Coalition of NGOs urges Norway to take steps against Belarus

In a letter to Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, HRH, Norwegian PEN and the Norwegian Union of Journalists call on the Norwegian government to take all possible measures against the Belarusian authorities. The past few days Belarusian police has arrested more than 250 people that were taking part in the protest that are taking place on the October Square. Among them are several journalists. (23-MAR-06)

This article is written by HRH / Ralph Pluimert. Picture: AP
 
So far the Norwegian government has not taken an official position towards the alleged election rigging and the following protests and mass arrests. In the Norwegian media, Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has stated that the arrests are ”totally unacceptable.” He said he would take up the case in relevant forums. In the letter the three organisations urge Norway to express its concerns, not only to the Belarusian authorities, but also to the Council of Europe, the EU and OSCE. The organisations also call on the Norwegian government to support the 15 March statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on situation of human rights in Belarus, Adrian Severin, in which he strongly condemns the escalation of human rights violations committed by the Belarusian authorities against the independent press, opposition candidates and their supporters, and human rights defenders, on the eve of the presidential election in Belarus. at the bottom of this article a list of arrested journalist can be found.

Visit
Finally, HRH, Norwegian PEN and the Norwegian Union of Journalists urge the Norwegian government to take up the issue during Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov’s visit to Norway next week. the Russian Federation is thought to be an important player in the conflict and the Putin administration is extremely uncritical towards president Lukashenko’s politics. Fradkov visits Norway at the invitation of Norwegian Prime Minister Stoltenberg who and the main discussion topic during the visit will be the two country’s mutual economic interests. The visit will therefore be an important test for the ethical credibility of the new government. Especially SV has, while they were a part of the opposition, always been very critical towards the pragmatic and unethical choices of the previous Bondevik-government 

List of journalists, prosecuted between 14 and 22 March 2006, for carrying out their professional duties. Compiled by the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ).

Arrested Journalists: 
1. Aliaksei Shein (A. Milinkevich´s Press Group, Minsk).  Sentenced to 5 days’ imprisonment.
2. Ihar Bantsar (“Glos znad Niemna in Exile,” Hrodna). Sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment. 
3. Andrzej Pisalnik (“Glos znad Niemna in Exile,” Hrodna). Sentenced to 12 days’ imprisonment.
4. Aliaksei Rads (Internet-resource forum.grodno.net, Hrodna). Sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment.
5. Andrej Pachobut (“Magazyn polski in Exile,” Hrodna). Sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment.
6. Valery Shchukin (“Narodnaya Vola,” Viciebsk). Sentenced to 7 days’ imprisonment.
7. Andrej Dynko (“Nasha Niva,” Minsk). Sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment.
8. Vadzim Aleksandrovich (“Belorusy i Rynok,” Minsk). Sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment. 
9. Yury Chavusau (a journalist of the Assembly of NGOs Internet Portal, an author of “Palitychnaya sfera” and “ARCHE” magazines). Sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment

Journalists that have been released after their arrests:
10 Andrej Shantarovich (“Miestnaya Gazieta”, Vaukavysk). On 18 March sentenced to 3 days’ imprisonment.
11. Viktar Yarashuk (“Miastsovy Chas,” Pinsk). On 15 March sentenced to 5 days’ imprisonment. Was arrested again on 23 March and sentenced to 6 days’ imprisonment.
12. Siarhej Niarouny (“Volny Horad,” Krychau). On 18 March sentenced to 3 days’ imprisonment.
13. Mikalaj Gierdziy (“Volny Horad,” Krychau). On 18 March sentenced to 2 days’ imprisonment.

List of Fined Journalists:
14. Volha Dziemchanka (“Odnako” newspaper, Minsk). Fined 20 base amounts (approximately USD 290) on 21 March.
15. Ivan Roman (A “Salidarnasc” newspaper free-lance correspondent).  Was fined 2 base amounts on 20 March. Unknown civilians threatened him with a gun at the Department of Internal Affairs in Minsk. On 23 March the police for unknown reasons detained him again. Presently, he is waiting for a court decision.

List of Arrested Foreign Journalists:
16. Andrij Lubka (“Karpatski Holos,” Ukraine). Sentenced to 15 days’ imprisonment.
17. Dzmitry Hurnevich (a “Radio Polonia” (Poland) free-lance correspondent). Sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment.

List of Kidnapped Journalists (the police tells nothing about the journalists)
18. Siarhej Salash (an “Offside” newspaper journalist (Barysau), A. Milinkevich´s Election Team activist). Was detained on 22 March.
19. Anton Taras (free-lance correspondent). Detained in Minsk on 23 March.
20. Alena Lukashevich (free-lance correspondent). Detained in Minsk on 23 March.

Discharged Journalist
21. Siarzhuk Sierabro (“Vitsiebski Courier,” Vitsiebsk). Has been the only case so far in which the judge decided to release a journalist and acknowledged that the correspondent carried out his professional duties.