OPEN LETTER AGAINST THE EXTRADITION OF MICHAIL VASHKEVIC
TO:
The President of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Prime-Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Minister of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Minister of European Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Parliamentary Groups in the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Chief Prosecutor of the Republic of Bulgaria
The National Union of the Bulgarian Prosecutors
The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
The Foundation of Bulgarian Lawyers for Human Rights
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On 28 January 2005 the Sofia District Court heard law suite No 748/2004 about the resident status in the Republic of Bulgaria of the Belarus citizen Michail Vashkevic.
Mr Vashkevic is a prominent public figure and dissident opposing the repressive regime of the Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko. Since 1996 the authoritarian regime of Lukashenko has been persecuting and subjecting to repressions and physical abuse leaders of the democratic opposition. Mr Vashkevic was forced to leave Belarus following repeated death threats to his family and himself. He sought political asylum in a free and democratic Bulgaria, as he views our country.
It came to the knowledge of the Bulgarian public and to us, the citizens, signatories to this open letter, that for years on end Mr. Vashkevic had been having difficulties in maintaining his status as a political immigrant. Between December 2003 and January 2004 following visa and administrative problems with the Bulgarian authorities, he was detained in the Sofia prison for foreigners. The conditions of detention were damaging to the prestige of our country.
He remained in the prison for 37 days, the reason being “unlawful residence in Bulgaria”. He was arrested because the Bulgarian Government refused to grant him political asylum on the grounds that “Belarus now is a democratic country”. At the same time the Belarus Chief Prosecutor Sheiman, (recently he was appointed a personal advisor to the dictator Lukashenko), was received with honours in the spring of 2004 by the Bulgarian Government and the Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor Filchev.
If, at that time, this act of the authorities could be deemed as a bureaucratic blackmail against a foreigner seeking with good reason political asylum, after the visit of Sheiman, the representative of the Belarus regime, the treatment of Mr. Vashkevic is to be described as suspicious and politically motivated. We find it hard to detect political logic in the visit of Mr. Sheiman having in mind the forthcoming admission of Bulgaria in the European Union. We are deeply worried about the visit of an emissary of an oppresive regime in this country and by the treatment of distinguished dissident and public figure like Mr. Vashkevic by the Bulgarian Government, the court and the prosecutor’s office. We find it difficult to understand how Belarus could be considered “a democratic country already”, which is the reason to deny political asylum for Mr. Vashkevic, if the US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice specifically referred in her inaugural speech to this very country as “an outpost of tyranny”!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Belarus is not a democratic state! Probably you have missed the following facts about Belarus:
In November of 1996 Lukashenko organized illegal and unconstitutional referendum, which allowed him to introduce a new Constitution and to disband the democratically elected Parliament – XIII Belarus Supreme Council. The parliament was replaced with a helpless National Assembly, personally answering to the dictator. This body extended his presidential mandate to 2001 and thus enabled him to impose the dictatorial rule.
In May of 1999, The Belarus Democratic Forces (BDF) organized alternative presidential election. The response was merciless repression , mass and lengthy detentions. The opposition leaders Victor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Yury Zaharenko and the journalist Dmitry Zavadsky vanished and were not to be seen again. There is no freedom of speech – the media criticizing the regime were shut down, the journalists persecuted and arrested. The Orthodox, The Protestant and the Catholic churches and denominations are also harassed and victimized.
The US Government, European Union, NATO Parliamentary Assembly and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly do not recognize the unelected Belarus Parliament and the referendums of 1996 and 2004, which “legitimized” the dictator Lukashenko.
The presidential election of 9th September 2001 was described as undemocratic and not conforming to the OSCE standards for democratic vote as stipulated in the 1990 Copenhagen criteria. The EU defines the Lukashenko regime as undemocratic due to the following reasons: persecution and detention of opposition leaders, denying media access to the opposition, persecution of independent NGOs (confiscation of their property), foul play in counting the vote and smear campaign in the state media against the international observers.
The referendum of 17th of October 2004 for constitutional amendments enabled the dictator to run for a third time for president! There is no such analogue in the modern democratic societies! Less than a year ago, Lukashenko declared before the media his admiration for Hitler, Lenin and Stalin! He pronounced himself to be a true disciple of them. Lukashenko established friendly relations with pariah states, supporting terrorism, as well as with the Castro, Milosevic and Saddam regimes. Following the 2004 referendum, the repression soared to new heights – peaceful protesters were severely beaten, opposition politicians were imprisoned and kidnapped.
On 22 October 2004 was murdered Veronika Cherkazova, a prominent investigative journalist and organizer of demonstrations against the illegal referendum. Unknown assassins slashed her throat. Ms Cherkazova was an editor of the Solidarity newspaper, published by the independent trade union of the same name. The symbolic link, relating to Poland of the 80s is clear. Since the illegal referendum, many news people were persecuted and arrested. According to the Western media, between 50 and 100 journalists have been missing for more than three months now. The opposition leaders Anatoly Lebedko and Nikolay Statkevich have been beaten and denied medical help. They are now unlawfully detained. The Minsk Humanities University (financed by the EU in 1992) is now closed, professors and students have been brutally assaulted, detained and tortured in the wake of the peaceful protest vigil on 22 October 2004.
US President George Bush signed in October 2004 The Law for Assistance of the Democratic Process in Belarus. The President, US Senate and American public figures condemned the manipulative and rigged referendum of 17 October 2004, the beatings , the illegal detentions and persecution of opposition activists. The EU described the referendum as a farce and supported the US sanctions against Belarus. On 25 October 2004 The Council of Europe published List of Missing Politicians during the Lukashenko rule. The Council formed a special committee to investigate the events in Belarus.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is the country declared as “already democratic” by the Bulgarian Government! With this open letter we would like to protest against the scandalous and unjustified treatment of Mr. Mikhail Vashkevic by the Bulgarian authorities. We lived through the tragic Communist past of our country, 1944 – 1989. That is why we think it is an honour for Bulgaria to be chosen as safe haven by a political dissident and civil rights leader like Mr. Mikhail Vashkevic. To grant political asylum to him, would be a symbolic gesture to the countries that protected and gave sanctuary to thousands of Bulgarian dissidents during the Communist era.
This is a case, where the Bulgarian authorities contradict the official position of the OSCE, chaired until recently by Bulgaria. In this issue, the Bulgarian Government directly confronts the EU, which our country will soon join! To neglect the opinion of the civilized world about the Belarus dictatorship is a proof of political short sightedness. It is also disrespectful and inhuman treatment of an old and ailing man. We appeal to you to help Mr. Vashkevic and to stop the physical and psychological abuse, he is subjected to. He has done enough in his life not to face insecurity and deportation. We appeal to you to assist in granting of political refugee status to Mikhail Yosifovich Vashkevic, as his residence status in Bulgaria is considered in view of his social and civic integration in the Bulgarian society.
We respectfully send this open letter to the following institutions:
Commissioner for Human Rights, Strasbourg
Council of the European Union, Strasbourg
European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, Strasbourg
European Commission for Enlargement, Brussels
European Commission for Human Rights, Strasbourg
European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg
European Union, Brussels
European Union Office Amnesty International, Brussels
Human Rights Watch, London
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, Helsinki
U.S. Department of State, Washington D.C.
NATO Top General “Pleased” with Bulgarian Military Bases
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and commander of American troops in Europe General James Jones has been impressed by the qualities of the Bulgarian bases and infrastructure offered to the US troops, reads a letter, addressed to the Bulgarian Chief of Army Staff General Nikola Kolev.
General Jones also says he is ready to present and to uphold the US’ use of the bases before the competent authorities in Washington, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry press center informed Tuesday. On Friday the Defense Minister Nikolay Svinarov has announced that the US troops are to deploy to three new bases in Bulgaria. Negotiations are nearing the finish line and are expected to be wrapped up in March, Minister Svinarov has said.
Last month NATO’s General James Jones made a trip to Bulgaria and Romania, where the US were to choose from four of five locations for the prospective military sites in each country. The facilities are to be used by Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine units.
Superbowl Sunday
We have just learned of a tremendous opportunity for men to witness at the Super Bowl to be held in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday, February 6, 2005. William W. Adams of Revival-USA has notified us that men are needed to witness and hand out tracks at the event. The Super bowl witnessing schedule is February 4-6 at the following times:
Friday: 6:00 p.m. – Midnight
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – Midnight
Sunday: Noon – 7:00 p.m.
All participants will meet together at the beginning of each day for prayer and then go out for the remainder of the day. The length of the day will be determined by each individual’s schedule. Accommodations are free if you are willing to bring a sleeping bag otherwise very inexpensive arrangements can be made through Revival USA with or without meals included. If you are interested please contact us at: 1-866-646-LOVE (5683).
The Bulgarian Underground Church
The modern day Pentecost began in Bulgaria in the 1920s as Ukrainian immigrants Zaplishny and Voronaev preached in the Congregational church of Bourgas where several were baptized with the Holy Spirit. In the late 1920s a conservative Pentecostal group emerged and formed the union called the Church of God. After the 1944 Communist Revolution in Bulgaria it continued its existence as an underground organization and was severely persecuted. In 1986, the Bulgarian Church of God joined the Church of God (Cleveland, TN). A national revival followed the fall of the Berlin Wall in which hundreds of thousands of people have been touched by the power of God. Today, the Bulgarian Pentecostal Movement claims over 100,000 members.
However, this was hardly the case through the years of persecution when the Bulgarian Church of God refused to register with the Communist state and remained underground for over 45 years. Recently published archives from that era show that the Bulgarian underground church grew slowly during the Communist regime experiencing virtually constant crises in leadership and structure. At the same time the government aggressively attempted to penetrate and influence the organization of the church in order to revert its growth.
One of the earliest archive documents from that era is a 1974 study which reported that the Bulgarian Church of God had 600 members nationwide. By 1981, the membership had grown to over 2,000 members with congregations in 25 cities. The congregation in the capital Sofia had 100-150 members, but grew to over 200 by the end of 1982. At the same time, the Bulgarian Pentecostal Union (registered with the government and affiliated with the Assemblies of God) had approximately 10,000 members.
A detailed list of churches and members was kept in government archives as the secret service was ordered to watch the underground church closely. The agent’s logs from that time show approximately 1,000 known members. This number is only a fraction of the actual membership, which at large remained underground and hidden from the eyes of the agents.
The pressure from the secret service was not able to stop the growth of the underground church. By 1985, the Bulgarian Church of God had grown to 3,000 members nationwide while doubling the number of congregations to over 50. Two years later this number was 4,000 and continued to grow as the central church in the capital Sofia had 600 members and several churches (like the ones in Rouse and Gabrovo) had congregations over 200. In 1989, the Communist regime collapsed and Bulgaria began its journey on the road of democracy. In 1990, the Bulgarian Church of God received government recognition as an official denomination representing over 5,000 nationwide to become the fastest growing Bulgarian church with over 30,000 members today.
Newsweek: Bulgarian Ski Resorts Trendiest in Eastern Europe
Bulgaria boasts Eastern Europe’s most fashionable resorts, says an article in the January 14 Newsweek magazine issue. The magazine points out the opportunities to spend a holiday at Bulgaria’s top ski resorts like Borovetz and Pamporovo at low prices, which are a fourth of what tourists would pay in France’s or Switzerland’s winter resorts. “There has been a massive increase in the popularity in skiing in Eastern Europe,” says Chris Rand of the Britain-based tour company Balkan Holidays. EUR 150 million have been invested in Borovetz to make it a “modern European resort” with an additional 80 kilometers of family-friendly runs, Newsweek says.
NATO Top Commander Eyes Bulgarian Contenders US Bases
US Airbase to be Built in the Village of Bezmer in the Yambol Region
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and commander of American troops in Europe, General James Jones, arrived in Bulgaria for a two-day visit to Bulgaria. at the invitation of the Chief of Army Staff, Gen Nikola Kolev. The future stationing of US bases in the Balkan country toped the agenda of General Jones, who visit ed eligible units and sites on the territory of the country, including the firing field at Novo Selo and the air base at Bezmer in the Yambol region.
Bulgaria, Romania and Poland are favorite destinations for hosting US bases. At the end of 2003 Bulgaria’s Parliament expressed support for the future stationing of US bases in the Balkan country. The Black Sea port of Bulgaria, which became a full-fledged NATO member in April last year, has already been used by the US army during the Iraq war.
General Jones last visited Bulgaria a year ago when he highly assessed the reforms in Bulgaria’s army as well as the work of the Balkan country’s military forces participating in NATO peacekeeping missions.
Decommunization.org
Each year Cup & Cross Ministries invests in one significant media project. This tradition was started in 1996 to provide a ministry outreach with comprehensive media coverage. The 2005 project is a website dedicated to the subject of decommunization – a global effort to present archive documentation revealing the destructive effect of communist regimes. For more information, visit the project’s website: www.decommunization.org.
The Year of the Spirit
We live in the 21st century. What was just a dream several years ago is a global reality today.
Unfortunately, as the world wanders in the crossroads of postmodernity, between alternative ideologies and lifestyles, churches are being closed every day. This fact alone signifies that in our search for personal spirituality and excellence for ministry in 2005, we cannot trust world governments, political powers or economical conglomerates. The only One who remains faithful to the Church today is the Spirit of God, and more than ever before in the beginning of the 21st century we must again pray with the cry, “Holy Ghost we need thee …”
This is exactly what we are planning to do as we dedicating 2005 as the Year of the Spirit. We are committed to take only the steps which God directs and we want to participate in the work of other ministries and churches which are willing to do the same. If you are planning a revival, mission campaign, youth rally or other special services we are available. Please feel free to contact us.
Are you Mission Ready?
Evaluation is the act of finding out if a person or groups has accomplished what it set out to do. Sincere evaluation of the local church missions program is a problem. We avoid such evaluation by assuming people automatically incorporate new learning in their lives and by assuming that programs cannot be improved very much even if they were evaluated. Too often they are labeled as good or bad by one person or by those who manage or plan the program. Both learners and administrators must cooperate in organized evaluation. [more]
