The reaction of the Belarusian Civil Society to the actions of Lithuania

Belаrusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum has made a statement.

STATEMENT
OF THE BELARUSIAN NATIONAL PLATFORM OF THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM

September 27, 2012
Minsk, Belarus

We, the participants of the Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, express our deep concern at the issuing of non-grata status by the Republic of Lithuania to Belarusian anti-nuclear activists.

On September 26, 2012 Belarusian citizens, civil society activists, coordinator of public campaign “Astraviec Nuclear Power Plant is a Crime!” Mikalai Ulasevich and coordinator of Belarusian anti-nuclear campaign, the secretary of independent public expertise of the project of Nuclear Power Plant in Belarus Tatsiana Novikava were listed as banned the entry to the territory of the Republic of Lithuania and were not allowed to enter Lithuania, as indicated in the documents issued to the activists by the Lithuanian border guards at the border. In the document issued to Tatsiana Novikava, it was also noted that she was the person that could threaten public order, health, international relations and internal security of Lithuania and other EU countries.

We, the participants of Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum:

• do not see any legal basis for such action against Belarusian environmental activists;
• consider the decision of the state authorities of the Republic of Lithuania politically motivated restrictions on the freedom of movement of Belarusian citizens;
• are convinced that the real basis of these restrictions is the public activity of our colleagues, members of the anti-nuclear movement.

Indeed, Mikalai Ulasevich and Tatsiana Novikava were going on September 26, 2012 in Vilnius to attend the conference “Lithuania - Belarus: Nuclear Neighborhood” in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, where they had been invited to by the organizers to speak about the role of public control of decision-making related to nuclear power.

Never previously Mikalai Ulasevich and Tatsiana Novikava were brought any claims by the migration services of the European Union, including the authorities of the Republic of Lithuania. The civil society activists have had Schengen visas opened, allowing multiple entries in the EU, they have periodically visited the Republic of Lithuania in recent years.

Tatsiana Novikava has regularly participated in public events on the issues of nuclear power in the EU, she was also one of the organizers of International conference on nuclear energy, held in December 2011 in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and municipality of Vilnius.

Mikalai Ulasevich and Tatsiana Novikava are reputed activists, advocating revision of the decision to build nuclear power plant in Belarus, in Lithuania and in the Kaliningrad region of Russian Federation, promoting the nuclear-free region. Our colleagues have criticized nuclear power plant construction in Belarus, including drawing public attention to numerous violations that accompany this construction. Belarusian authorities have repeatedly harassed Mikalai Ulasevich and Tatsiana Novikava for their activities.

Participants of the Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum:

1. Express concern at the unjustified issuing of non-grata status to the Belarusian anti-nuclear activists, threatening the national security of Lithuania;
2. Draw attention to the fact that this step may close the border with the European Union to Belarusian civil society activists, makes repressions against them easier for Belarusian authorities, prevents dissemination of publicly important information about insecurity of building nuclear power plants in Lithuania and Belarus, and violates basic human rights;
3. Call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania to review their decision as soon as possible;
4. Ask members of the Seimas to assist in a fair review of discriminatory decision against Belarusian civil society activists;
5. Appeal to the participants of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and the international community for support.

Signatures:

Uladzimir Matskevich, Chairperson of the Coordination Committee of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF)

Uladzislau Vialichka, Member of the Coordination Committee of the National Platform of the EaP CSF; International Consortium “EuroBelarus”

Piotr Kuzniatsou, Member of the Coordination Committee of the National Platform of the EaP CSF; Gomel Democratic Forum

Yury Hubarevich, Member of the Coordination Committee of the National Platform of the EaP CSF; Human Rights and Enlightenment public association “Movement “For Freedom”

Sergey Drozdovsky, Member of the Coordination Committee of the National Platform of the EaP CSF; Enlightenment Human Rights Establishment “Office for the Rights of People with Disabilities”

Olga Smolianko, Member of the Coordination Committee of the National Platform of the EaP CSF; Enlightenment Institution “Legal Transformation Center”

Yaroslav Bekish, Coordinator of Working Group 3 of the EaP CSF; Environmental Fellowship “Green Alliance”

Ihar Lalkou, Public Association “BPF ”Adradzhenne”

Andrei Yahorau, Center for European Transformation

Yauhen Boika, Civic initiative “Mogilev Education Initiative”

Vadzim Vileita, Belarus Watch (Lithuania)

Irina Sukhy, Public Association “Ecohome”

Rita Shagoiko, Belarusian branch of Pskov regional public association “Veche”

Elena Tonkacheva, Enlightenment Institution “Legal Transformation Center”

Miraslau Kobasa, Enlightenment Public Association “Leu Sapieha Foundation”

Anna Gerasimova, Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Vilnius

Leonid Kalitenya, Public Association “Center for social innovations”

Dina Shavtsova, Civil Initiative “For Religious Freedom”

Aliaksandr Karalevich, Public Union “Education Center “POST”

Natallia Vasilevich, Centre “Ecumena”

Valadar Tsurpanau, “Ruzhanne. Mahiliou luchnasc’”

Iryna Zhykhar, National Public Association “Belarusian Organization of Working Women”

Olga Stuzhinskaya, Office for a Democratic Belarus (Brussels)

Tatsiana Vadalazhskaya, Humanitarian Techniques Agency

Ihar Lednik, Human Rights Movement “Our Belarus”

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