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Situation In Belarus And Charter-97 Blocking Discussed In European Parliament

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Situation In Belarus And Charter-97 Blocking Discussed In European Parliament
PHOTO: ALEXANDRA LANDE / SHUTTERSTOCK

The conference Belarus-2018: the Voice of the Civil Society was held in the European Parliament in Brussels on June 5.

The conference, organized by the European People's Party faction in the European Parliament, was attended by the members of the European Parliament, representatives of the European Commission, as well as civil society activists and independent Belarusian journalists.

During the event the Belarusians spoke about the situation in the country. MEPs criticized the violation of human rights in Belarus, the persecution of the opposition, as well as the destruction of freedom of speech, in particular, the blocking of the independent website Charter-97.

PHOTO – EPP GROUP PRESS SERVICE

The vice president of the European Parliament, Ramon Luis Valcárcel, spoke about the need to protect the Charter97.org website. According to him, "censorship is used to make people silent, as is the case with the blocking of the Charter97.org website. It is impossible to create a free society without free media. The EU should not turn a blind eye to censorship and repression. We must protect the Charter97.org website."

VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RAMON LUIS VALCÁRCEL
PHOTO – EPP GROUP PRESS SERVICE

Head of the Committee for Security and Defense of the European Parliament, MEP from the Polish Law and Justice party Anna Fotyga stated that "the blocking of Charter97.org might be perceived as another case in the series of intimidations, but it also can be assessed as a turning point for Belarus."

"We, Europeans, either win or lose. On the part of Lukashenka, that was a deliberate move, and he does not intend to stop the blocking. Now it is not the time for critical interaction with the Belarusian authorities, it's time to exert pressure," – Anna Fotyga said.

The head of the Eastern Partnership in the European External Action Service, Dirk Schuebel, said that the Charter-97 blocking contradicts international norms and assured that issues of violations of human rights and freedom of speech, including the independent website blocking, will be discussed at all meetings of EU representatives with the Belarusian authorities.

HEAD OF THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN EXTERNAL ACTION SERVICE DIRK SCHUEBEL
PHOTO – EPP GROUP PRESS SERVICE

The initiators of the conference – head of the EP delegation for relations with Belarus Bogdan Zdroevsky and European MEP from Latvia, deputy head of the European People's Party faction in the European Parliament Sandra Kalniete – also announced the intention to continue raising the issues of violation of human rights and freedom of speech in Belarus.

HEAD OF EP DELEGATION FOR RELATIONS WITH BELARUS BOGDAN ZDROEVSKY
PHOTO – EPP GROUP PRESS SERVICE

Belarus was represented by former presidential candidate Aliaksandr Milinkevich, Charter97.org editor-in-chief Natallia Radzina, Viasna human rights center representative Valiantsin Stsefanovich, Lew Sapieha Foundation representative Miraslau Kobas, Belarusian Helsinki Committee lawyer Dzmitry Charnykh, Lawtrend human rights organization director Volha Smalianka, Belarusian Association of Journalists deputy chairman Aleh Aheyau, human rights activist Aleh Vouchak and others.

Charter97.org editor-in-chief Natallia Radzina, speaking at the conference, noted that the situation with human rights remains tough in Belarus, and the situation with freedom of speech is critical. Here is what she said:

– On January 24 of this year, the authorities of Belarus blocked the largest independent news site – Charter-97. At the time of the blocking, the site's audience was 2.5 million unique visitors every month. Over the past six month, the Charter-97 website had 4 million unique visitors – that is, half of the adult population of Belarus. Moreover, since the site fends off the Russian propaganda, today it is blocked in Russia by the decision of the General Prosecutor's Office.

CHARTER97.ORG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NATALLIA RADZINA (RIGHT)
PHOTO – EPP GROUP PRESS SERVICE

In other words, if previously the Belarusian authorities had taken full control of television and radio, as well as closed the majority of independent newspapers, then, with the blocking of Charter-97, they decided to destroy freedom of speech on the Internet.

At the same time, Belarus approved in the first reading amendments to the law on the media, which strengthen censorship on the Internet, introduce mandatory registration of all commentators on websites, and also entail the blocking of not only Internet portals, but also social networks.

At the same time, freelance journalists, journalists who work for the media that broadcast from abroad (for example, the Belsat television channel) are massively prosecuted, criminal cases are brought against popular video bloggers.

At that, political prisoners continue to stay in prisons, arrests of opposition activists, who take part in peaceful protest rallies, continue. Among other things, punitive psychiatry is used against people who dare to protest publicly. Trade union leaders Hennadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik are prosecuted, they face up to 7 years in prison. Hundreds of independent trade union activists across the country are summoned for interrogations and intimidated.

The authorities crack down not only on the opposition. In truth, today Belarus is turning into a fascist state. Lukashenka has signed a new decree on so-called parasites, which completely contradicts the Constitution and the UN Convention on the Elimination of Forced Labor. According to this decree, the unemployed are deprived of many state benefits, and can also be sent to the so-called medical and labor centers. This is the legacy of the Soviet past. In fact, these are concentration camps where people live in bestial conditions and are forced to work for free.

Besides, according to this decree, the data of the Belarusians on the place of work and wages are brought under control of the state "bodies": that being said, not beyond the realm of possibility, under the control of criminal structures, which is one and the same in the Belarusian situation.

Against the backdrop of all these God-awful things that are happening in Belarus, the EU's relations with Lukashenka's dictatorship are becoming ever closer. Over the past three years, the European Union's support package under the European Neighborhood Instrument has been financed by more than 100 million euros. Moreover, recently, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini met with Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makei in Brussels and announced the launch of the campaign "Together with Hitler ... (sorry, Together with Lukashenka) We are Changing our Lives for the Better."

Moreover, in June, European Commissioner Johannes Khan again visits Belarus for the second time in six months. And the most striking thing is that the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society is traveling to a country in which authorities block independent websites. This is simply boundless cynicism, because at the same time they deny assistance to Belarusian independent media, civil society and democratic opposition. For example, the European Endowment for Democracy fund and other Western foundations refused to help the Charter website in a critical situation after it was blocked in Belarus, when we had no means of subsistence at all. Perhaps this is a coincidence, but the regime of Lukashenka and his Western partners somehow simultaneously destroy the last independent institutions of Belarus. Thanks to Poland, which helps independent media in our country today.

And lastly, if people in the West do not want to think about human rights today, they should think about security. Lukashenko is a puppet of the Kremlin. Politically, economically and militarily, Belarus is absolutely dependent on Russia. All Lukashenka's games with the West are just an attempt to get Western money. And this game is sanctioned by Putin himself. Today he is not able to support his puppet on his own, and he would also want Belarus to remain a smuggling hub through which trade goes bypassing sanctions. This, by the way, does not exclude the possibility that Belarus can loose its nominal independence at any time and join Russia. Lukashenka, destroying independent media and opposition, completely opens Belarus for the influence of Russian propaganda and prepares such a scenario for Putin. And then Europe will face even more serious challenges.

Belarusians hate the dictator Lukashenka, and when EU commissioners embrace him, people start hoping that only Putin can save them from Lukashenka. It is very dangerous. Think about it before it's too late," – Natallia Radzina said.

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