Andrei Yahorau: Not statements but actions will fix the situation with Tonkacheva’s deportation

Elena Tonkacheva’s defence will be the touchstone of potential the civil society has.

The consideration of Elena Tonkacheva’s compulsory expulsion is to take place on November 5 at 12 a.m. in the Department of Internal Affairs in the administration of the Pershamaiski district in Minsk. She is already deprived of her residence permit despite the fact that she has been living in Belarus since 1985, finished school, graduated from university in Belarus; has permanent place of residence, family, and property here. Now the human rights defender might be deported from the country. The only reason for that, according to the officials, is speeding registered by cameras.

On 3 November Belarusan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum adopted the statement “of solidarity with the human rights defender Elena Tonkacheva”. “We think that the decision to cancel the residence permit and the threat to expel her from the territory of our country is a politically motivated and disproportionate sanction in comparison with the danger of the committed misdoing. The real basis is Elena Tonkacheva’s political position and active human rights defending activity”, - the statement says.

Andrei Yahorau, the Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of the Belarusan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (BNP EaP CSF), comments upon the reasons why this statement appeared in the interview with the EuroBelarus Information Service.

- National Platform is convinced that “the real basis is Elena Tonkacheva’s political position and active human rights defending activity”. What is the basis for such confidence?

- The basis is real active human rights defending activity Elena is involved in. She always has very clear stance regarding the political situation in the country. She has done a lot after the repressions in December 2010; she gives much attention to the problem of political prisoners. Recently she supported the opposition in their intention to nominate Mikalai Statkevich as a single presidential candidate, saying that this would be “the only reasonable action” in the current situation.

We know Elena as a public figure with an open responsible civic stance. And in this situation it is more than strange that she is being deported for speeding; this is obvious inadequacy of the sanctions and the committed offence.

- What did the National Platform already do to restore the human rights defender Elena Tonkacheva?

- The adoption of the statement is the first step the National Platform makes. We address our colleagues in the civil society in Belarus and Europe, to “Eastern Partnership” structures, who signed EaP declarations on strict observance of human rights, on the avoidance of political persecution. That is why we address the EU Office in Belarus and diplomatic missions of the EU countries, as well as the state bodies of Belarus directly to cancel their decision in respect to Elena Tonkacheva.

We request solidarity and feasible help from all the others.

- Only if the European bodies interfere in this particular case the process of human rights defender’s deportation might be stopped. How did the international community react to the scandalous fact of revocation of residence permit and possible deportation of Elena Tonkacheva?

- This is the case of Belarus and Belarusan citizens, not international structures. International structures can express their concern with the situation, but we want them to notice what is happening.

Any situation like this is first of all requires civil solidarity, not interference of international structures that won’t be able to change the situation. The other thing, that they should follow the situation and clearly express their position regarding Elena Tonkacheva’s case.

- Life demonstrated that the authorities don’t care about the civil society and Belarusan citizens at all.

- If Belarusan authorities are only ready to adopt statements and express their concern, it is obvious that the Belarusan authorities can easily ignore such “solidarity”. But if no real actions follow, we shouldn’t hope that this case will be resolved more favorably than persecution of other human rights defenders, such as Ales Bialiatski, deportation of human rights defenders from Russia, who were working in the Committee on International Control over the Human Rights Situation in Belarus. Not statements but actions will fix the situation.

- Did civil society already respond to the calls of the National Platform?

- We’ll see it when the authorities make the decision on November 5; it will be clear from the number if petitions and requests that are sent to the state bodies, from the number of signatures under the electronic appeals. But these actions are not enough; we need to express solidarity with the human rights defendant and personally come and support Elena Tonkacheva on November 5. The results of the actions will demonstrate whether Belarusan civil society has enough potential to cancel illegal politically motivated decisions.

- Is the National Platform going to actualize this case if Elena Tonkacheva is deported? Or everything will end with her deportation?

- Our efforts to get justice won’t end with Tonkacheva’s deportation. I won’t name concrete actions now, but we will seek renovation of her residence permit and cancelation of deportation.