EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/384

(2004/C 88 E/0391)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2183/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(30 June 2003)

Subject: Further violations of religious freedom and legal restrictions on religious practice in Belarus

On the evening of 1 June, a group of armed police burst into a private apartment in the capital, Minsk, interrupting a Hindu meditation ritual.

The leader of the group, Natalya Solovyova, said that the raid had occurred exactly one week after a similar meditation meeting had been interrupted in another part of the city.

The Hindu group was not fined for meeting, but was threatened with legal repercussions, including prison, after having been dismissed as a sect by the police.

On no occasion have the authorities cited any legal grounds for such raids.

The group had attempted unsuccessfully to register before the entry into force of the more restrictive law on religion introduced last November.

No official responsible for national or local religious affairs, including Alla Ryabitseva, head of the Department for Ethnic and Religious Affairs in Minsk, has provided an explanation of the grounds for the armed raids on these meetings.

In view of the foregoing, and of the excellent cooperation existing between the European Union and Belarus in economic and trade matters:

— Is the Commission aware of the facts stated here?

— What initiatives, in the field of cooperation, might represent a serious and effective means of inducing Belarus to uphold freedom of religion?

Joint answer

to Written Questions E-2139/03 and E-2183/03

given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(28 July 2003)

At the outset it is worth recalling that in September 1997 the Council concluded that the EC and their Member States would conclude neither the interim agreement nor the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement (PCA) with Belarus and that the implementation of Community and Member states technical assistance programmes would be halted, except in the case of humanitarian or regional projects or those which directly support the democratisation process.

The suspension of the ratification of the PCA and the freezing of interim agreement strongly limits trade and economic relations between the Union and Belarus.

Member States and the Commission are aware of the law on religion introduced last November 2002 in Belarus, and are deeply concerned about some of its provisions and the way it is applied. The Union has also expressed these concerns in the context of the Organisation on Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), of which Belarus is a member. The Commission is disturbed by the two cases referred to by the Honourable Member.

The Commission would like to reiterate that it attaches great importance to the rights of freedom of religion, belief and expression. The Union has repeatedly affirmed that human rights and democratisation must form an integral part of all political dialogues with third countries. Religious freedom, as one of the fundamental human rights, as well as the rights of religious minorities are thus addressed through the Union's bilateral political dialogues, and, when appropriate, through démarches and public declarations, as well as through Union's action in fora such as the United Nations (UN) Commission on Human Rights or the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.

The Commission remains committed to support freedom of religion and Human Rights in Belarus, in close co-operation with Member States, the Council of Europe, OSCE and the United Nations and will continue to raise the issue with Belarus in all possible fora. The Commission is not aware of any further initiative, within the limit of the cooperation framework, which could constitute a serious and effective instrument to make Belarus respect freedom of religion.