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Belarus

Answer

The centralisation of power in the hands of Alexander Lukashenko continues in Belarus to the detriment of fundamental freedoms and the development of an independent civil society. Lukashenko has cracked down on civil society organisations, the independent media and the opposition, imprisoning a number of people.In the build-up to the presidential election on 19 March 2006, the authorities put opposition figures and elements of civil society under intense pressure and closed or suspended independent media outlets (which also faced problems with printing, distribution, and arbitrarily applied fines and costs). The election itself was characterised by fraud and intimidation and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s election observation mission called it ““severely flawed due to the arbitrary use of state power and restrictions on basic rights””. Subsequent attempts by the opposition to demonstrate against the result were broken up. Alexander Kozulin, a presidential candidate, was arrested on 25 March 2006 and sentenced to five and a half years in prison on 14 July 2006 for hooliganism and disturbing the peace. Opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich was arrested in April and sentenced to 15 days in prison for taking part in a demonstration on 26 April 2006 to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.The only independent university in Minsk (European Humanities University) has been closed. Trade Unions also face major difficulties—an International Labour Organisation Commission of Inquiry has concluded that many of the basic civil liberties of trade union members and leaders in Belarus have been seriously infringed. The European Commission, fully supported by member states, has conducted its own investigation confirming these findings.On 10 April 2006, the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council Conclusions announced the imposition of a travel ban on 31 individuals, including Lukashenko, responsible for electoral fraud and the subsequent crackdown on civil society. On 18 May 2006 the EU implemented asset freezes against the same 31 individuals and five of the six people previously subject to travel bans.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

89485; 450 c419-20W;450 c423-4W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Human rights Belarus

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk