BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

02/11/2007

Human Rights Watchdog Seeks Release Of Political Prisoners In Belarus

Souhayr Belhassen, the president of the International Federation for Human Rights (IFHR), called in Minsk on November 1 for the international community to "mobilize" to secure the release of four Belarusian detainees -- Zmitser Dashkevich, Artur Finkevich, Andrey Klimau, and Alyaksandr Kazulin -- who are widely considered political prisoners, Belapan reported. Belhassen said efforts by European politicians to deal with violations of human rights in Belarus are insufficient. "It is not enough to ban officials whom the international community believes to be involved in human rights abuses from entry to European Union member countries," she said. "It is necessary to support human rights groups and other nongovernmental organizations that in fact operate underground in Belarus." Belhassen described as "ridiculous" new charges brought by the Belarusian authorities against Youth Front activists Dashkevich and Finkevich; Dashkevich faces new charges for refusing to testify against his friends, and Finkevich for violating the internal regulations of the correctional facility where he is detained. Belhassen also announced the establishment of a committee to support Klimau, who was sentenced in August to two years in prison for allegedly calling for the overthrow of the government in an article posted on the Internet. AM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/11/3-cee/cee-021107.asp