In Strasbourg Belarus is discussed and own problems dealt with (Photo)
- 8.10.2009, 16:12
Belarusian public leaders have taken part in the autumn session of the Conference of non-governmental organisations of the Council of Europe, which took place in Strasbourg on September 29-October 1.
At the conference Belarus was represented by one of the coordinators of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Uladzimir Kobets, Belarusian Helsinki Committee chairman Aleh Hulak, the head of “Solidarity” Committee for Defence of the Repressed Ina Kulej, “Third Way” activist Pavel Marozau, NGOs’ Assembly head Syarhei Matskevich, head of “Novak” Laboratory of sociological research Andrei Vardamatski, representative of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Maryna Zahorskaya.
In the framework of the conference a discussion on human rights situation in Belarus was held at the session of the Civil Society Committee. Position of the largest NGOs of Europe on the Belarusian question was stated there.
At the event the Belarusian delegation met with Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, Thomas Markert, deputy Secretary of the Venice Commission, heads of diplomatic missions of Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Luxemburg and Sweden in the Council of Europe, heads and representatives of different commissions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
During the meetings an open exchange of opinions on the situation inside Belarus, dynamics of the relations between the official Minsk and institutions of the Council of Europe took place. Representatives of the Belarusian civil society told about the situation with political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka and Artsyom Dubski, and about young activists forcibly drafted to the army.
The European politicians were also told about the crackdown by police on peaceful rallies on September 6 and 16, about cruel treatment of detained oppositionists and cruel and humiliating treatment of them.
Deterioration of the state of affairs in the sphere of freedom of speech was noted, ranging from hindering for covering the rallies in autumn, to the new law on mass media, according to which the procedure of suspension and liquidation of unwanted outlet on formal or far-fetched reasons has become much easier.
At all the meetings representatives of the Council of Europe stated their support to the Belarusian civil society, and noted with regret that official Minsk is unwilling to make concessions to the Council of Europe, in particular, moratorium on death penalty hasn’t been imposed yet, visible signs of human rights situation improvement are absent.
The Secretary of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights Günter Schirmer assured the Belarusian delegation of the unalterable position of the Committee and its head Christos Pourgourides that the truth about politically motivated abductions and murders of 1999 – 2000 in Belarus in which high-ranking Belarusian officials are suspected by the world community, should be established certainly.
The Council of Europe’s Conference of the NGOs was held against the background of the events dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Council of Europe’s foundation.
Representatives of Belarus took part in the celebrations in the Palais de la Musique et des Congres with the participation of José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, Lluis Maria de Puig, PACE President, Thorbjørn Jagland, newly elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Danilo Türk, Slovenian President, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, Roland Ries, mayor of Strasbourg, Cecilia Malmström, Swedish Minister for European Affairs, Mikhail Gorbachov, former president of the Soviet Union. The former president of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel made a video address to those who gathered in the Palais de la Musique et des Congres.