UN Council to discuss situation in Belarus

The EU proposes to address the Belarusian issue at the UN Human Rights Council session.

“A key EU priority for the 23rd session of the HRC in June will be the situation of human rights in Belarus which continues to give rise to grave concern,” the Council conclusions on the regular UN Human Rights Council session reads.

The document, which was adopted by the EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, reads that the European Union's priority at the forthcoming session will be the grave human rights situation in Syria. The EU will insist on the need for accountability and preventing impunity for the serious human rights violations and abuses in Syria.

The Council also draws attention of the UN Human Rights Council to to the persistent critical human rights situation in the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea. Together with Japan, the EU will propose the creation of an independent inquiry mechanism in support of the Special

Rapporteur, Interfax news agency reports.

The EU will actively support the extension of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Islamic Republic of Iran who should urgently be granted access to the country.

The Council's conclusions stress the importance of addressing key human rights concerns in Sri Lanka, Mali, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan.

Commentator Aliaksandr Krasnapeutsau

Riot police is now hired through ads

The personnel situation is critical with riot police in Pinsk.

The local city police department put an advertisement on the Pinsk TV channel about hiring new policemen.

According to the commercial, in order to become a riot police member minimal requirements are needed to be satisfied: a secondary education and the age below 25 years. It is separately emphasized that having served in the military is not compulsory. The same basic requirements are there for applicants for patrol police service, Euroradio reports.

We would remind that the riot police brigade was created in Pinsk in 2012. Since the very beginning the riot policemen were promised a decent salary and after five years of service – a preferential rate mortgage.

Commentator Aliaksandr Krasnapeutsau

Yury Zisser: 'Radzina, I’ll put you in jail!”

The deputy head of the Operational and Analytical Centre under the Aegis of Lukashenka (OAC) and the owner of TUT.by Internet portal demonstrated the level of free speech in Belarus at the OSCE conference.

The conference “Internet 2013 – Shaping policies to advance media free” is being held in Vienna on February 14-15.

Besides the official Belarusian delegation to the OSCE, charter97.org editor-in-chief Natallia Radzina, deputy head of the Operational and Analytical Centre under the Aegis of Lukashenka Uladzimir Rabavolau, TUT.BY portal owner Yury Zisser and Internet researcher Mikhail Darashevich were invited.

As charter97.org website has learnt, the OSCE invited only Natallia Radzina and Mikhail Darashevich, but Uladzimir Rabavolau and Yury Zisser were invited on recommendation of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The official media said before the conference that Belarus is represented only by the latter two, emphasising that the main chastener of the Internet, the OAC, is the “independent Internet regulator” and Yury Zisseris a representative of the civil society that takes part in discussions on Internet “regulation”.

The OAC deputy head participated in the discussion “The Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Internet Governance”. Speaking in a propagandistic manner, he said “the right to access to information is guaranteed by the Constitution”, “Belarus doesn't restrict the freedom of expression”, “we have no natural resources, so intellectual potential is very important for us”, “we want to get into top the 30 countries with the most developed Internet technologies”. He noted the monopoly of Beltelecom Internet service provider hindered the OAC, but this problem would be solved soon. Rabavolau noted the cancellation of passport identification of users in Internet cafés was the special merit of official Minsk in securing the right to access to information.

As for the blacklists that include pro-opposition resources, among them charter97.org, the websites Belorusski Partizan and Viasna human rights centre and even blogs, Rabavolau said: “The state has the right to decide what people should do in governmental bodies. They mustn't read Charter'97 website, but work.” He said the state regulates the Internet also because it creates the national legislation.

Editor-in-chief of charter97.org Natallia Radzina took the floor after Uladzimir Rabavolau. She explained to the audience how Lukashenka's decree on Internet regulation really worked in Belarus.

The journalist noted that the OAC is a security agency founded for censorship on the Internet, which is becoming more and more dangerous for the regime for inability to censor content and the growing audience of independent websites. “Even their coat of arms looks like that of the KGB. Their former chief heads the KGB today,” the journalist noted.

According to the decree of the Belarusian dictator, ISPs register users and keep information about the services rendered to them. The OAC made a list of websites that cannot be opened in governmental agencies.

“As most economic sectors are state-owned in Belarus, independent website lose large audience as a result of the decree. In 2010, when the decree was adopted, charter97.org was put on the blacklist, website founder Aleh Byabenin was killed, there were two raids on the website office, equipment was seized and journalists, including me, were arrested. The OAC representative now boasts to the OSCE that passport control in Internet cafés was cancelled. What a great progress! What can he say about journalists Iryna Khalip and Andrzej Poczobut, who were sentenced to restriction of liberty? When will the death of Aleh Byabenin, Dzmitry Zavadski and Veronika Cherkasova be investigated? Where is your 'freedom of expression', if the country has no independent television, radio and almost no independent newspapers? You don't have answers. Don't go there or be silent and don't tell this blatant lie,” Radzina said to Rabavolau.

The journalist emphasised the second important aspect: under Lukashenka's decree, websites of Belarusian firms and enterprises are not allowed to have hosting abroad.

“Why did the MFA recommend to invite Yury Zisser to the conference? Why is he always seen together with the OAC representative? It is because he owns the biggest hosting company in Belarus and the decree gave him super profits. That is why this businessman says the decree on Internet censorship was adopted after consultations with the civil society. It was an ordinary corruption deal, a deal between the government and a businessman,” Natallia Radzina said.

Yury Zisser's reaction to the speech of the charter97.org editor shocked participants of the session, among them representatives of MFAs of the EU member states and the US Department of State. The businessman shouted: “I will put you in jail for [the words about] corruption! Don't return to Belarus!”

Commentator Aliaksandr Krasnapeutsau

Freedom Day celebration moved to March 24

The organising committee on celebration of Freedom Day decided to hold main events on March 24, Sunday.

The celebration plans were discussed by representatives of BPF party, the United Civil Party, For Freedom movement, European Belarus civil campaign, the organising committee to create Belarusian Christian Democracy party and Belarusian Movement, Razam solidarity movement and Pahonya artists' association.

As BelaPAN news agency learnt from BPF head Alyaksei Yanukevich, the organising committee took a decision to apply for a march from the Botanical Garden to the Peoples' Friendship Park and a rally in the Peoples' Friendship Park. Representatives of BPF, UCP, BCD and For Freedom movement plan to sign the application and file it next week.

An application for leasing premises in the Tractor Plant Culture Centre was already lodged to have celebration there at 5 p.m. On Match 24. Pahonya association plans to open an exhibition in the BPF party headquarters on March 22.

According to Yanukevich, the march and celebration will focus on independence protection and the release of political prisoners.

The organising committee decided to prepare a “wide appeal” inviting famous people, political leaders and ordinary citizens to join the celebration of the 95th anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic.


Commentator Aliaksandr Krasnapeutsau

Main castigator of Belarusian Internet to visit OSCE conference

The Operational and Analytical Centre under the aegis of Lukashenka announced itself an “independent regulator of the Internet”.

Official BelTA news agency reports that Belarus will take part in the OSCE conference “Internet 2013 – Sharing policies to advance media freedom” scheduled for February 14-15 in Vienna.

The official Belarusian delegation is represented by Uladzimir Rabavolau, the first deputy head of the Operational and Analytical Centre under the aegis of Lukashenka. He is expected to participate in the discussion “The Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Internet Governance”.

Yury Zisser, the founder of TUT.BY Internet portal, will also attend the conference as a representative of the “civil society”, BelTA reports.

The pro-Lukashenka news agency preferred not to mention that editor of independent website charter97.org Natallia Radzina was also invited to the conference.

According to Uladzimir Rabavolau, Internet technologies are vigorously developing in Belarus; the external gateway is expanding; the number of Internet users is on the rise. Belarus is implementing large-scale projects in information and telecommunications, like construction of a new transit communication main line, introduction of LTE technologies, and creation of the single data transmission network. Belarus’ efforts and achievements will be presented at the forum.”

“The Operational and Analytical Centre acts as an independent regulator of the information and telecommunication industry in Belarus; it maintains close ties with the civil society,” Uladzimir Rabavolau said.

Businessman Yury Zisser said in an interview with BelTA: “The government consults with civil society. In many countries of the world Internet regulation is based on interaction between the government, private business and public associations.”

He also raised a question of the restricted access to Internet resources, which is voluntary for ordinary users. “For half of the year I have never had any problems opening Internet websites,” Yury Zisser said.

The editor-in-chief of charter97.org, Natallia Radzina, comments on the situation:

“Lukashenka's decree on Censorship on the Internet was adopted in 2010. It obliged Internet service providers to register users and keep information about the services rendered to them. Owners of Internet cafés were obliged to check passports of visitors. The control over the Internet was given to the Operational and Analytical Centre (OAC). The OAC and other authorised bodies make lists of banned resources. ISPs must block access to them for governmental bodies, educational and cultural institutions. Some pro-opposition resources, including the website Charter'97, were banned.

The 'independence' of the OAC is illustrated by the fact that centre's first head Valery Vakulchyk finished the higher courses for military counter-intelligence in 1992 and worked for state security bodies since 1991. He headed the Operational and Analytical Centre under the aegis of Lukashenka in 2008. He became head of the Investigation Committee in October 2011 and chairman of the KGB in 2012.

When the OAC speaks about close ties with the 'civil society', I ask myself: What ties do they mean?

I'd like to ask the OSCE: How is it possible to give the floor to a punitive agency?”

Commentator Aliaksandr Krasnapeutsau

Lukashenka - banker for outlaws

Dictatorial Belarus has become a reliable bank for world's totalitarian regimes.

The Sacramento Bee (the US) published a caricature some days ago depicting three famous dictators. Bashar Assad brings a camel loaded with money he stole from the Syrians while Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is waiting his turn. Both rulers want Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka to store their money.

The Western media recently wrote how he earns on cooperation with rogue states.

“Lukashenko attained absolute power in his own country and is now using Belarus’ isolation for his own ends,” Digital Journal (the US) reports.
“Iran and Syria – two countries the US sees as the key members of an “axis of evil” – military dictatorships fueled by huge amounts of oil money are in financial isolation, prohibited from trading with most of the world’s countries. Both these countries are most likely using Belarus as a key transfer point for financial flows, setting up banks in Belarus and spending the money to purchase arms or food in Russia and Europe,” the article in Digital Journal reads.

“In addition, Belarus, with its opaque financial system closed to international observers, may hold some assets of Libya’s former leader Muammar Qaddafi’s family.

Lukashenko first met Colonel Qaddafi in 2000, the leaders exchanged brotherly kisses, and were on friendly terms since, until Qaddafi’s death,” the article reads.

Lukashenka, for his part, gains from his friendship with pariah states:

“Alexander Lukashenko is relying on injections of Syrian and Iranian money to avoid the need to privatize major Belarusian assets, as he cannot afford to relinquish control over them: they provide the bulk of the nation’s hard-currency revenues.”

These data can be confirmed by statistics: over the past five years, Iran’s investment in Belarus has increased from US$ 6 million to US$ 1 billion. The investment may double by the end of 2013, official Tehran assures.

It should be reminded that Italian La Stampa recently wrote that Iran registers its banks in Belarus to bypass international sanctions.

Commentator Aliaksandr Krasnapeutsau

The Netherlands can impose economic sanctions on Lukashenka

This statement was made by Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans.

He didn't rule out the possibility of imposing new economic sanctions on the Belarusian regime in case of human rights violations. Frans Timmermans said it during his official visit to Warsaw, Polskie Radio reports.

“We can apply economic sanctions if necessary. There is no unambiguous opinion on their effect among my European colleagues. I think the support of civil society in Belarus is not less important,” the minister answered the question if the Netherlands was ready to stop buying oil products from Belarus.

Frans Timmermans emphasised the necessity of supporting the independent media and European Humanities University.

The Netherlands is the biggest importer of Belarusian oil products. Trade turnover between Belarus and the Netherlands made 10% of the total trade volume in 2012.

The Belarusian opposition called on European countries several times asking to reduce oil products import and stop backing the regime.

Commentator Aliaksandr Krasnapeutsau