Industriall: We Will Demand Sanctions Against Leadership Of Belarus

There must be an acquittal on the "Trade Union case."

The criminal case of Hennadz Fiadynich, the chairman of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Workers of Radio Electronic Industry (REP), and Ihar Komlik, the chief accountant of the REP trade union, is being reviewed in the Savetski district court of Minsk for the third week since July 30, 2018. Representatives of the global union IndustriALL, which affiliate organization is the REP trade union, are present at every court session, the HRC Viasna reports.

Sergei Pavlov, a member of the Presidium of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine (NPGU), the chairman of the NPGU's primary trade union organization, observed the trial as a representative of the international trade union IndustriALL.

Journalists asked the international observer to share his impressions of the "Trade Union Case":

– During the trial I saw the real reason of the case which was barely veiled – it was just an attack on the trade union. People are intimidated by the authorities. Those people who first gave false testimony under pressure, are now giving truthful testimony. We learned that at seven o'clock in the morning (although working hours start from 8-9 o'clock) people were threatened with breaking doors and were taken to the prosecutor's office. Thus, new threats have already appeared, so that they give their old testimony. We recommend that these people should speak only the truth at this stage and defend their independence.

The member of the Presidium of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine, Sergei Pavlov, notes that the independent trade unions of Ukraine do not face such pressure:

– I am from Ukraine, and we are shocked at the pressure that the Belarusian trade unions face. At the moment, our country is more democratic, so I'm shocked by how they treat here independent trade unions. Our independent trade unions faced some pressure only during the establishment, under President Yanukovich. At that time, only state-owned trade unions were "acceptable", you are at this stage now. Now, no one touches our independent trade unions, they are given money, etc."

The representative of the global union IndustriALL, who attends the hearing of the criminal case against the leaders of the REP trade union, comments on the evidentiary basis of the "Trade Union Case":

"The law on trade unions is not implemented in Belarus at all. I learned that it's hard for independent trade unions to het registered. They are denied registration for various unimportant reasons. At today's hearing, we saw that the case was fabricated, some files that are attached to the criminal case, do not open at all. They consider files of 2006-2007, 2014, 2016,2017, but not of 2011 and 2012, upon which charges are brought. My expert opinion as an observer – there must be an acquittal. If there's a guilty verdict, then IndustriALL and independent trade unions will recommend to Europeans to take measures, impose sanctions against some leaders of Belarus."