Andrei Sannikov
Andrei Sannikov | |
---|---|
Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union (now Belarus) | |
Nationality | Belarusian |
Known for | Activism |
Spouse | Iryna Khalip |
Andrei Olegovich Sannikov (or Andrei Sannikau,
Sannikov was a candidate at the
Early life, education
Andrei Sannikov was born on 8 March 1954 in the city of
After graduating, Sannikov spent time working for a Soviet oil company in Pakistan and in Egypt working on the construction of an aluminum plant.[citation needed]
Diplomatic career
Work at UN Secretariat
Sannikov then went to work at the
Diplomatic Academy
Just before the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, Sannikov graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in Moscow.[2][3] Immediately after he worked in the Foreign Ministry of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. At one of the sessions, he quoted "The Foreign Ministry should not be in service of one party, but must serve to the Belarusian nation".[17]
Nuclear delegation
In 1992, Sannikov headed the Belarusian delegation on Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Armament Negotiations (the
During this time, he was also an advisor to the Belarusian diplomatic mission in Switzerland.[2][3]
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
From 1995 to 1996 he served as
As Deputy Minister in winter of 1995, he co-authored a paper defending the
In November 1996, on the eve of a controversial referendum, Sannikov resigned from his post in protest of Lukashenko's policies.[2][19][20] The referendum severely limited democratic standards and the separation of powers in Belarus, and changed the Belarus constitution to extend Lukashenko's presidential term. According to the Belarus Speaker of Parliament, 20 to 50 percent of the counted votes were falsified.[21]
As independent politician, activist
Charter 97
In November 1997, Sannikov was one of the co-founders of the civil initiative Charter 97, becoming its international coordinator.[14] Charter 97 is a human rights group modeled on Charter 77 in then-Czechoslovakia. The group hosts one of the most popular Belarusian news web pages, and is a rare voice of opposition to the Lukashenko party in Belarus.[3]
98 Coordinating Council of Democratic Forces
In 1998, Sannikov and
Protests
In the years following, Sannikov helped organize a variety of non-violent protests in Belarus, including protests against the elections of
Bruno Award
On 4 April 2005, the international
European Belarus
In 2008 Andrei Sannikov, together with Viktar Ivashkevich, Mikhail Marynich and other politicians, initiated the civil campaign European Belarus.[14] The campaign advocates joining Belarus with the European Union and aims to work towards the standards that would allow inclusion.[3]
2010 presidential campaign
In March 2010 Andrei Sannikov declared his intention on the TV channel
Platform
In January 2007, Sannikov voiced disapproval of the natural gas supply contract Lukashenko signed with Russia. Russia has frequently used Gazprom, its state-run gas company, to put pressure on countries such as Ukraine and Georgia. Sannikov worried that as Lukashenko's cordial relations with the Kremlin went sour, especially as Boris Yeltsin was replaced with Vladimir Putin, the new gas supply contract could be used by Russia to manipulate the Belarusian economy.[23]
In April 2008, he stated that at the time, Lukashenko was "consciously set to break relations with the US, after which rupture of relations with Europe could follow as he is preparing surrender of Belarus to Russia. And he needs scapegoats to blame for these things happening." At the time, Belarusian authorities were looking to reduce the staff of the Belarusian mission in Washington DC.
In November 2010, Sannikov stated that the electoral process was rigged from the outset and that he had no likely chance of defeating Lukashenko. He said his goal was to document the nation's flawed democracy and bring out opposition demonstrators. When asked if he feared for his life, he responded: "It’s a possibility; you have to think about it".[19]
Death of press secretary
In the first week of September 2010, late on Friday afternoon, Sannikov's close friend
November meeting
On 18 November 2010, Sannikov was officially registered as a candidate.[citation needed]
On 29 November 2010, Sannikov organized a meeting at his alma mater Minsk State Linguistic University, and about 500 people took part. There were attempts to hinder the meeting; flyers were torn down, the administration was prohibited from placing messages on the notice board the day of the meeting, and professors stated they had been warned "it is better not to attend" by university staff. Students from other universities and citizens attended as well. During the meeting, he called on students to go to Minsk's October Square at 8 pm after the 19 December election.[17]
Complaints
On 15 December 2010, Sannikov logged two legal complaint applications to the
19 December election
The presidential elections took place on 19 December 2010, and
Demonstration suppression
After the election results were revealed, the opposition leaders organized a demonstration on the evening of 19 December in the center of Minsk. However, the demonstration was suppressed by the police. Sannikov and his wife Iryna Khalip were among those attacked by police during the rally, and according to eyewitness statements gathered by Charter 97, Sannikov was singled out from the crowd for a beating.
Andrei was beaten by truncheons while he was lying. He was beaten on the head all over the body. Andrei was lying and trying to protect himself with his arms. No one was allowed to come near him so that people could not defend [him].[26]
Later, on the way to the hospital to treat Sannikov's broken legs, their car was intercepted while Khalip was giving a telephone interview to the Moscow radio station
Imprisonment
Both Khalip and Sannikov were detained in a KGB facility in Minsk.[7] According to an eyewitness, Sannikov was forced to stand for an hour during the initial processing, despite the injuries to his legs.[26][27] Sannikov was subsequently charged for igniting mass disorder which would entail 8 to 15 years in prison.[7]
The
Custody issue
On 25 December, the
Continued imprisonment
Sannikov was held incommunicado at an undisclosed location for two months.[8] A letter from Sannikov was received by his mother on 15 January.[29] At that point, he had not seen his lawyer since 29 December.[29]
Sannikov's lawyer Pavel Sapelka[30] was disbarred on 3 March, and his mother was able to find a new defense attorney, Maryna Kavaleuskaya, to represent his case on 12 March.[14] She met briefly with Sannikov on 15 March.[31] Later, Andrei Varvashevich was added to his defense team.[32] They have stated Sannikov is suffering from untreated gout and otitis, as well as leg injuries.[32]
The
The German section of Amnesty International issued an "urgent action" alert, stating that they believed Sannikov to be facing torture and maltreatment while in custody.[10]
- April appeal
On 15 April, Minsk City Court heard an appeal from Andrei Sannikov's lawyers, asking for his criminal persecution to be stopped and a softer measure of restraint to be enacted. The appeal was denied.[33] He was to be tried on 27 April.[34] On 14 May he was jailed for five years for organising mass disturbances.[35] According to Amnesty International, as of 18 May, he was being held incommunicado and was at "serious risk of torture and other ill-treatment".[36]
- Release
Sannikov was pardoned by President Lukashenko and released on 14 April 2012.[12] Sannikov called on the Belarusian government to release the remainder of its political prisoners.[12]
Post-election activism
In August 2012, a few months after his release from prison, Lukashenko suggested that Sannikov would soon be rearrested.[20] Sannikov reluctantly fled to the United Kingdom,[20] which granted him political asylum in October 2012.[37] Irina Khalip couldn't leave the country because of her suspended prison sentence.[38] From exile in London,[20] and Warsaw, Poland,[39] Only in 2013 Khalip was allowed a visit in UK to meet her husband.[40] Sannikov has continued to advocate for freedom in Belarus and has said in interviews that the democratic world is becoming "too complacent" towards his country and that Belarus poses a threat to international security.[20]
After Lukashenko hosted
Andrei criticized the 2015 Belarusian presidential election in an interview with Radio France Internationale as a sham, arguing that nothing has changed since the previous election.[42] Andrei made similar comments following the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, praising opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was forced into exile by the authorities.[39]
In November 2015, Sannikov and Mikola Statkevich both agreed to coordinate their activity to consolidate the "Belarusian democratic forces".[43]
Personal life
Andrei Sannikov has two sons. His wife, Belarusian journalist
During the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, he was still residing in Warsaw.
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7923-4470-4.
- ^ a b c d e Bryne, Peter (15 July 2010). "Q&A Interview with Belarusian Presidential Candidate Andrei Sannikov". Lotus Opening / Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Life Under Lukashenka". Belarus.tol.org. 1 December 2010. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b c "Беларускі Партызан: Андрей Санников может находиться в КГБ". Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2010. Belarus Partisan
- ^ a b "2005 Bruno Kreisky Prize – for Services to Human Rights". Bruno Kreisky. 4 April 2005. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b Racheva, Elena (22 March 2011). "Lukashenko reveals a 'secret': Ira Khalip's phone was bugged". Novaya Gazeta. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d Michael, Schwirtz (9 January 2011). "Belarus Signals It Could Seize Opponent's Son". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ a b Masha Gessen (12 August 2020). "After a Rigged Election, Belarus Crushes Protests Amid an Information Blackout". The New Yorker.
The police beat him brutally and held him in an undisclosed location, with no communication, for two months.
- ^ Andrew Higgins (24 August 2020). "Belarus Protests Test Limits of Lukashenko's Brutal, One-Man Rule". The New York Times.
Andrei Sannikov, a former diplomat who was imprisoned and tortured after running against Mr. Lukashenko in 2010
- ^ a b "Urgent Action: Oppositioneller gefoltert" (in German). Amnesty International. 23 December 2010. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ "Iryna Khalip: Sannikov and Dashkevich can be murdered in prison". CIWR. 28 September 2011. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ a b c Andrei Makhovsky (14 April 2012). "Freed anti-government Belarus leader says was pushed to kill self". Reuters. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ^ Masha Gessen (12 August 2020). "After a Rigged Election, Belarus Crushes Protests Amid an Information Blackout". The New Yorker.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Andrei Sannikau". Free Belarus Now. 2011. Archived from the original on 16 March 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Sannikov Konstantin – Biography". Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ "National Academic Yanka Kupala Theatre: History". Kupala Theater. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b c "Sannikov in Linguistic University: BRYU to be disbanded, forcible graduates' work placement abolished (Photo, video)". Charter 97. 30 November 2010. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ Sannikov, Andrei (Winter 1996). "Viewpoint: The Nunn-Lugar Program Should Be Increased, Not Reduced" (PDF). The Nonproliferation Review 3.2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 May 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b c "Sannikov: Lukashenka trying to sell his status as Russia's enemy to Europe". Belarus World. 2 November 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e Harding, Luke (23 November 2012). "Andrei Sannikov: democratic world is too complacent about Belarus". the Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ Народная воля, № 109; Свабода, 1996, нумар ад 29 лістапада
- ^ "Presidential Election, Republic of Belarus". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. 20 March 2006.
- ^ Zarakhovich, Yuri (4 January 2007). "One New Year's Eve, the Miseries of Minsk". Time. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b c Harding, Luke (8 September 2010). "Belarus under pressure to investigate death of media activist Oleg Bebenin". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ Batiukov, Michael (16 December 2010). "Presidential Elections in Belarus are Rigged and Falsified Even Before the Elections on December 19th". American Chronicle. Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b "How Beating of Andrei Sannikov Took Place. Eyewitnesses' Account (Video, Photo)". Charter97. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ a b c Oliphant, Roland (25 December 2010). "Police guard threatened to rape Belarus Free Theatre director after election protest". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ "US says Belarus results not legitimate". The Telegraph. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b Lucas, Scott (21 January 2011). "Belarus Latest: 31 People Still in Prison Over Election Protests". Enduring America. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ "Andrei Sannikau has new lawyer". Spring96. 14 March 2011. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ "Lawyer met with Sannikov: 'He Asks Everyone to go strong'". Charter97. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b c "Charges brought against Andrei Sannikov". Charter97. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ "Andrew Sannikov remains in KGB jail till trial". Charter97. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ "Andrei Sannikov to stand trial on April 27". Charter 97. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ "Belarus opposition leader Andrei Sannikov jailed". BBC News. 14 May 2011. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
- ^ "Belarus: Prisoner of conscience now incommunicado". Amnesty International. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ TUT.by: Санников получил политическое убежище в Великобритании
- ^ "Leading Belarus dissident Sannikov gets UK asylum". BBC. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ a b Andrei Sannikov on Belarus' Disputed Presidential Election, Amanpour & Co., PBS (11 August 2020).
- ^ Romashenko, S. (14 February 2013). "Журналистке Ирине Халип разрешили съездить к мужу в Великобританию" (in Russian). Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Former Belarus presidential candidate criticises elections". RFI. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Statkevich and Sannikov Agree on Activity Coordination". charter97.org. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Braveheart (Google translation)". Novaya Gazeta. 10 June 2005. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- IWMF. October 2009. Archived from the originalon 7 July 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
External links
- European Belarus
- Charter'97
- Andrei Sannikov on Facebook