[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 15, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E8-E9]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN BELARUS OFF TO DISCOURAGING START IN THE 
                                NEW YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 15, 2008

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, last month, I chaired a 
Helsinki Commission briefing with a delegation of leading political 
opposition figures and democratic activists from Belarus. The briefing 
was entitled, ``The Future Belarus: Democracy or Dictatorship'' and 
focused on the prospects for change in a country located in the heart 
of Europe that has Europe's worst track record with respect to human 
rights and democracy. Unfortunately, developments since the 
delegation's visit to Washington have been deeply discouraging and do 
not bode well for Belarus' democratic future.
  One of the young people who testified at the briefing, 19-year-old 
Zmitser Fedaruk, spoke eloquently of the dangers that young human 
rights activists face in Belarus. His words were prophetic, as a few 
days later, back in Belarus, he was beaten and knocked unconscious by 
riot policemen, then rushed by ambulance to the hospital. Just last 
week, the Minsk district prosecutor's office in Minsk refused to open 
an investigation into Zmitser's beating.
  A day earlier, my friend Anatoly Lebedka, one of Belarus' staunchest 
defenders of democratic rights, who also testified before the 
Commission, was roughed up by Belarusian police as well. It was far 
from the first time that this leader of the democratic opposition had 
been beaten up or repressed by the Lukashenka regime. On January 4, the 
Lukashenka regime banned Anatoly from travelling abroad in what was 
obviously a politically-motivated decision. Today, Anatoly is in jail 
serving a 15-day sentence, along with several dozen other pro-democracy 
and small business advocates who participated in a January 10 protest 
against restrictions on activities of small businesses. Some of the 
activists--mostly young people--received injuries during their arrest. 
Tatyana Tsishkevch, who was severely beaten during her arrest and 
presented her bloodstained jacket in court, received a 20-day sentence. 
Arsien Pakhomau, a freelance photo correspondent for ``Nasha Niva'' 
weekly--one of the very few remaining independent publications in 
Belarus--was also

[[Page E9]]

sentenced to 15 days' administrative arrest. On the day of the protest, 
a number of websites that cover social and economic affairs in Belarus, 
such as Charter '97 and Radio Liberty, were partially or fully blocked 
by the authorities.
  These most recent repressive actions follow the sentencing of 
opposition activist Artur Finkevich to 18 months in prison; the 
arbitrary use of judicial power to put out of business independent 
newspapers such as ``Novi Chas''; steps to liquidate the opposition 
Belarusian Communist Party; and the fining of Baptist pastor Yuri 
Kravchuk for unregistered religious activity. Belarus is the only 
country in Europe with compulsory registration before religious 
activity can take place.

  Unfortunately, the indications in just the first few weeks of this 
New Year are not encouraging. Lukashenka's presidential administration 
has recently rejected the opposition's proposal to hold talks on the 
upcoming 2008 parliamentary elections, refusing an offer by the 
Belarusian opposition to consider joint proposals on conducting 
parliamentary elections in accordance with democratic standards.
  Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and as 
someone who has long been involved in the OSCE process to promote 
security, cooperation, democracy and human rights among the 56 OSCE 
countries, including Belarus, I am deeply disappointed in the 
Belarusian Government's continual flaunting of freely undertaken OSCE 
commitments. It is my strong hope that Mr. Lukashenka will cease the 
self-imposed isolation of his country--threatening, most recently, to 
expel U.S. Ambassador Karen Stewart--and will give serious thought to 
the offers of cooperation that have come from the United States and the 
European Union if Belarus releases political prisoners and displays 
respect for basic democratic norms. In the meantime, the Lukashenka 
regime can be assured that my colleagues and I on the Helsinki 
Commission are determined to stand by Anatoly Lebedka, Dzmitri Fedaruk 
and all those in Belarus--young and old--bravely struggling for 
freedom, democracy and respect for human rights.

                          ____________________