Opinion On The Warning Addressed To The Belarusian Association Of Journalists On 13 January 2010 By The Ministry Of Justice Of Belarus

Adopted by the Venice Commission ,at its 85th Plenary Session, (Venice, 17-18 December 2010)
on the basis of comments by Mr Pieter van DIJK (Member, The Netherlands), Mr Christoph GRABENWARTER (Member, Austria), Mr Peter PACZOLAY (Member, Hungary), Ms Herdis THORGEIRSDOTTIR (Member, Iceland) – the whole text here

VI. Conclusions
97. As a party to the ICCPR, Belarus has binding legal obligations to protect fundamental civil and political rights such as the freedom of expression (Article 19), the freedom of association (Article 22), the right to participation in public life (Article 25) and the right to equality before the law and non-discrimination (Article 26). Belarus has a positive obligation to respect these rights.
98. As a candidate country for membership of the Council of Europe and an associate member of the Venice Commission, the “acquis” of the Council of Europe, including the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, constitutes also a relevant frame of reference for the Venice Commission and the Parliamentary Assembly to assess if certain measures by the public authorities of Belarus are in conformity with international standards.
99. The rights to freedom of expression and of association are of paramount importance in any democratic society and any restriction of these must meet a strict test of justification.
100. The Ministry of Justice’s Order has restricted the rights of a group of journalists to freedom of expression and the right to seek and impart information. To be able to enjoy freedom of expression of the press requires that journalists must have effective protection by their trade union or association. By denying the BAJ the right to issue press cards for their journalists the Belarusian authorities are denying these journalists the rights to have their interests protected by their association At the same time the domestic legal situation is stripping the journalists’ association, the BAJ, of effective power to protect members’ interests.
101. The Ministry of Justice’s Order constitutes, in the opinion of the Venice Commission, a
violation of Articles 19 and 2 of the ICCPR and Articles 11 and 10 of the ECHR.
102. Additionally, since the Ministry of Justice’s Order creates a discriminatory situation, it also
constitutes a violation of Article 26 of the ICCPR, and Article 14 ECHR taken together with Article 10 of the ECHR, and Protocol No. 12 to the ECHR.

Suisse / Uzbekistan: La Saga Des Sœurs Karimova

La Suisse attire les nouvelles fortunes de l’ex-empire soviétique. Les deux filles du président Islam Karimov apprécient tout particulièrement Genève, où elles ont acquis des demeures luxueuses. L’aînée Gulnara est aussi liée à une mystérieuse entreprise installée à Zoug et qui contrôle une bonne partie de l’économie ouzbèke.

Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva s’est faite plus discrète en France, privilégiant la tranquillité des rives du Léman, où elle possède une maison. La demeure de Collonge-Bellerive a été acquise avec son mari Timur Tillyaev en mai 2008 pour 4 millions de francs. Mais elle leur paraît bientôt trop modeste.
En juillet 2010, les époux achètent une propriété à Vandœuvres pour 43,4 millions de francs sur une parcelle de 5812 m2. La demeure s’était échangée en 2006 pour 13,6 millions de francs.

Sa sœur aînée, Gulnara Karimova, 38 ans, y a acquis une propriété en janvier 2009 pour 18,2 millions de francs. La parcelle de 2473 m2, qu’elle vient d’agrémenter d’une piscine, se trouve au cœur du coteau de Cologny, à quelques centaines de mètres de la demeure de sa sœur, avec qui elle entretiendrait d’ailleurs des rapports houleux.

Titulaire d’un master en «arts» de l’Université Harvard, Gulnara Karimova représente son pays depuis septembre 2008 auprès de l’Office des Nations Unies à Genève. En janvier 2010, elle a été nommée ambassadeur en Espagne.strong>

Faillite «mise en scène». Que s’est-il réellement passé? Tom Moyne, spécialiste de l’Ouzbékistan à l’ONG Global Witness, pense que la faillite a été «mise en scène»: «Gulnara Karimova souhaitait réorganiser son empire économique et se refaire une réputation à l’étranger. Elle a donc obtenu la fermeture de Zeromax».

Exambassadeur britannique à Tachkent, Craig Murray, écrit sur son blog que «la firme a fonctionné efficacement pendant plusieurs années comme un masque pour dissimuler la mainmise des Karimov sur une bonne partie des richesses du pays. Mais la façade a commencé à se fissurer il y a deux ans.

Tout cela se déroule dans un contexte politique mouvant. Gulnara, tout comme sa sœur Lola, commence à préparer l’après-Karimov. En 2007, le président de l’Ouzbékistan, un pays classé à la 172e place de l’indice de corruption de Transparency International, avait été réélu avec 90,7% des voix. Mais, âgé et malade, il sera sans doute remplacé lors des élections de 2014.

Ethnic Uzbeks = Victims of Kyrgyzstan Massacre Are Blamed For Violence

A government commission has blamed prominent local Uzbeks for provoking the brutal ethnic clashes that left hundreds dead in June.The minority suffered almost three times as many casualties as ethnic Kyrgyz in the clashes.

Abdygany Erkebayev, chief investigator of the national inquiry into the events, said that militant campaigning for community rights by Uzbek leaders had stoked up tension between the two communities. “All these meetings, rallies, and efforts to achieve special status irritated the indigenous Kyrgyz population, and eventually led to the first conflict.”

Belarus Foreign Minister: “We have differing views on events after elections”

Sergei Martynov, Foreign Minister of Belarus visited Helsinki to give Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb his government’s side of the story concerning the presidential elections in his country in December, and especially the events that followed the vote. It was clear that Belarus has a very different view of the riots that took place on the day of the elections.

Martynov accused the media, and “certain political figures” of spreading false information about the events in Belarus.
“I emphasised to Foreign minister Stubb that the demonstrations that took place after the elections had nothing to do with the elections themselves. The demonstrations on election day went peacefully for at least three hours until they turned violent, and demonstrators started breaking the doors and windows of the Prime Minister’s official residence”.

“The police did not use rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons, or dogs, as has been the case in many European capitals in recent months.” According to many eyewitnesses, the police had acted very heavy-handedly in breaking up a demonstration in the capital Minsk on the evening of the day of the elections, on December 19th.

Martynov also denied claims that Belarus officials had threatened to take the three-year-old son of opposition presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov into foster care.
“You have incorrect information about this as well. Respected child welfare bodies had offered to take the child into care after relatives had refused to do so. However, nothing happened, and the child is with his grandparents. That’s all”.

Stubb made 3 requests to Martynov:
1) that opposition leaders be immediately released;
2) that possible court processes should be transparent and in accordance with the rule of law;
3) and that an international investigation should be implemented on the elections, and especially the events that followed them.
“I indicated that without these concrete actions, it would be hard for Belarus to get the international community, to say nothing of the European Union, onto its side.”

more news:
Belarusian authorities charge 25 protestors over post-election riots
Opposition leader’s son threatened in Belarus

Belarus: ICJ Calls For End to Harassment of Lawyers

The International Commission of Jurists in Geneva expressed its concern at the increasing instances of harassment and persecution of lawyers in Belarus following the recent suppression of protests at the outcome of the presidential elections. The attacks include the initiation and endorsement of disbarment proceedings against lawyers by the Ministry of Justice and attempts to stifle their exercise of freedom of expression.
full text here in English and here in Russian

UN Calls On Belarus To Release Detained Journalists And Opposition Leaders

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for the release of journalists, opposition candidates and their supporters who continue to be detained in Belarus following recent presidential elections.
Mr. Ban noted the serious concerns voiced by observer groups regarding the electoral process and post-electoral developments and called on the Government to observe fully human rights and due process.

Last month UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay voiced deep concernat the violence that erupted after the election, including the abduction of opposition candidates, and called for the immediate release of those detained. Ms. Pillay also called on the Government of Belarus to ensure that human rights defenders, journalists and civil society organizations are free from any harassment.
“I urge all parties to refrain from violence and demonstrate full respect for human rights.”

Установленная Евросудом Компенсация Перечислена На Счет Фатуллаева

Азербайджан: Европейский суд по правам человека 22 апреля 2010 принял решение о незамедлительном освобождении Э.Фатуллаева из-под ареста. Согласно решению, азербайджанское государство обязуется выплатить компенсацию в размере 28 тысяч евро.
Эйнулла Фатуллаев был приговорен к заключению в 2007 году сроком на 8,5 лет по обвинению в угрозе террором, в разжигании национальной вражды и уклонении от уплаты налогов.

Эмин Фатуллаев обратился с жалобой к уполномоченному по правам человека (омбудсману) Эльмире Сулеймановой, сообщив о том, что средства до сих пор не были перечислены на счет, открытый в Международном банке на его имя. Омбудсман с целью выяснения обстоятельств обратилась к полномочному представителю Азербайджанской Республики при Европейском суде по правам человека Чингизу Аскерову.
Kомпенсация в соответствии с установленными правилами была перечислена 22 декабря 2010.