Belarus - no systemic changes in the area of ​​civil and political rights, no qualitative improvement of the human rights

Viasna: Human rights situation in Belarus (Analytical review). - Please read what is happening in the centre of Europe!

Charter 97: Former presidential candidate and diplomat Andrei Sannikov: "The Belarusian opposition can use the experience of Venezuela at the presidential “election”."

Viasna: "despite a decline in the overall level of repression in the country compared to the previous year, in 2018, there were no systemic changes in the area of ​​civil and political rights, especially at the legislative level, aimed at the qualitative improvement of the human rights situation in Belarus;"




Viasna: "Human rights situation in Belarus" (Summary and pdf)
http://spring96.org/en/news/91748?fbclid=IwAR3f8b1ME9pJuNlNJSF03zlcUh8xWT7P13-BftvzYwBieeHUXYQU2Sl2giI




Charter 97: "Andrei Sannikov: Venezuela’s example opens window of opportunities for Belarus" (full text)
https://charter97.org/en/news/2019/1/25/321225/?fbclid=IwAR3fMN1WTKHZG98FQM06QYJeGYjYfnq2PGGT7sSeUpIy-Jex80Ru94JU9YA
"The political situation in 2020 in Belarus at the “presidential election” is well known to us in Belarus, Europe, the United States, our neighbors, and Lukashenka. It is as follows: Lukashenka has not won any elections honestly, after 1994. He is unable to win any democratic elections in Belarus, but he is able to unleash even greater repression against the people, and continue to destroy the country's economy.

So maybe everyone, including official institutions, should stop pretending and think about preventing new crises. If the authorities are not ready to negotiate with us before the “election”, then we will show serious strength during the election campaign.

There is an opportunity, first, to insist on registering a real opposition candidate. As I am a member of the Belarusian National Congress, so for me this is Mikalai Statkevich, whose candidature we supported.

Second, it is necessary to organize observation, real observation, not formal one. In our country, unfortunately, even domestic observing is not fulfilling its function now. In 2010, both international and domestic observers, I believe, simply showed cowardice. They had to record the defeat of Lukashenka, and not electoral procedural violations. Who needs reports on violations, if all these violations are known in advance. Even the slightly objective observation would record Lukashenka’s defeat.

Third, we must be prepared for the possibility of negotiations to open up during a political crisis. The opposition, in particular, the BNC, has long been proposing to negotiate - only this means serious negotiations, not an imitation, which the KGB is doing today.

This will open a window of opportunities. And if we manage to reach an agreement with leading democracies, then this window of opportunities will not close as it did in 2010.

The determination of the opposition, with the support of the people and the firm stance of democratic states in favor of peaceful transformations, is a universal recipe for success, applicable in Belarus."



Photo: KL