[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 9, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E367-E368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ARRESTS IN BELARUS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 9, 1999

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to decry the 
growing litany of repressive measures undertaken by the Government of 
Belarus against the opposition, especially against members of the 
opposition's Central Electoral Commission (CEC). Earlier this year, the 
legitimate Belarusian parliament--the 13th Supreme Soviet, disbanded

[[Page E368]]

by president Alexander Lukashenka after the illegal constitutional 
referendum which extended his term of office by two years to 2001--set 
a date for the next presidential elections for May 16 and set up a 
Central Election Commission to conduct these elections. According to 
the 1994 constitution, which most of the international community 
recognizes as legitimate, Lukashenka's term expires in July. Lukashenka 
has rejected calls for a presidential election and is clearly 
attempting to neutralize democratic opposition to his authoritarian 
rule. The most egregious crackdown in recent weeks was the sentencing 
of CEC chairman Viktor Hanchar, to 10 days ``administrative 
detention''. Hanchar suffered some injuries when he was detained and 
treated roughly by police. He was not given access to his lawyer, Hari 
Pahanyayla, and his wife was not permitted to see him.
  A few days earlier, on February 25, fifteen members of the CEC were 
arrested by police in a cafe where they were meeting and discussing 
reports from local election commissions. Special police did not have a 
warrant and prevented the videotaping of the arrest by Russian 
television. Five-day detentions or heavy fines were meted out to 
several CEC members, including Boris Gyunter, Anatoly Gurinovich, 
Sergei Obodovsky, Iosif Naumchik, Algimantas Dzyarginchus, Alexander 
Koktysh, Nikolay Pohabov, Valery Sidorenko and Leonid Zakurdayev. 
Additionally, warnings have been issued to several members of regional 
opposition elections committees, such as Iosif Naumchik in Vitebsk and 
Sergei Abadowski in Mogilev. According to Radio Liberty, in Zhodzina, 
Miensk region, local authorities have begun intimidating people who 
joined or elected opposition regional election commissions. In Gomel, 
several opposition activists have been summoned and questioned about 
their role in the organization of the May presidential elections 
scheduled by the opposition. Police had seized leaflets about these 
elections at the office of the Gomel branch of the Belarusian Helsinki 
Committee.
  The repression of the opposition's elections committees is part of a 
longstanding pattern of Lukashenka's assault on democratic institutions 
and his campaign to stifle dissent in Belarus. On February 14, 20 
students were arrested by police in Miensk for violating street 
demonstration laws. Among them, Yevgeny Skochko was sentenced to 10 
days in jail, Victor Antonov to 5 days in jail, and Kazimir Kuchun and 
Ilya Banel were fined. Other opposition activists in Gomel and Borisov 
have been tried for unsanctioned demonstrations over the last few 
months. Two young workers in Gomel, for instance, were sentenced to 3 
days administrative detention for holding an unsanctioned march. 
According to Reuters, the men were returning from a disco late in the 
evening and waving banners, which they were bringing home to wash.
  Earlier in the month, on February 5, members of the human rights 
movement Charter '97 were attacked and beaten in Miensk by members of 
the fascist Russian National Unity party. Andrei Sannikov, the 
Charter's international coordinator and former deputy foreign minister 
of Belarus was beaten unconscious. According to the International 
League for Human Rights a few days later, President Lukashenka 
trivialized the incident on Belarusian television, saying: ``They say 
that some fascists have appeared in Miensk and have beaten somebody up. 
Do you know who they have beaten? Other fascists.'' On February 27, 
several thousand marchers participated in a peaceful anti-fascist 
demonstration in Miensk. Organizers of the demonstration, Ales 
Bilyatsky who was sentenced to 10 days administrative detention and 
Oleg Volchek who was given a stiff fine, were cited for committing 
administrative offenses.
  In late January, Lukashenka signed a decree ordering political 
parties, public organizations and trade unions to re-register during 
the period February 1 and July 1. The re-registration process includes 
a variety of onerous stipulations which would have the effect of 
weakening the NGOs and political parties. On February 17, the 
Lukashenka-controlled State Press Committee threatened six independent 
newspapers with closure if they continued to publish information about 
the opposition's presidential election plans in May, charging them with 
``calling for the seizure of power in Belarus.'' On March 2, police 
searched the offices of one of the six independent newspapers, 
``Pahonya'' in Hrodno, confiscating political cartoons and letters from 
readers.
  Clearly, political tensions are increasing in Belarus, and the divide 
between the authoritarian president and the democratic opposition is 
widening. Mr. Lukashenka and his minions should cease and desist their 
campaign to harass journalists, to drain and demoralize individuals and 
organizations in the opposition through administrative fines and 
detentions, and to forcefully squelch the right to the freedoms of 
expression and of assembly. Continued harassment of the oppositiion 
will only aggravate the current constitutional crisis in Belarus and 
most certainly will not serve to promote reconciliation between the 
government and opposition. Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that the 
international community continue to speak out on behalf of those whose 
rights are violated, and that we continue to support the restoration of 
democracy and rule of law in Belarus.

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