Slachtoffers oneerlijke verkiezingen Wit-Rusland

God, we bidden om uw nabijheid bij honderden mensen die gevangen zitten in Wit-Rusland vanwege hun protest tijdens de oneerlijk verlopen presidentsverkiezingen. We vragen u om hun rechtsbescherming en vrijlating. Wilt u ook bij hun bezorgde families zijn. Wij bidden voor alle mensen in Wit-Rusland die uitzien naar Gods gerechtigheid, dat ze als een zon mag opgaan aan de hemel.
Lees verder: http://www.kerkinactie.nl/Particulieren/Doe-mee/Met-gebed/Slachtoffers-oneerlijke-verkiezingen-Wit-Rusland--i15857

Lukashenko to go back on EU visa ban list

Lukashenka (far left) at a summit of post-Soviet countries in Moscow: the Belarusian leader is the only one on the EU's persona non grata list (Photo: kremlin.ru)

ANDREW RETTMAN

04.01.2011 @ 09:27 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt has said that Belarusian leader Aleksander Lukashenko will be put back on an EU visa ban list along with dozens of officials responsible for post-election beatings and arrests.

Speaking to EUobserver by phone on Monday (3 January) Mr Bildt said: "We have to follow the logic of our previous policies. The last time, when we no longer had political prisoners, we took positive steps. Now we have many more prisoners and those who took part in the actions which took place and those who collaborated with them will inevitably come back on the list."
Read more:
http://euobserver.com/9/31590.

Belarus update 4: Ex-presidential candidates charged with organizing mass riots on Election Day

Ex-presidential candidates charged with organizing mass riots on Election Day

12:59 30.12.10

Euroradio

Ex-presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich yesterday was charged with staging actions that led to mass riots on December 19, Statkevich's lawyer Tatsiana Stankevich told Euroradio.

Similar charges were presented to six other presidential contenders: Aliaksei Mikhalevich, Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Vital Rymasheuski and Andrei Sannikau who are being held in a KGB pre-trial prison. Rygor Kastusyou and Dzmitry Uss were also charged, but they were released after signing a statement not to leave the country.

Lawyers also confirmed that Pavel Seviarynets, an aide to ex-presidential candidate Vital Rumasheuski, and Iryna Khalip, the wife of Andrei Sannikov and journalist with Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, were also charged, reports Belapan

The same charges were also presented to Youth Front deputy chairperson Anastasia Palazhanka and Andrei Sannikov's spokespersn Aliaksandr Atroshchankau.

The charged persons will remain in pretrial detention for two months in the course of investigation.

Belarusian Opposition Candidates Formally Charged Over Protests

Authorities in Belarus are expected today to formally charge a fifth opposition candidate in connection with the protests that broke out in Minsk following this month's presidential election. 

Ales Mikhalevich's lawyer said his client was likely to be charged today with organizing violent mass riots. 

Four other presidential contenders -- Uladzimer Nyaklyaeu, Vital Rymasheuski, Mikalay Statkevich, and Andrey Sannikau-- were already charged with similar offenses on December 29.

All five men are being held in a prison controlled by the KGB security service.

The December 19 election resulted in a fourth term for President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in a vote observers say was flawed and marred by the ensuing crackdown on Lukashenka's opponents.

Two other presidential candidates -- Ryhor Kastusyou and Dzmitry Vus -- were not detained but are barred from leaving the country as they are under investigation.

In total, 26 people, including the candidates' campaign managers and other opposition activists, have been identified as suspects in a probe into the mass postelection rally on December 19, when more than 10,000 people took to the capital's central square to protest alleged vote-rigging.

If found guilty of organizing violent unrest, they could face up to 15 years in prison. Belarus has in the past leveled similar charges against Lukashenka's opponents. In 2006, former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kozulin was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison. He was pardoned in 2008 under EU pressure. 

Authorities on December 29 began releasing people detained during the post-election demonstrations. Some 600 people were arrested after police violently broke up the rally.

In the meantime, the lawyer for Uladzimer Nyaklyaeu says she fears for his health and called for his immediate hospitalization. Tamara Sidarenka said Nyaklyaeu, who was severely beaten before the rally, was unable to speak and was suffering from high blood pressure when she visited him in prison in Minsk on December 29.

"His health condition is very critical," she said. "Nyaklyaeu isn't being hospitalized, despite the fact that he is facing a big risk of a second hypertension crisis and stroke, especially considering the fact that he has been in [doctors'] records since 1999 when he suffered a stroke."

Two other Lukashenka challengers -- Rymasheuski and Sannikau -- also reportedly sustained injuries during their arrest, with rights group Amnesty International claiming that Sannikau has been tortured in detention. Amnesty quotes Sannikau's lawyer as saying that the candidate's legs appear to have been broken and that the way he speaks and carries himself indicates he may have brain damage.

Crackdown Condemned

According to official results following the December 19 vote, Lukashenka, frequently referred to as "Europe's last dictator," won 80 percent of the vote. 

Western governments and international observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe criticized the election as flawed and condemned the crackdown on protesters.

It took a week for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to formally congratulate Lukashenka on his victory. Interfax reports that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin formally endorsed Lukashenka's reelection on December 29.

"I did not follow these elections, but it seems clear from the amount of voters the choice of the Belarusian people should be respected," Putin told journalists. "I am not ready to evaluate the circumstances of these elections."

Lukashenka has ruled Belarus for 16 years.

written by Farangis Najibullah, with contributions form RFE/RL's Belarus Service and agency reports

Belarus Update 2 and 3: Urgent: our concerns -- Olga from Belarus

From my friend Olga -- Belarus

Dear friends,

 

thanks for your support and your desire to help us.

What concerns the ideas what you could do, I will share with you some.

- organise picketing of the Belarusian embassies http://www.belembassy.org/index_eng.html condemning violence and repressions and demanding to free the prisoners and follow the democratic rules, punish those guilty of violent actions (of course, this was sanctioned by the authorities, but still it is important to demand justice). We are concerned about Christian Democrats Vital Rymasheuski, Paval Sieviarynets (both Orthodox Christians) in the first place, but surely about all arrested and beaten ex-candidates and their representatives http://naviny.by/rubrics/english/2010/12/23/ic_articles_259_171791, as well as hundreds of people who are now in prison in overcrowded cells with bad sanitary conditions and food. It would be great if journalists will write about your initiatives in the mass media.

 

- make enquiries with your Ministries of External Affairs and ask if they are following up the situation. The reaction of the EU and the USA was strong in condemning the actions of the authorities in Minsk, but concrete sanctions have to be applied to influence the regime (visa sanctions, economic measures, etc.)

 

- contact the churches in Belarus and ask them if they are following up the situation, if they are providing moral and pastoral support for those who are in prison.

Orthodox http://www.church.by/resource/Dir0056/Dir0083/Dir0108/Page0112.html

Catholic http://www.catholic.by/2/en/belarus/dioceses/minsk-mohilev2.html

Baptist http://baptist.by/index.php

Union of the Evangelical Christian Baptists in Belarus. Tel.+375(17) 295-6784
Mob. +375(29) 389-8221, +375(29) 278-3095

Pentecostal http://www.cxbe.by/

 

Some priests have offered their assistance on personal level, but that is very little.

 

- spread the information about the events to your Belarusian friends if you have any, as the state mass media provide only one-sided information and many people even in Belarus don't know what actually happened.

 

- organise prayer circles for Belarus

 

- financial support is also needed, but difficult to be delivered to Belarus, and has to be discussed by skype.

 

Best regards,

Olga

 

p.s. tomorrow 27 December the Belarusian Christian Democrats are organising a press-conference, where Vital's wife, Nasta is going to speak. Please, pray for her and for the event. Please, pray for Vital and all prisoners of the Belarusian regime.

 

 

http----- Original Message -----

From: Olga

Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 11:21 PM

Subject: urgent: our concerns

 

Dear friends,

 

some of you have received from me the news about the results of the last presidential elections and massive acts of violence from the side of the current authorities in Belarus. Some news in English are here http://www.rferl.org/section/Belarus/152.html,

http://www.spring96.org/en, http://euroradio.by/en/1439/ (the office of the Euroradio is being searched in the time when I'm writing to you, so I don't know if it will work tomorrow).

 

19 people were arrested and now are suspected in organising and implementing mass riots (this from 5 to 15 years in prison), about 700 people from the protesters and some accidental people are now in prison for 10-15 days. Arrests and searches continue the whole of this week, even today during Christmas day. We don't know how far the Belarusian regime is going to go. They carefully planned the scenario of putting an end to any opposition in the county.

 

The patriarch Kirill congratulated our dictator with the victory of the elections, so did the Russian president today. It is hard to expect any help from the side of the majority churches (Orthodox and Catholic), all official church leaders (Protestant as well) are silent.

 

One of the democratic presidential candidates, Vital Rymasheuski, who represents Belarusian Christian Democrats, is a close friend of mine, we are in one church community for more than 10 years. Vital is now also arrested and facing the danger of being sentenced to 5-15 years of prison. He met his advocate only once, his physical state was normal on Monday 20 December, but he had headache, because he was hit on the head during the attack by the riot police. Now we are helping his family, his wife and daughter. All Vitals friends may be suspected of participating in the criminal activities and plans to overthrow the power.

 

President Lukashenko promised to reveal the secrete plans of the opposition and the dirty materials prepared by his servants are expected to appear next week in the state mass media (there's almost now independent mass media apart from internet, which is also being controlled).

 

We don't know what will happen tomorrow, so we urge you to monitor the information from Belarus yourself and organise protest actions at all available levels (Ministries of External Affairs, political parties, Christian and human rights organisations and churches). Before 2006 the authorities were using the oppressive law on freedom of religion to arrest and make searches in the flats and houses where "unregistered religious groups" were conducting religious activities. Bible readings and church home group meeting are illegal in our country for all Christian confessions. So if they would wish so, the authorities can start the same repressions against Christians and any other "dangerous" groups.

 

At the moment we need to advocate for the release of all prisoners in Belarus among whom there are many Christians as well. We need do demand to stop violence and repressions against citizens of Belarus. The county is paralised by fear and only few people dare to do things openly.

 

Many of you know my mobile and home phones, it would be great if you could now and then check if everything is fine. My skype name is grammatea (Vol'ha), so you could also use this for connection.

 

Best wishes for your Christmas celebrations,

 

Olga

 

 

Belarus Update 1: Lukashenko's scenario used to manipulate the peaceful protest actions and make criminals out the democratic presidential candidates

My friend Olga from Minsk sent this information to inform us of the situation in Minsk. Please keep her and many other friends in Minsk in your prayers, as they seek to live out their faith in the public arena.

 

 

 

Lukashenko’s scenario used to manipulate the peaceful protest actions and make criminals out the democratic presidential candidates

 

The Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, presidential candidate for the BCD Vital Rymasheuski as well as other democratic presidential candidates and activists are not responsible for the acts of violence, which took place on Independence Square in Minsk during a peaceful mass protest against the presidential election fraud on 19 December 2010. 

 

During the rally the democratic candidates for presidency decided to negotiate with the representatives of the Government in its headquarters, but no one opened the doors and there were a large number of riot police inside the building. Several provocateurs from the Belarusian security service started breaking the doors of the Government headquarters and then the riot police attacked the democratic presidential candidates and started beating up the protesters dividing and dispersing them all over the square. Vital Rymasheuski and activists of the BCD were trying to stop the provocateurs, but they were blocked and beaten by the police.

 

Here’s the video where Mr. Rymasheuski explains what happened (in Russian):

http://bchd.info/index.php?newsid=4174

"When we came to the Government house to knock on the door and call someone for the negotiations, drunk disguised provocateurs - 8 people - began to break the glass. There were many people from the security services with small cameras, who made a tight circle around the door; it was not possible to come close. We have organized the guards group and came to push out the agents-provocateurs and we have almost succeeded. But as soon as they stopped beating the windows immediately the riot police jumped out of the building".

 

The organizers of the protest rally planned to hold a peaceful demonstration. And the rally was peaceful indeed. Vital Rymasheuski announced this before 19 December and during the demonstration on Independence Square he was calling people to withstand the provocations performed by KGB agents. There were about a thousand drunken people in the crowd who had been sent there by the security service.

 

Now the Ministry of Internal Affairs has initiated a criminal investigation into yesterday’s mass protest on the square. The official press-release of the Ministry falsely states that the protesters used drain pipes, stones and chunks of ice. It also lies about a large number of wooden sticks, pieces of armature and bottles of alcoholic beverages allegedly found on the square. http://mvd.gov.by/ru/main.aspx?guid=1131

Here is the way how the Ministry of Internal Affairs views the situation http://mvd.gov.by/main.aspx?guid=26493. It has to be noted that the people on the video do not belong to the democratic opposition.

 

The Belarusian National TV puts the blame of vandalism and violence on the democratic leaders and on Vital Rymasheuski in particular. Now the KGB forces the remaining ex-presidential cases to make statements on TV against their colleagues, who are now imprisoned.

 

Now the BCD co-chairmen Vital Rymasheuski and Paval Sieviarynets are in the KGB pre-trial prison. Other former presidential candidates are also reported to be there.

The Belarusian Christian Democracy requests you to write appeals condemning the ignoble violent actions taken by the current Belarusian authorities, to conduct open and fair investigation of the events, to release the more than 600 of people held now in prison, some of them without warm clothes and even food and drink (http://nn.by/?c=ar&i=47794 in Belarusian).

 

Belarus election ends with violent protests

President Alexander Lukashenko re-elected to a fourth term in office
Last Updated: Sunday, December 19, 2010 | 9:59 PM ET.CBC News

Protesters rally in Minsk on Sunday to denounce an election they say was rigged. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)Thousands of opposition supporters tried to storm Belarus's main government building in Minsk after Sunday's national election, which a government exit poll showed — and official results later confirmed — President Alexander Lukashenko had won by a landslide.

About 40,000 opposition supporters rallied in central Minsk to call for the longtime authoritarian leader to resign. But the crowd, the largest opposition rally since 1996, was dispersed by baton-wielding police. Dozens of protesters were injured in clashes with riot police and their leader, as well as two other candidates, were beaten.

Lukashenko garnered 79.1 per cent of the vote, while Grigor Kostusev won 4.2 per cent, according to the Minsk-based EcooM research centre. Official results released later by the state electoral commission showed Lukashenko won his fourth term in office with 79.7 per cent of the votes, Reuters reported.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/12/19/belarus-presidential-election.html#ixzz19FihCnCU