· Release immediately political prisoner Alexei Shidlovsky;
· Release immediately Andrei Klimov from pre-trial detention and ensure his right to a free and fair trial before a recognized court of law, represented by counsel of his choosing;
· Launch an inquiry into the mass arrest and beating of demonstrators at the April 2, (1997) and March 15, 22, April 2, and 25 (1998) demonstrations, bring those responsible to justice and make public the inquiry's findings;
· Cease the practice of the arbitrary arrest of demonstrators and demonstration organizers; cease the practice of beating demonstrators to disperse them and ensure that the perpetrators of such beatings are brought to justice; ensure that plainclothes policemen and other law-enforcement agency employees on duty at demonstrations readily identify themselves to detainees; ensure that those detained at or following demonstrations have prompt and unimpeded access to a lawyer and medical attention, if necessary;
· Avoid detaining minors charged on minor offenses, and respect the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
· Launch an inquiry into allegations of beatings and intimidation of those associated with the opposition by members of state security forces, bring those deemed responsible to justice, and make public the inquiry's findings;
· Publicly call for the reinstatement of those students and lecturers expelled or dismissed for their political activities and to hold university deans individually accountable in the event of further such expulsions;
· Rescind Decree No. 12 in order to allow lawyers to work unimpeded by excessive government intervention, free of charge if desired, and to represent their clients regardless of their political affiliation without fear of professional reprisal; and
· Rescind the amendments to the Law on the Press and other Mass Media, in particular those provisions that restrict the right to disseminate and receive information free of restriction.
To the government of the Russian Federation:
· Call on the Belarusian government and president to respect fundamental principles of democracy and human rights as stipulated in the Russia-Belarus Union Charter and other international instruments;
· Integrate into future trade agreements compliance with human rights principles; and
· Support the international community, including the OSCE, Council of Europe and European Union, in their efforts to effect change in Belarus' human rights record.
To the European Union:
· Maintain pressure on the Belarusian government to respect fundamental human rights principles, democracy and the rule of law;
· Increase funding to the non-governmental sector and independent media; and
· Organize training seminars on human rights principles and obligations under international and domestic law for Belarusian government officials, judges and state prosecutors.
To the Government of the United States of America:
· Increase funding for training programs, technical development and human rights awareness for the non-governmental sector; and
· Increase funding for independent distribution infrastructure for the independent media, along with financial support.
To the Council of Europe:
· Increase funding to the non-governmental sector and the independent media; and
· Maintain the suspension of Belarus' application to join the Council of Europe until such time as the people of Belarus are guaranteed respect for fundamental principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
To the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
· Continue to highlight the plight of victims of human rights violations;
· Ensure that the continued presence of the Advisory and Monitoring office in Minsk is contingent on its ability to function free from hindrance from the Belarus authorities; and
· Continue to raise
the human rights situation in Belarus at periodic OSCE meetings and maintain
pressure on the Belarusian government to respect human rights, democratic
principles and the rule of law.
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