2008 ORDINARY SESSION

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(Second part)

REPORT

Thirteenth Sitting

Tuesday 15 April 2008 at 3 p.m.

I remind members of Mr Pourgourides’s previous reports about the media and disappeared persons in Belarus which was adopted four years ago. I also humbly remember my reports about the situation before and after the presidential elections in 2006, when the so-called anti-revolution law, which was adopted in Belarus just a few months before the elections, was criticised for the first time. Today’s report is an important account of how the criminal justice system has functioned for several years. It is shameful that, in the 21st century, European people can be sentenced to imprisonment for “activities on behalf of an unregistered organisation”. That is absurd. It is even more absurd given that everyone knows it is impossible to register free, non-governmental organisations in Belarus.

Many similar facts are carefully collected in the explanatory memorandum and addendum that the rapporteur presented. I would like to emphasise one more example: the brave young men Pavel Morozau and Andrey Abozau, who continue their studies in my country, Estonia. Some years ago, they were both under criminal investigation for drawing satirical cartoons. Just last month, when their cartoons were viewed on the BelSat TV channel, more than 30 journalists were detained and questioned.

I also want to draw attention to the fact that the Belarusian authorities did not co-operate with Mr Pourgourides on his earlier report about disappeared persons. From time to time, there is a tendency in the Assembly to weaken our approach to Belarus and to be more co-operative. I believe that we are co-operative and that Belarus would genuinely be welcomed to the Council of Europe if it is capable of profound change. Who is not co-operating? Who has the right and responsibility to appoint the Council of Europe rapporteurs? Definitely not the Belarusian authorities.

The best argument for supporting Mr Pourgourides’s approach is his previous reports, because people in Belarus were punished just for distributing them. However, after the report on disappeared persons was adopted four years ago, it had a positive impact because the disappearances stopped. There is strong pressure to investigate those criminal acts, and that pressure is repeated in the report.

In the name of the EPP, I agree with the proposals in the document, especially the call to repeal the so-called anti-revolution law and to assist the victims of human rights abuses.

Tervikdokument: http://assembly.coe.int/