belarus executive summary - US Department of State

BELARUS 26
LiveJournal. In June an Internet-organized group known as “Revolution through
Social Networks” created a page on the popular Russian social networking Web
site “Vkontakte.ru,” which called for “silent” demonstrations to take place in
public spaces around the country. As these protests gained attention and broader
public support, Internet users reported being unable to access Vkontakte.ru for
several hours before the “silent” protests were to take place. There were also
reports of users being redirected to fake mirror Web sites that attempted to collect
users’ full names and other personal information.
The government continued to collect and obtain personally identifiable information
on independent journalists and democratic activists. For example, during raids in
January and February, investigators hacked personal passwords to access e-mails,
Skype records, and other materials, to read decoded files, and to retrieve deleted
information on the computers confiscated from independent journalists and
postelection demonstration participants and activists. Also, some family members
of political prisoners reported that their accounts were hacked.
Academic Freedom and Cultural Events
The government restricted academic freedom and cultural events. Educational
institutions were required to teach an official state ideology that combined
reverence for the achievements of the former Soviet Union and of Belarus under
the leadership of Lukashenka. Use of the word “academic” was restricted; NGOs
were prohibited from including the word “academy” in their titles. Opportunities
to receive a higher education in the Belarusian language in the majority of fields of
study were scarce. Administrations of higher educational institutions made no
effort to accommodate students wishing to study in Belarusian-language classes.
In 2009 Deputy Education Minister Tatsyana Kavalyova stated that ideology
remained “the backbone” of education in the country and gave “special flavor to
the educational environment.” She also noted that every educational institution
maintained an ideology department. In March the presidential administration first
deputy, Alyaksandr Radzkou, stated that ideology played a crucial role in shaping
an individual.
During the year authorities harassed, intimidated, and dismissed teachers on
political grounds. For example, on April 25, the Minsk regional court upheld a
lower court’s decision to reject former history teacher Natallya Illinich’s appeal of
her dismissal from a school in Talka. On January 5, KGB and police searched
Illinich’s house and seized computer equipment and printed materials. She served
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011
United States Department of State • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor