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Chronicle of repressions against the founders of the BCD (renewed)
The Belarusian authorities are trying to prevent a new attempt to register the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party. They started mass pressure on the founders of the BCD. In most cases the authorities are putting pressure upon the members of the steering committee for creating a party at their places of employment.
November 26
Baranovichi, Brest region
One of the founders of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, Zmitser Dziadovich, who works as a teacher at the Baranovichi gymnasium 2 was called for a talk with his headmaster. This person made him choose between the job and the party and accused Zmitser that due to his actions he exposes his relatives and friends, and that because of his activity will suffer his colleagues. As a result of this pressure Zmitser Dziadovich had to go to the city council to call off his signature in the list of the founders of the BCD.
When Zmitser Dziadovich came to the Baranovichi city council (t. Baranovichi, Lenin square, 2, tel. 41-22-42) he again was made to choose between the job and the party by a representative of the city council and he was forced to write that his signing in a list of the steering committee for creating the BCD was not a conscious and a reasonable action.
November 21
Dauhinava (Minsk region)
The mother of the coordinator of the local organisation of BCD Ivan Kandratovich was called to her work and had a conversation with the director regarding her membership in BCD. The lady confirmed she was the founder of BCD because it was her constitutional right.
November 19
Baranavichy
The officials of the ideological department of Baranavichy City Executive Office (Mr. Tuzikau and Volha Dudko (tel. 8 (0163) 42 25 28) on behalf of the Ministry of Justice (?) conduct checking of the data of BCD founders from Baranavichy.
By the morning of 19.11.2009 they have called 3 people: Aliaksej Ananich, Aliaksej Shavel, Liudmila Hrapik.
Brest. Uladzimir Skrypnik, the official of the Department of Justice of Brest City Executive Office, called the founder of BCD Mikola Jakimuk asking for a meeting in order to speak about BCD. Jakinuk refused to go to the City Executive Office and did not invite the official to his place. During the negotiations regarding the place to meet, two unknown men came over to the place where Mikola's parents live. They did not find Mikola there, decided that he was hiding and threatened his parents.
Babrujsk
The student of the local college Zmitser Sakun was called to the office of the Deputy Director for studies and pedagogical work Rahozhnikau, who conducted a real interrogation of the student in his office.
He asked questions regarding "opposition activity, participation in political parties and youth movements". After Zmitser responded that he was the founder of BCD he was leaded to the director. The director tried to force Zmitser to sign the paper stating he never took part in the Founding Congress of BCD and was not a founder of the party. The activist refused, and the directive board of the educational establishment hinted he would be expelled, made a phone call to someone and let the student go "for now". However, his parents were called to the director.
The founder of BCD Piashchynskaya Angela who works at one of the hotels in Babrujsk, was called by her chiefs twice with regard to her signature in the list of BCD founders. First time she was forced to write an explanation. Second time she was forced to give explanations again without any legal reasons in the presence of an unknown person.
November 18
In Minsk Nadzeya Batura, who works in a state organisation and is a BCD founder, was summoned by her chiefs. They were interested in BCD activities and if Mrs. Batura has personally signed in the list of BCD founders. BCD lawyer, Mikalaj Artsiukhou was present at this meeting. The conversation was audio-recorded.
Here is the conversation.
...
Nadzeya Batura – Can I invite my authorised representative?
Chief – What kind of an authorised representative?
Nadzeya Batura – As this conversation is not connected with professional issues I want someone to represent me.
Chief – All right, please, do.
...
Chief – Did you sign the registration documents of the Belarusian Christian Democracy?
Nadzeya Batura – Yes, I am an Orthodox Christian.
Chief – Are you familiar with the policy of the organization, its essence, its direction?
Nadzeya Batura – Yes, I am a Christian...
Chief – So, you claim with all the responsibility that you signed the documents and you are a member of this organization?
Nadzeya Batura – Yes.
Chief – Consciously?
Nadzeya Batura – Yes, I stood for creating in the frames of legal field...
Chief - Please inform me about the political platform... I want to know what is the message of the organization.
Representative – Alow me, as a representative...
Chief – Wait, I am asking her, as she signed...
Representative – You have no right to interfere into her private life...
Chief - I am not interfering, I am just asking.
Representative - You have a right to ask questions only related to fulfilling of the professional obligations, she has a right not to answer.
Chief - ... I am only asking whether she signed consciously or not...
Nadzeya Batura – Consciously, voluntary, within the frames of legal field.
Chief – That is all. You are my employee... It is important that I should know... Regardless of what anyone could say...
Nadzeya Batura – I think that if a person believes in God, it is very good that he or she, within the frames of legal field and the Law of the Lord... here are my professional characteristics (passes)
Chief – (reads) I am not asking you any questions regarding your professional activity yet....
Nadzeya Batura – Ny attitude to work is honest, as well is to people ... what my faith gives to me... you know it is not easy to work as a dispatcher...
Grodna
A BCD founder, Ludmila Ruksha, works as accountant in the branch of Voluntary Association for Assistance to Army, Air Force and Navy in Grodna. Two unknown men came to talk with her director; after this visit the director summoned her and announced that if she won’t call off her signature to found BCD, she will be fired. She had to call off her signature in order to keep her job as the only means of financing.
November 17
Tamara Fedarava, who works at the meet-packing plant in Babrujsk, is being threatened with a dismissal if she will not call off her signature as a BCD founder. It is worth to note that presently she is on a vacation.
Alena Chuzhak, who lives in one of the agrotowns in Minsk region, - the city executive office promised to oust her and her family from the house, which was provided by the state, if she does not renounce her signature from the list BCD founders.
Both Tamara Fedarava and Alena Chuzhak are being forced to call off their signatures under the documents of founding of the party "Belarusian Christian Democracy", approved by the legally conducted founding congress of the party this October.
During one day on November 17, 14 BCD members from Brest and Pinsk, including Pashaliuk Vasiliy, Bogdan Alena, Thorava Tatsiana, Mikutsina Natallia, Lahodzich Aliaksandr, Starun Iryna, Klimchuk Iryna, Birukevich, Dylyuk Hanna, Kalesnikovich Maksim, Matsiushyk Alesya, Paliashchuk Maryna, Samovich Andrej, Jakimuk Mikalaj received phone calls from people who introduces themselves as officials from the Department of Justice of the City Executive Office.
JURY KAZAK CONSIDERS THAT INITIATING OF A CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST HIM IS ILLEGAL
- I, (Kazak Jury) consider, that a criminal case initiated against me is illegal. Firstly, it is impossible to break the public order and show disrespect to the society at 3 a.m. Secondly, Lenin's idols stand all over Belarus and contradict Christian faith, principles and ideology. The monuments to Lenin are not only the traces of the communist past, but also the signs of the communist ideology which in fact prevails in the country. It is not an "exectional cynicism" (which I am accused of), but defence of Christian values, principles and Christian ideology, which should become the basis of our country, politics, authorities.
Under the name of Lenin millions of Christians and common people were destroyed, the war against God and Christianity was declared, relics were devastated, but now he is turned into a saint, so that his monument is guarded better that Christian relics and they can put you to prison for 3 years for damaging it.
IN DEFENSE OF THE FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN BELARUS
Text of the resolution of the second Founding Congress of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, approved on October 31:
Situation with the freedom of religion in Belarus is the worst among all the European countries.Belarusian believers have no right to found religious communities and register them, cannot share their faith out of cult buildings, cannot even pray at home with their families regularly. This situation is a reflection of the position of the official authorities regarding freedom of religion, and also the result of the implementation of the anti-democratic and anti-religious Law "About Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" in 2002.
The so-called "liberalization" declared at the West by the authorities, does not concern religious issues at all, namely, the right for freedom of conscience. During the last few months there were several administrative court proceedings against priests, pastors and church social workers for "illegal religious activity". The pressure over the church "New Life" is continued, the aim of the official authorities is to deprive the church community of their property. In Navapolatsk (a town in Vitsebsk region) the official authorities took away the piece of land earlier provided to the church "Bless".
The Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus is still in force. According to this article, participants of unregistered organizations, parties and religious communities can be punished with several years of imprisonment. Every member of such organization is made a criminal by the authorities due to this Article.
We, the participants of the Congress of Belarusian Christian Democracy, demand herewith that the Belarusian authorities should immediately abolishthe Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code, amend the Law "About Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" and follow the Consitution of the Republic of Belarus in the full scope, as well as international agreements, signed by the state, which guarantee our citizens the right for freedom of religion and dissemination of their faith.
Long live Belarus! Long live with the God!
REGISTRATION CHRONOLOGY OF BELARUSIAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY PARTY (1-st time)
The Ministry of Justice denied registration to the BCD for a number of reasons; one of them being that certain alleged founders said they had never signed any papers. It happened under different circumstances, which we outlined below.
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February 28. The BCD’s Founding Congress is held with over 600 delegates. An official decision on the Party’s foundation is made; its programme and statute are approved.
March 12. The BCD submits to the Ministry of Justice a complete package of documents for registration together with a list of 1071 founders. At once after the Congress, the authorities unleash an intimidation campaign against the Party’s founders. People meet representatives of the security service, ideological workers, and administration staff of their employing companies. BCD’s founders are threatened with dismissals, forced military conscription, and expulsion from educational institutions.
Kira Chuk, who works at Mahilou Kirau plant, was threatened with dismissal. Paval Nazdra from Mazyr was intimidated by the KGB. Natallia Kasciukovich from Brest and Heorhi Stankevich from a village in Beshankovichy district—with dismissal, Dzianis Lajeuski from Maladzechna was threatened with the military service. Kastus Zhukousky from Homiel was arrested for a 15 days term. Other BCD’s members were frequently threatened with criminal persecution, fired from job, and encountered other serious problems.
Local authorities forced some activities in Klichau and Shklou to withdraw their membership. “You know, we have to survive,” they said. The same happened at Haradzec collective farm, where Lukashenka used to work as a director. Tatsiana Klimentsova from Miory, who works in an orphanage of a family type, was told that the children adopted by her previously, would be taken away, if she persists in her contacts with the Party. Then she received documents, which she has to sign, in case she does not want to lose her job and children.
April 16. The Ministry of Justice denies registration to the BCD, stating among reasons behind that decision that when questioning the BCD’s founders by phone and letters, not all of them correctly stated the number of meetings, where they had participated, and the number of delegated persons. Belarusian lawyers and human rights advocates consider this accusation ungrounded.
April 17. The Ministry of Justice temporarily suspends its non-registration decision, with a definition “in view of numerous appeals from the founders.” The BCD’s Steering Committee requires that the Ministry of Justice should officially reply regarding the registration within a three days term, according to the established legal procedures.
After that, having received no feedback from the Ministry of Justice, the BCD’s founders addressed the Supreme Court. However, the Court declined to consider their claim, stating that the matter is beyond its competence.
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27/11/2009