December 10 is celebrated every year around the world as Human Rights Day. In anticipation of that date, the correspondent of the "Dialogue" talked with the famous human rights activist from Vitebsk Leonid Svetik.
MisterLeonid, so what kind of a holiday - the Day of Human Rights? Why December 10?
On this day in 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. From that moment marked the beginning of time, when the concept of "human rights" has been gaining political and information environment of the planet, the hearts and minds of politicians, community activists, and ordinary people.
For more than sixty years of human history, this idea turned into a planetary ideology. Tens of thousands of people from different countries and states have been drawn into a daily uphill battle to uphold and defend the economic, civil, political and cultural rights. Sacrificing their careers, wealth, and sometimes freedom and life, these people seek non-violent means to prove to governments that person has the right to life, liberty and unimpeded development and self-determination in all spheres of human life.
Not spared the human rights movement and our country. In Belarus, as in all post-socialist countries, in the early 90-ies of the last century the human rights groups, who voluntarily made a public duty to protect human rights. Of course, there are human rights activists in the city of Vitebsk.
You mentioned Vitebsk. But more often, when it comes to human rights violations in Belarus, the capital of mention. For example, the events connected with the area in 2010 in Minsk. Or the trial of the so-called terrorists Vitebsk, which was held in Minsk. Just how vital topic of human rights violations is to Vitebsk?
The Vitebsk region violations of human rights and human rights and human rights record almost daily. This is a cultural, civil, political and economic rights of citizens - residents of both the regional center and the Vitebsk region.
The main and only those who violate these rights is the state represented by the representatives of the village, district, city and regional administrations as well as the police, security services, the judges of general and special courts.
Can you give specific facts?
It is not hard to do. This year alone, heads or deputy heads of administrations Pervomaysky, October Railway and Vitebsk regions have banned a 40 mass actions - pickets, rallies and marches.
This year, almost every month were politically motivated trials of civil and political activists. The loudest of these processes - the trial of Sergei Kovalenko, who after the sentence was announced a few months left in the colony.
But it is - is not the only lawsuit. Administrative penalties have been Boris Khamaida, Eugene Gutsalov Elena Semenchukova, Peter Ivanov, Sergei Parsyukevich, Constantine Mordvintsev Sergei Kondakov, Tamara Kondakova, Victor Remnev Oleg Borshevsky Valery Shchukin, Anna Godlevskaya and others.
So if, as you claim, court decisions are often politically motivated, how then viteblyane can still protect your rights?
As the human rights practices in the country to seek protection of their rights of Belarusian citizens extremely difficult. Purely theoretical possibility supposedly exist, but in practice, and government agencies, and the courts approach to the analysis of such cases formally. Especially when the civil and political rights violated by the State.
Therefore, for the protection of their rights, citizens living in Vitebsk, have often looked to the Committee on Human Rights. Only in 2012 this international human rights organization, residents were sent to 14 individual complaints, two of which the Committee has already accepted for consideration on the merits.
Given that the UN is in 193 countries, and the citizens of these countries have the right to file such a petition, it is for Vitebsk dostatnochno much.
You all are talking about human rights. But in the present circumstances, most people in Belarus are primarily interested not certain, abstract for them, civil and political rights, and their own well-being. Are not there more important to the country's economic problems? Matter of priorities. Perhaps state leaders must first provide a decent standard of living of citizens, and only then it will be possible to do and human rights?
This is the wrong approach. In this world, everything is interconnected. If a country massively violated fundamental human rights, the country will continue to view multinational companies, large investors, it does not come by tourists. And this is pure economics.
Thus, human rights are not only political but also economic component. Add to this the loss of image of the country - making it an infringement of human rights costly for the country.
And the existence of political prisoners directly led economic sanctions against top Belarusian officials and dozens of Belarusian companies.
Did you try to somehow "reach out" to the authorities, to explain to them the situation with human rights?
In late 2011, I went to the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee with a proposal to organize a meeting of representatives of the authorities with local human rights activists. In my letter, I offered to meet and discuss the most critical human rights violations in the Vitebsk region, and to establish a direct contact between human rights activists and the government. However, the authorities have rejected my proposal, and the meeting was not held.
What to do next?
Believe, human rights activists and the authorities have no choice but to establish a constructive dialogue. This is the only way, which passed, it will be to restore confidence in government by citizens, alleviate the socio-economic and political power in society.
