independent observations: parliamentary elections, referendum is neither free nor democratic
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17/11/2004
A group of independent observers who monitored October’s parliamentary elections and national referendum unveiled their findings at Monday’s news conference in Minsk, deploring the campaign as “neither free nor democratic”.
According to coordinator Nikolai Astreiko, his group had more than 3,500 members people who worked from July 1 through November 1, recording more than 1,700 irregularities and filing 76 complaints with governmental agencies.
All information about the group`s monitoring was included in a report titled, “2004 Referendum and Parliamentary Elections. Facts and Comments”.
Mr. Astreiko stressed that the group was guided by the principles of impartiality. Although the group was under constant pressure from authorities, it managed to gather enough evidence to conclude that the elections and referendum were unfair, he said.
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