ベラルーシ保安当局、ＮＧＯに一斉強制捜査　記者協会や労組、経済研究所も

【モスクワＡＦＰ＝時事】ベラルーシの保安当局は１４日、人権団体や野党系組織など１２団体に強制捜査に入った。反政権派への締め付けを強めているアレクサンドル・ルカシェンコ大統領は、前日にロシアのウラジーミル・プーチン大統領と会談し、自国内の「卑劣なＮＧＯ」を全て「見つけ出し、裁判にかける」と宣言していた。（写真は資料写真）
　悪名が高いベラルーシ国家保安委員会（ＫＧＢ）の標的となったのは、著名な人権団体ビアスナやベラルーシ・ヘルシンキ委員会（ＢＨＣ）など少なくとも五つの独立人権団体で、ビアスナの会長ら少なくとも９人のスタッフが身柄を拘束された。
　また、二つの野党系組織と、昨年国際的なメディア賞を受賞したベラルーシ・ジャーナリスト協会（ＢＡＪ）も、強制捜査の対象となったと報じられている。死刑廃止を目指す団体の代表者も、自宅に家宅捜索が入り、身柄を拘束された。
　首都ミンスクでは、職場の男女平等を推進する団体や慈善団体、ライター協会や独立系労働組合、経済研究所などが強制捜査を受けた。
　反政権派の著名な経済学者、ヤロスラフ・ロマンチュク氏の自宅も家宅捜索された。
　西部ブレストやフロドナ、ロシアとの国境に近いオルシャなど、地方都市でも複数の活動家が家宅捜索を受け、拘束されたとの情報がある。
　ポーランドのワルシャワを拠点とする「民主的な選挙のための欧州プラットフォーム（ＥＰＤＥ）」は、今回の一斉強制捜査を非難し、「ルカシェンコ氏が最近プーチン氏を訪ねたことと密接な関係があると受けとめなければならない」との見方を示した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/07/16-12:10）

Belarusian security services on Wednesday raided a dozen human rights and opposition groups as President Alexander Lukashenko's regime clamps down on civil society in a months-long crackdown on dissent.
The raids came a day after Lukashenko vowed to find and bring to justice all of his country's wretched NGOs in a meeting with Russian leader and key ally Vladimir Putin.
The notorious KGB targeted at least five independent human rights organisations -- including the prominent Vyasna group and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee -- and detained several activists.
Vyasna has been monitoring mass arrests that followed huge anti-Lukashenko protests last year. The group said that at least nine rights activists were detained including its chairman, Ales Belyatsky.
The head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Oleg Gulak wrote on Facebook early Wednesday that the group's office door is being broken down.
Two opposition groups and the Belarusian Association of Journalists -- which won an international media award last year -- also reported raids.
The head of an organisation campaigning to abolish the death penalty, Andrei Poluda, was detained following a raid at his home.
In Minsk, raids also took place at an organisation promoting gender equality in the workplace, a social charity, the Belarusian union of writers, an independent trade union and an economic research centre.
The home of prominent independent economist Yaroslav Romanchuk was also raided.
Activists in regional cities had also been targeted, the group said.
In the western city of Grodno, officials raided the home of activist Viktor Sazonov and took him with them. His whereabouts were unknown, the group said.
- 'New wave' of repression -
In Orsha, a city near the Russian border, authorities took the editor of regional website orsha.eu and activist Igor Kazmerchak.
In the Western city of Brest, the home of an activist campaigning for the rights of refugees hoping to cross into the EU from Belarus -- Kirill Kafanov -- was raided.
In a statement, Vyasna said the real motive behind the persecution was the uncompromising struggle of the entire human rights community of Belarus for the promotion of human rights and democratic values.
It said later its chairman Belyatsky and five others were being questioned by investigators.
Vyasna demanded that authorities end a new wave of repression against Belarusian civil society. It also vowed to continue its work and called on international rights organisations to protest against the raids.
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said the list of targeted groups and individuals is growing.
The regime is hiding its lack of control with violence and lawlessness, she said in a statement.
They hope they can feel power again if everyone in the country falls silent.
Amnesty International's Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Marie Struthers, said the day's massive attacks showed that nowhere near enough has been done to end this crisis.
All those detained today must be released immediately, and this campaign against civil society must end, she said.
The Warsaw-based European Platform for Democratic Elections condemned the raids and said they must be seen in close context with a recent visit of Alexander Lukashenko to Vladimir Putin.
In the meeting with Putin, Lukashenko accused rights groups of spreading terror, according to a transcript on the Kremlin website.
Lukashenko has been hit with a slew of sanctions by Western nations but they appear to have had a limited effect on Lukashenko who maintains backing from key creditor Russia.
Vyasna -- which means Spring in Belarusian -- was founded in 1996 to help the families of political prisoners.
Last week, authorities raided the offices of several regional newspapers and banned online access to Nasha Niva, the country's oldest newspaper.
Those raids came a day after one of Lukashenko's main challengers -- Viktor Babaryko -- was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Lukashenko, the long-serving authoritarian leader who sparked mass rallies by claiming a sixth presidential term last year, has drawn condemnation from the West whose leaders say the vote was not free or fair.