Valery Shchukin - Journalist & Member of 13th Supreme Soviet
(born: March 22, 1942)
![[ Photograph: Valery Shchukin ]](../images/shchukin.jpg)
Valery Shchukin - Journalist & Member of 13th Supreme Soviet(born: March 22, 1942) |
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Valery Shchukin is a freelance journalist and a member of the 13th Supreme Soviet. The 13th Supreme Soviet is the Belarusian national legislature disbanded in a 1996 referendum (sic), but is still active. The referendum is not recognized by most countries and international bodies. Mr. Shchukin is also a member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, a human rights organization.
"The “Belarusian Association of Journalists” public union requests to bring to responsibility persons, who are guilty in breaking professional rights of the journalist Mr. Valery Shchukin during elections to Local Councils."
"“The Head of the election committee of the Vitebsk election centre #52 Ms. Nina Shubina handed over to the journalist, who had been working in the election centre during pre-term voting and had a press card, the document, signed by her, in which was stated, that according to the committee decision the time of Mr. Shchukin presence in the election centre is limited to one hour only”, – is said in the complaint, which the BAJ sent in to the Vitebsk region public prosecutor in January 12, 2007."
"The attention is drawn in the letter that this restriction is not provided by the law. And the divisional election committee of the election centre #52 and its Head broke the rights of the journalist by their actions, provided by the Law on Press and the Electoral Code."
News Article: Journalist and human rights defender Valery Shchukin arrested in Vitebsk
"Journalist and human rights defender Valery Shchukin was arrested in the electoral district #52 today. He worked in the district as a journalist and had a press card of “Narodnaya Volya” newspaper."
"According to policemen explanations, Mr. Shchukin was arrested because he didn’t come on summons to the Department of Internal Affairs of Pershamayski district, where criminal case was opened on the article #189 part 2 of the Criminal Code in the middle of January. Mr. V.Shchukin is prosecuted for distributing leaflets, which contain insults to members of the electoral district #58 of Vitebsk."
"Though Mr. Valery Shchukin came to Pershamayski police station and talked with an investigator yesterday on January 11 [2007]."
"Now the journalist is in the police station of Pershamayski district. He was denied the right to use legal help from Belarusian Helsinki Committee representative in Vitebsk region Pavel Levin. The administration of the District Department of Internal Affairs proposed services of a lawyer on duty."
"It should be reminded that such incidents with the arrest happen to Mr. V. Shchukin in the same electoral district for the third elections on end."
News Article: Valery Shchukin Celebrates New Year in Polatsk Railway Station
"A deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet, Valery Shchukin celebrated the 2004 New Year in the Railway station in Polatsk. It was his 111th night in the railway station after he was left without registration and thrown out from a Polatsk hostel."
"On August 1 [2003], the Polatsk authorities cancelled his registration and evicted Shchukin from the hostel, were he had been living for many years. As a protest, the politician started to spend nights in the railway station. As said by Shchukin, he lives without a home for 156 days already, and 110 nights had been spent in the railway station. At first the administration made difficulties to him, he was accused of hooliganism, but now people got used to him and let him sleep on a bench. Mr. Shchukin has a little pillow, covers himself with a parka, and sometimes leaves boots in the left-luggage office."
"Valery Shchukin has seven uncles, and naturally he wanted to celebrate the New Year together with the family. But it is a matter of principle for him to spend nights in the railway station in Polatsk. Shchukin wants to be a candidate at the parliamentary elections, but without registration he has scanty chances to be registered by an election commission."
News Article: Valery Shchukin Fined and Imprisoned for 3 Months Beforehand
"The authorities retaliated against outspoken opposition critic Valery Shchukin for his involvement in a Freedom March-1 rally two years ago, sentencing him to a 30-minimum-wages fine. Another oppositionist, BSDP NG chair Nikolai Statkevich was fined 100 minimum wages. Both men were implicated in violating art.186/3 of the Penal Code (organizing group actions, aimed at violation of the public order)."
"Moreover, the magistrate Tatyana Vysotskaya, reading out the accusation statement, for some unclear reason added to the fine, which she ruled, another verdict, which had been announced by the Central district court and which has nothing to do with the city court."
"She probably meant Shchukin's violating art.339/1 of the Penal Code (hooliganism). Valery Shchukin, having a journalistic pass of Narodnaya Volya attempted to clear the guards and get to the press-conference of Vladimir Naumov, Interior Minister, but the guards pulled him back. There started a clash and they accidentally broke the glass doors, leading inside the building. Shchukin received so severe cuts that he had to be instantaneously taken to hospital for medical care. For this the activist received 3 months of imprisonment."
"13th Supreme Soviet deputy submitted his complaint to the Constitutional court of Belarus, which will consider the matter not until April 27 [2001]."
"Though before the appeal's examined the Central court's verdict has no legal force and Shchukin can in no wise be called convicted, the judge determined to remind Shchukin in public about this previous yet to be confirmed sentence. It seems that the judge knows beforehand the final decision of the Constitutional Court."
"Mensk (Minsk) based journalist and human rights activist Valery Shchukin on January 16 [2001] sustained serious injuries in a skirmish with police at the entrance to the interior ministry's building."
"Mr. Shchukin sought to attend a news conference as a correspondent of the private newspaper Narodnaya Volya. He had been told over the phone it was too late for getting accredited. He came to the ministry anyway and presumably tried to fight his way into the building when guards at the door refused to let him in."
"In the violence that followed, Mr. Shchukin broke a glass door, inflicting himself serious cuts. An ambulance was called but did not arrive until 20 minutes later, by which time, witnesses say, the journalist had lost a lot of blood."
" 'I do not consider Shchukin a journalist,' Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov commented at the same news conference. 'I wish he was as law-abiding as most citizens are. Let me remind you that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is a restricted facility. Whatever Shchukin calls himself - journalist or human rights defender - he has no right to violate public order.' "
"The Belarusian Helsinki Committee, of which Mr. Shchukin is a member, argues that the use of restricted facilities for news conferences is against Belarus' press law and aims to restrict access to information. "Under the press law, journalists have open access to news conferences and must be advised in advance about accreditation," the Belarusian Helsinki Committee said."
"Mensk (Minsk) based journalist and human rights activist Valery Shchukin on January 16 [2001] sustained serious injuries in a skirmish with police at the entrance to the interior ministry's building."
"Mr. Shchukin sought to attend a news conference as a correspondent of the private newspaper Narodnaya Volya. He had been told over the phone it was too late for getting accredited. He came to the ministry anyway and presumably tried to fight his way into the building when guards at the door refused to let him in."
"In the violence that followed, Mr. Shchukin broke a glass door, inflicting himself serious cuts. An ambulance was called but did not arrive until 20 minutes later, by which time, witnesses say, the journalist had lost a lot of blood."
" 'I do not consider Shchukin a journalist,' Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov commented at the same news conference. 'I wish he was as law-abiding as most citizens are. Let me remind you that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is a restricted facility. Whatever Shchukin calls himself - journalist or human rights defender - he has no right to violate public order.' "
"The Belarusian Helsinki Committee, of which Mr. Shchukin is a member, argues that the use of restricted facilities for news conferences is against Belarus' press law and aims to restrict access to information. "Under the press law, journalists have open access to news conferences and must be advised in advance about accreditation," the Belarusian Helsinki Committee said."
"Valery Shchukin, a prominent opponent of Aleksandr Lukashenko whose request for registration as a candidate in the October parliamentary elections was rejected by the Supreme Court four days before, has sent a letter to Supreme Court Chairman Valentin Sukalo, asking him to reverse the ruling."
"Mr. Shchukin says that Supreme Court Judge Valery Samolyuk failed to give his case proper consideration, turning down his appeal without providing evidence that the candidate had broken the Electoral Code."
"The letter says that the ruling was not backed by documents proving that his supporters violated the signature collection procedure, forged signatures, started collecting signatures too early, and that he had failed to provide the district electoral commission with all necessary data."
"Mr. Shchukin says that the judge ignored the fact that local officials, who are not members of the electoral commission in his district, visited apartments demanding that people write statements that Mr. Shchukin had tried to threaten and bribe them while collecting signatures."
"Mr. Shchukin regards the local officials' actions as "direct interference of the executive" in the commission's activities and "illegal early campaigning" against him."
"Mr. Shchukin, a member of the 13th Supreme Soviet (Belarusian parliament disbanded by President Lukashenko in 1996), also rejects the accusation that he misstated his place of employment by saying that he worked with the Supreme Soviet. He says that the accusation would have been valid if the commission had given its own version of his occupation. "Since neither the district, nor the central electoral commission, nor the court did so, the accusation of job misstatement is unsupported by evidence," says the letter."
News Article: Opposition Activist Plans to Run in Parliamentary Election
"A group has been registered in the city of Polacak (Polotsk), Vicebsk (Vitebsk) region, to collect signatures for the registration of Valery Shchukin, a prominent street protestor and human rights defender, as a candidate for the House of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly."
"Mr. Shchukin, a member of the 13th Supreme Soviet (Belarusian legislature disbanded by President Aleksandr Lukashenko in 1996), intends to be on the ballot of the 28th constituency in the October 15 election."
"The district election commission reportedly agreed to register the group after Mr. Shchukin changed his job as stated in the application from a Supreme Soviet member to a freelance correspondent working for the newspapers Narodnaya Volya, Nasha Svaboda and Komsomolskaya Pravda."
News Article: EU Deplores Prosecution of Belarus Opposition Politicians
"The European Union deplores the suspended prison sentences imposed on Belarusian Social Democratic Party leader Nikolai Statkevich and 13th Supreme Soviet member Valery Shchukin, says a statement released by the French Embassy in Belarus on behalf of the Presidency (Portugal) of the European Union."
"On June 19 [2000], a court in Minsk sentenced Mr. Statkevich to two years in jail and Mr. Shchukin to one year. Both were put on probation but lost the right to run for Parliament this fall."
"The EU statement says the sentences, the recent prosecution of former Prime Minister Mikhail Chigir, and the administrative measures that 'prevented the Belarus Social Democratic Party from holding its annual conference under normal conditions, again demonstrate the reality of the obstacles which restrict the activities of political figures and parties belonging to the opposition.' "
"In this regard, the EU urges the Belarusian authorities, 'if they really want the parliamentary elections to be acceptable to the European institutions and the international community, to take - while there is still time - all the necessary measures to create the basic climate of confidence without which free and fair elections will be impossible':
" 'Only if concrete and meaningful decisions were to be swiftly taken in these different areas could the EU, together with the other European institutions, the OSCE and the Council of Europe, decide to send observers to these elections,' says the statement."
News Article: Statkevich-Shchukin Trial "Politically Motivated", US Embassy Says
"The United States regards the trial of opposition leaders Nikolai Statkevich and Valery Shchukin as "politically motivated", says a statement issued by the US Embassy in Belarus on June 21."
"On June 19, the Minsk City Court sentenced Mr. Statkevich to two years in prison and Mr. Shchukin to one year for their participation in street protests. Both opposition politicians were put on probation but lost the right to run for parliament this fall."
" 'We understand that both intend to file appeals and we urge the government to remove all restrictions and penalties imposed upon Statkevich and Shchukin,' says the Embassy's statement. 'The continued harassment of opposition politicians can only weaken the climate of trust and respect for human rights that is necessary for free and fair elections in Belarus.' "
"On January 6, Valery Shchukin, member of the 13th Supreme Soviet (Belarus' legislature dismantled as a result of the November 1996 referendum), stood trial in the Court of Minsk's Sovetsky district."
"Mr. Shchukin was charged with violating street demonstration regulations under Article 167 of the Administrative Offences Code for participation in an unauthorized demonstration against Belarusian-Russian integration and blocking traffic on Skaryna Avenue in Minsk on December 25, 1998."
"Mr. Shchukin was arrested by police on the scene but was later hospitalized because of the after-effects of a head injury. On December 31, he was forcibly taken from the hospital to the Sovetsky District Court. However, the trial was postponed until January 6 after Mr. Shchukin asked for permission to see his lawyer and call defence witnesses."
"At the January 6 [1999] session, the judge heard the police charge statement and testimony by witnesses, including the police officers who had arrested the defendant. Mr. Shchukin pleaded not guilty and denied the fact of the demonstration."
"The trial is to continue on January 11 [1999]."
"Valery Shchukin, a well-known Belarusian human rights activist and journalist, member of the 13th Supreme Soviet, was summoned to the Procurator General's Office to give explanations with respect to his article "Dehumanization" published by the independent newspaper Narodnaya Volya on December 2, 1998. The article said that the police allegedly subjected suspects and convicts to torture."
"As Mr. Shchukin told BelaPAN, the Procurator General's Office had received a complaint from Colonel Aleksandr Kuzhel, chief of the investigation directorate of the interior ministry's Committee for Organized Crime, who considered himself and his department to have been libelled by that article, although neither his name nor that of his committee were mentioned in the article."
"In the presence of his lawyer, Mr. Shchukin gave explanations about the article and answered a prosecutor's questions. It is unknown whether criminal charges will be brought against the 13th Supreme Soviet member."
"Valery Shchukin, member of the 13th Supreme Soviet, the Belarusian parliament disbanded after the November 1996 referendum, has been sentenced to 10 days in jail for his participation in a December 25 [1998] unsanctioned demonstration against the Belarusian-Russian integration agreements signed in Moscow that day."
"Speaking during the trial on January 11 [1999], Mr. Shchukin said that he had been mistreated by police who had allegedly used force to take him to a police station and later to court. He said that police had beaten him, kept 6 hours in detention in violation of the law allowing the police to detain for 3 hours, and confiscated his belongings during a search conducted without witnesses."
"Valery Shchukin, member of the 13th Supreme Soviet, is to serve his 10-day sentence after he recovers from the after-effects of a head injury, because it is against the regulations of the Minsk detention centre to subject sick persons to arrest."
"On January 11 [1999], Mr. Shchukin was sentenced to 10 days in jail for taking part in the December 25 [1998] demonstration against Belarusian-Russian integration. After the trial, Mr. Shchukin announced that he was on sick-leave. His statement was confirmed by a medical examination that followed and his sick-list was extended until January 13 [1999]."
"Valery Shchukin, member of the 13th Supreme Soviet (the Belarusian parliament disbanded after the November 1996 referendum), has been placed in the Minsk detention centre to serve a 10-day sentence."
"Although Mr. Shchukin was convicted of participation in an unsanctioned opposition demonstration on January 11, the administration of the detention centre refused to take him that day because he was on a sick leave. On January 13, Mr. Shchukin reported to the detention centre after his sick leave came to an end."
"On January 29 [1999], the Court of Minsk's Tsentralny district has imposed a fine of 75 million rubels ($250) on Valery Shchukin, member of the 13th Supreme Soviet (the Belarusian parliament disbanded after the November 1996 referendum), for his participation in a December 1998 unsanctioned demonstration on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
"Mr. Shchukin, who did not deny his participation in the protest, argued in the courtroom that the Belarusian constitution guarantees citizens the right to express their views and participate in demonstrations. He said that the Constitution takes precedence over laws that contravene it."
"He concluded that he had repeatedly been arrested and convicted for his political views."
"Judge Anatoly Borisyonok said that two policemen, who had been questioned as witnesses, provided conclusive evidence that Shchukin had participated in the demonstration and sometimes acted as its organiser."
"It has been the 12th time Mr. Shchukin receives punishment for participation in street protests."
"On December 7, [1998] the Court of Minsk's Partizansky district sentenced journalist Valery Shchukin, member of the 13th Supreme Soviet (Belarus' legislature dismantled as a result of the November 1996 referendum) to 15 days in administrative detention for participation in an unsanctioned march from the Palace of Culture of the Minsk Tractor Factory to the building of the Presidential Administration, which followed an authorised rally organised by trade unions on November 5. Mr. Shchukin was charged with violating the procedure of organising and holding marches, rallies and demonstrations."
"Mr. Shchukin denied the charge, saying that he had been arrested by police while he was returning from the rally to the editorial office of Narodnaya Volya located near the building of the Presidential Administration."
"Mr. Shchukin took the court decision painfully and resisted police officers who had to literally pull him by the arms to take him out of the courtroom. He was pushed into a vehicle and taken to a detention centre."