Freedom in the World 2001 - Belarus

2001 Scores

Status: Not Free
Freedom Rating: 6.0
Civil Liberties: 6
Political Rights: 6

Overview

In 2000 the Belarusian government continued its assault on basic political rights and civil liberties. Using his influence over security forces, the legislature, and courts, President Alexandr Lukashenka presided over undemocratic parliamentary elections, government disruptions of protests and rallies, harassment of opposition groups and the media, and politically motivated arrests and trials.

When Belarus declared independence in 1991, it ended centuries of foreign ascendancy by Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and ultimately the Soviet Union. Stanislaw Shushkevich, a reform-minded leader, served as head of state from 1991 to 1994. That year voters made Alexandr Lukashenka the country's first post-Soviet president. He has pursued a close union with Russia, subordinated the government and courts to his political whims, denied citizens basics rights and liberties, and ruled by decree ever since.

In a 1996 referendum, Belarusian citizens favored constitutional amendments that extended Lukashenka's presidential term by two years, broadened presidential powers, and created a new bicameral parliament. Lukashenka ignored a court ruling that the referendum was nonbinding, and Prime Minister Mikhail Chyhir resigned in protest. Since July 1999, when the president's original mandate expired, most Western nations have refused to recognize him as the legitimate head of state. Likewise, they recognize the pre-1996 Supreme Soviet led by Syamyon Sharetsky as the country's legitimate legislative body.

Opposition parties agreed to participate in October 2000 parliamentary elections if the government (1) passed a more democratic and transparent electoral code, (2) guaranteed equal access of candidates to state media, (3) ceased its harassment and imprisonment of opposition figures, and (4) granted parliament more substantial duties. When the government failed to meet these demands, seven opposition parties boycotted the election. While some opposition candidates participated in the election, only three received a mandate. The election commission reported voter turnout at 60 percent, but the opposition accused the commission of falsifying the number and declared the election invalid.

Lukashenka employed a variety of tactics to suppress his opponents in 2000. These included police raids on the headquarters of the Belarusian Popular Front and the Social Democratic Party; the detention of journalists, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, and other participants in a rally celebrating the important – if fleeting – 1918 declaration of independence; and the disqualification of numerous opposition candidates from the October election. In two high-profile cases, the Minsk city court convicted Mikalay Statkevich for organizing the unauthorized 1999 freedom march and former Prime Minister Mikhail Chyhir for corruption. By law, the convictions barred Statkevich and Chyhir from running in the October parliamentary election, but eventually they were allowed to register.

Suppression of the media continued apace in 2000. Government authorities seized copies of the independent newspaper Rabochy and charged the printer with "propagandizing . . . the boycott" of the October election. Tax inspectors seized equipment from the same printing house, Magic, which provides services to many independent newspapers. Dmitry Zavadsky, a Belarusian cameraman for Russian Public Television, disappeared in Minsk and is presumed dead. Sources for the Committee to Protect Journalists believe Zavadsky was abducted for possessing film footage that shows "Belarusian security agents fighting against Russian forces in Chechnya." In November, the independent news agency Belapan received an anonymous letter claiming that nine suspects – seven of whom are associated with the state security service – had been arrested. Investigators have refused to comment fully on the case and the letter.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Despite a constitutional guarantee of universal, equal, and direct suffrage, citizens of Belarus cannot change their government democratically. President Lukashenka has promised a presidential election in 2001, and opposition groups are preparing to nominate a challenger.

In October 2000, Belarus held elections to the Chamber of Representatives, parliament's lower house. During the campaign, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe noted numerous violations of the January 2000 electoral code and refused to send official election-day observers. State media coverage of the campaign was limited and biased, and approximately half of all opposition candidates were denied registration. State security forces threatened legal action against any opposition leader who called for a boycott. On polling day, thousands of observers from Belarusian NGOs reported irregularities such as ballot box stuffing and tampering with voter registration lists. Most Western governments refused to recognize the results. In November, delegates of local councils elected 56 senators to the 64-seat Council of the Republic, parliament's upper house. Lukashenka controls appointments to the eight remaining seats.

Russia holds extraordinary sway over Belarusian politics. The two countries have signed several treaties calling for a single currency, uniform tax laws, a shared securities market, and a common defense policy. They also plan to create a supreme council, a cabinet of ministers, a parliament, and a court. In November 2000, President Lukashenka acknowledged that he receives regular reports from Russia's secret service, even though information sharing of this kind is forbidden by Russian law.

The Lukashenka regime systematically curtails press freedoms. State media are subordinated to the president whose administration controls decisions on content and the appointment of senior editors. Harassment and censorship of independent print media are routine. Independent electronic media do not exist. The Law on Press and Other Media prohibits media coverage of any association not registered with the state and severely limits the media's ability to criticize public officials. The State Press Committee can issue warnings to publishers for unauthorized activities such as changing a publication's title or distributing copies abroad. It also can arbitrarily shut down publications without court orders.

The constitution states that all religious faiths are equal before the law and that individuals have the right to profess and practice their faith. In reality, government decrees and registration requirements limit the activities of many religious groups. The government openly favors the Belarusian Orthodox Church.

The government rigorously limits freedom of assembly and association. Protests and rallies require authorization from local authorities who can arbitrarily withhold or revoke permission. A January 1999 presidential decree called for all associations to re-register with the state. To date, many groups either have been denied registration or simply have refused to re-register. In May 2000, the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions appealed to the International Labor Organization about infringements on workers' rights to organize. Lukashenka retaliated by freezing the group's bank account. Late in the year, approximately 168,000 teachers signed an appeal demanding better wages.

Belarus has a three-tiered judiciary and a constitutional court. The constitution calls for judicial independence, but courts are subject to weighty government influence. Opposition members, independent journalists, and other persons who oppose government policies experience arbitrary arrest and imprisonment. The right to a fair trial is not always respected.

The constitution outlines a range of personal liberties and freedoms, but the government honors them selectively. Wire taps by state security agencies limit the right to privacy; arbitrary search and seizure compromises the inviolability of the home; and the internal passport system controls freedom of movement and choice of residence.

Belarus retains its Soviet-era economic model, and living standards are in decline. The International Monetary Fund, which suspended lending to Belarus in 1996, refuses to consider new lending until the country undertakes serious market reforms. Lukashenka, however, openly resists reform – even despite pressure from Russia. The government can confiscate private property from companies and individuals that have "caused damage to the state."