In the morning of April 19, the police arrived at the apartment where human rights defender Valery Shchukin was planning to celebrate his birthday. The police verified documents of those present and left, but returned afterwards to conduct a search. Later, after Shchukin asked the officers to show the search warrant, the front door was surrounded. According to the police, their actions were linked with the terrorist attack investigation and they had planned to search for weaponry.
Volha Karach, civic activist from Viciebsk, left, told about her arrest:
– Several policemen started to turn my bag inside out, without any record or inventory making. They started to shuffle my papers. While they were doing it, another policeman came in and started to curse badly. It started from the moment when I asked him not to swear in front of me. He put his leg near to my face and said he would smash my nose, and then he started to slap my face.
Activists = terrorists!?
Pavel Levinau, a human rights defender, member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and a partner of the Human Rights House in Vilnius told that he was detained on suspicion of his complicity in the terrorist act. The founder of civic compaign “Our Home” Volha Karach, the editor of “Vitsebski courier” Aleh Barshcheuski and Pavel Staneuski were arrested on the same suspicion.
The lawyer Valiantsin Stefanovich, right, describes the arrest of Levinau as absurd and unlawful.
– The arrest of Levinau has no apparent reasons listed in the article 108 of Criminal Code. The facts of detention of the human rights defenders as well as independent journalists on suspicion of terrorist attack are very alerting. Especially when there is information of the real guilty to be arrested.
Not terrorism, then hooliganism
After the arrests, the reason given for the human rights defenders’ detention has been changed, from suspicion of terrorism to ‘disordely conduct’ or ‘hooliganism’. In the evening of 19 April, the Chief of Frunze district police department informed that Pavel Levinau was arrested for “disorderly conduct”.
Pavel Levinau, Volha Karach, Aleh Barshcheuski and Pavel Staneuski stood trial on 20 April, for allegedly cursing in a police station. Volha Karach was fined by 20 basic units (around $200), Aleh Barshcheuski was sentenced to 10-days’ imprisonment. Pavel Staneuski was released as the judge returned the materials for proper execution of documents to Frunze distric police department. However, on 21 April he was sentenced to 8 days’ imprisonment. Pavel Levinau was sentenced to 10 days’ detention as well. Levinau asked to postpone the execution of verdict because his mother was ill. The judge however didn’t consider the petition.
“Total cleansing” in action?
It should be noted that Aliaksandr Lukashenka had announced on 13 April that the executor of the attack had been arrested. Newertheless, the president ordered to question the opposition activists in regard of the 11 April blast “paying no attention to no democracy, to whines and moans of foreign sufferers”.
The President of Belarus also condemned the reflections “on some kind of human rights”.
“It fell into mere profanity. The whole nation goes through the tragedy, mourns for the dead, while our European so-colled partners in Strasbourg ponder over some kind of human rights” – he said.
“We must not give ourself any rest. The cleansing will cover all directions – you understand what I am talking about”, – added Lukashenka
BAJ protests against the prosecution of journalists
Belarusian Association of Journalists adopted a statement where it expresses deep concern in regard of numerous facts of persecution of journalists and mass-media that have been taking place in Belarus recently. See the full statement below:
Stop Persecution of Our Colleagues!
Statement of the Belarusian Association of Journalists
The Belarusian Association of Journalists protests vigorously against numerous facts of persecution of journalists and media that have been taking in Belarus since recently.
The governmental authorities attempt to make use of any cause in order to make silent the few remaining free voices in Belarusian media field. Unfortunately, the tragic event of April 11th in Minsk wasn’t an exception to the rule either.
It was during the recent ten days only that:
— the Belarus“ Ministry of Information issued official letters of caution to the “Nasha Niva” independent weekly (April 14, 2011) and the “Narodnaya Vola” newspaper (April 15, 2011);
— the Belarus” Public Prosecutor’s Office and KGB issued official warnings to “Nasha Niva” (April 19, 2011) and the newspaper’s Editor-in-chief Andrei Skurko (April 18, 2011), the “Salidarnasc” on-line newspaper’s Editor-in-chief Alaksandr Starykievich (April 12, 2011), the “Bobruyskiy Kuryer” regional newspaper’s Editor-in-chief Anatol Sanatsenka for his publication in the Bloggers“ Section on www.belaruspartisan.org (April 12, 2011), and the “Volny Horad” (Krychau, Mahilou region) small-circulation newspaper’s Editor-in-chief Siarhei Niarouny (April 19, 2011);
— the BAJ members from Vitsiebsk Volha Karach, Pavel Levinau and Aleh Barshcheuski, the “Vitsiebskiy Kuryer” newspaper’s Editor-in-chief, were taken into custody on farfetched charges and prosecuted under administrative law (April 19, 2011). According to police records, some of the detainees were “suspected in carrying out the act of terror in Minsk metro on April 11th.”
The governmental officials continue to address threatening statements to journalists with promises to sue them for “the dances on the bones.” Obviously, the authorities regard any comments and versions they dislike this way.
There exists a real threat that the governmental authorities will make use of this situation to restrict circulation of information in the Internet. The first alarming signals included restriction of access to the Web-sites of “Charter”97” (www.charter97.org) and “Belorusskiy Partisan” (www.belaruspartisan.org). The Minister of Information of Belarus Aleh Pralaskouski has stated lately it is high time “to get rid of irresponsibility in blogs, social networks and at other Web sites.”
These events should be considered in context with the wave of repression against journalists that started in the country after December 19, 2010. It should be reminded that six members of BAJ, including Iryna Khalip, Natallia Radzina, Alaksandr Fiaduta, Siarhei Vazniak, Pavel Seviarynets, and Dzmitry Bandarenka, are allegedly accused of committing criminal crimes. Particularly, they’ve been preliminary charged with taking part in “mass riots” as well as in “the actions that blatantly violate the public order.” Another journalist Alaksandr Atroshchankau has already been sentenced to four years of imprisonment in a reinforced regime colony. A BAJ member Andrzej Paczobut has been accused of defaming the President of Belarus and taken into custody until trial.
The law enforcement agencies haven’t returned the professional equipment they seized from editorials and journalists“ private apartments during the searches, conducted during the recent winter months.
Threats, warnings, arrests, and searches are totally improper methods to improve professionalism and responsibility of the press.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists decisively protests against all forms of pressure on journalists and mass media and urges the official authorities to terminate immediately the persecution of media workers in the country.
Adopted by the BAJ Board on April 20, 2011
***
The bomb blast in the Minsk underground station “Kastrychnitskaya” happened on 11 April. 13 people died, more than 204 were injured. The medics are struggling for lives of 11 more heavily wounded. The first suspects from Viciebsk were arrested one day after the terrorist attack.
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