FOR THE RECORD: U.S. legislators condemn rights violations in Belarus

Following is the full text of a letter to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka sent on April 4 by the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission).

Dear President Lukashenka:

We are writing to express our heightened concern about the further deterioration in the human rights situation in your country and to protest a series of actions by your government in blatant violation of OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] principles and norms.

Within the last few weeks two American citizens, including a U.S. diplomat, have been expelled from Belarus. First Secretary Serge Alexandrov was unjustly and illegally detained and expelled for observing an opposition rally, a routine practice of diplomats. A few days earlier, on March 16, Belarusian Soros Foundation Executive Director Peter G. Byrne was prevented from re-entering Belarus, detained, held incommunicado for over 12 hours in flagrant violation of diplomatic and consular conventions in effect between the United States and Belarus, and forcibly expelled the next day. Mr. Byrne ostensibly was expelled for illegal activity, but in reality he was expelled for supporting efforts to develop Belarus' fledgling civil society.

These expulsions come on the heels of other repressive actions, including arrests and beatings of demonstrators who have been protesting your polices over the last few months. Organizers of these rallies, such as former Chairman of Parliament Mechyslau Hryb, have received stiff fines or have been arrested and jailed for up to 15 days. We are alarmed by reports of beatings that resulted in injuries and detentions of several hundred protesters and journalists during yesterday's demonstrations in Miensk.

We are deeply concerned about the Belarusian government's restrictions on the right to freedom of speech and assembly - as manifested by your March 5 decree which also bans the display of Belarusian national symbols at rallies - and the arrest of peaceful protesters, as well as journalists, at a number of these rallies. We are also alarmed by the political intimidation of leading opposition figures, as illustrated by police visits to their homes demanding they admit they violated a presidential edict that restricts demonstrations, and by police searches of various political party headquarters. In February, two opposition leaders were attacked in Miensk in separate incidents by unidentified assailants under suspicious circumstances. Also we have received reports of the intimidation of university professors and other examples of crude threats by police against democratic activists.

We are especially troubled by the plight of Henadz Karpenka, deputy chairman of the 1996 Parliament and chair of the opposition shadow Cabinet, who was on a hunger strike to protest the special police guard placed outside his ward in a hospital where he is currently a patient.

Another example of apparent intimidation is the March 10 decree calling into question important tax exemptions granted to the Belarusian Soros Foundation and other non-governmental organizations, and the March 18 announcement that all non-governmental organizations in the country will be investigated. We understand that these investigations by government security officials have commenced.

Furthermore, freedom of the media in your country continues to be assailed, most recently by the withdrawal of press accreditation from and the expulsion of Russian NTV reporter Alexander Stupnikov, the March 23 decree banning several Russian television networks from broadcasting footage from Belarus, and the recent announcement by your government that all foreign journalists must obtain new accrediations.

Earlier this year OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Danish Foreign Minister Helveg Petersen urged your government to take action to fully respect OSCE norms, principles and commitments, to enter into dialogue with the opposition and to ensure freedom of media. Unfortunately, actions since that time have only further called into question your government's commitments under the Helsinki Final Act and subsequent OSCE agreements. We urge you to take to heart the concerns of the OSCE and other international entities, as well as individual countries, including the United States, and to begin to reverse the serious deterioration of human rights that has occurred in your country during the last year.

Mr. President, last week you spoke to your countrymen about the international isolation that Belarus is now facing. The best way you can prevent this international isolation, if you desire, is to live up to obligations you have freely undertaken as an OSCE member.

Sincerely,

Rep. Christopher H. Smith
Co-Chairman

Sen. Alfonse D'Amato
Chairman

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer
Ranking Member

Sen. Frank Lautenberg
Ranking Member

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, April 13, 1997, No. 15, Vol. LXV

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