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– I hope the European standards will become a basis for lawmaking in my country, Zhanna Litvina, Chair of the Belarusian Association of Journalists said last week in Minsk at a conference co-hosted by HRH, on European human rights standards. The situation for independent media in the Republic of Belarus has worsened since 2001. (22-FEBR-05).
 
 

In September 2004 two leaders of entrepreneurs movement, Valery Levanewski and Aliaksandr Vasilyew, were sentenced to 2 years of colony for insult to Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Nevertheless, the pressurization of entrepreneurs is still not over. Several days ago individual entrepreneurs held nationwide strike of protest against the new agreement between the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus as a result of which many of them can lose their jobs and profits.(15-FEB-2005)

According to the minister of information of Republic of Belarus Uladzimir Rusakevich, in 2004 the ministry suspended the issue of 25 mass media and issued about 160 warnings. In his recent interview to “Interfax” agency he also supported the existence of criminal punisment to journalists for insult of honor and dignity of state officials: — Someday, when the level of the political culture of the society will be much higher, this norm will become unnecessary, but it won’t happen quickly.(15-FEB-05)

Belarusian authorities often don’t let the foreigners who have active contacts with public and political activists into the country or deport them. Sometimes even Belarusian citizens aren’t allowed to go abroad, which can be a sign of restoration of the so-called “iron curtain” that existed during the soviet times. Several cases have already taken place during the first two months of 2005.(15-FEB-2005) 

Several months ago the journalist Veranika Charkasava was violently murdered at home. She was stabbed with knife many times. The investigation still treats her son and stepfather as the main suspects, despite of the absence of evidence, and is eager to conduct psychiatric expertise of the journalist´s son Anton Filimonaw.(15-FEB-05) 

Two participants of the events in Kyiv in the end of November — the beginning of January 2004 asked the president of the Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko for political asylum. In their appeals they stated that Belarusian authorities persecute and threaten them. Besides, a criminal case has been already brought against one of the applicants. (15-FEB-2005)

In the Republic of Belarus many methods are used to persecute public and political activists. One of such methods is dismissal from work. For the first month of the new year two such cases have been registered. (22-JAN-05)

Though the parliamentary election and the referendum are already over, the struggle of officials against “undesirable” information doesn’t stop. Less than a month has passed since the New Year, but even for this short period many facts of lawless limitation of the right to receive and distribute information were registered.

The organisations in the emerging Human Rights House will organise a seminar in Minsk 18-19 of February 2005. The object is to familiarize Belarusian journalists, lawyers and judges with European standards of human rights. A delegation from the Norwegian PEN and the Huma Rights House Foundation will attend the seminar in Minsk. (20-JAN-05)