Three European presidents issue statement of support for democracy in Belarus against Vladimir Putin

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1. Poland's right-wing government is making another push to quash judicial independence

SINCE FORMING a government in 2015, Poland’s right-wing populist Law and Justice party has systematically sought to neuter checks on its power, especially by the judiciary. Early on, it seized control of the Constitutional Tribunal; later, it revamped the system for choosing judges to give the party control, rather than judges themselves. Under pressure from the European Union, it has retreated from some steps, such as purging the Supreme Court. Yet now, having won reelection in October with 43 percent of the vote, Law and Justice is making another push to quash judicial independence.

A law hastily passed by the lower house of the Polish Parliament, the Sejm, on Dec. 20 is being called the “muzzle act” because it would provide for the fining or firing of judges who criticize the government’s actions against the judiciary or engage in other unspecified “political activities.” But “muzzling” understates the measure’s sweep. It is meant to reverse a Supreme Court ruling saying that the Law and Justice-controlled body created to appoint judges is not independent, a decision that was itself based on a judgment by the European Court of Justice, the European Union’s highest court.

Under the proposed law, which Law and Justice rammed through the Sejm over strong E.U. objections, Polish judges would not be able to overrule Polish laws that conflict with E.U. law or the constitution without approval from the Law and Justice-dominated Constitutional Tribunal. The respected head of the Supreme Court, Malgorzata Gersdorf, warned that the result would be “the liquidation of independent judicial power.” But never mind: The legislation also changes the procedure for picking Ms. Gersdorf’s replacement so that Law and Justice controls that as well.

The legislation is now before the opposition-controlled Senate, which could revise or reject it. But because any such action could be reversed by the Sejm, the measure’s enactment is likely unless Law and Justice and its strongman, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, reverse course. That doesn’t seem likely: Mr. Kaczynski recently pilloried judges he said were “evil.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/polands-right-wing-government-is-making-another-push-to-quash-judicial-independence/2020/01/11/25217e64-3308-11ea-a053-dc6d944ba776_story.html

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2. LGBT rights in Lithuania

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Lithuania face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT citizens. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are legal in Lithuania, but neither civil same-sex partnership nor same-sex marriage are available, meaning that there is no legal recognition of same sex couples, so LGBT people do not enjoy all of the rights that non-LGBT people have, and same sex couples in the country do not enjoy the same legal recognition that is given to opposite sex couples. Although homosexuality was decriminalised in 1993, the historic legacy has only resulted in rights for LGBT people that are limited at best. Protection against discrimination was legislated for as part of the criteria for European Union accession and in 2010 the first gay pride parade took place in Vilnius.[1]

Negative attitudes against gay and lesbian men and women remain firmly entrenched throughout the country. Various public opinion polls have found very limited support for same-sex marriage, and opposition to same-sex marriage and homosexuality in general continues to be widespread in Lithuanian society. The 2015 Eurobarometer showed that 24% of Lithuanians supported same-sex marriage, among the EU's lowest (only Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria had lower support). EU-wide support for same-sex marriage was 61%.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Lithuania

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3. Romania a "flawed" democracy

Human rights in Romania are generally respected by the government. However, there have been concerns regarding allegations of police brutality, mistreatment of the Romani minority, government corruption, poor prison conditions, and compromised judicial independence.[1][2] Romania was ranked 59th out of 167 countries in the 2015 Democracy Index and is described as a "flawed democracy", similar to other countries in Central or Eastern Europe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Romania

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4. Human Rights in Belarus, an abhorrent record

The Belarusian government is criticized for human rights violations and its persecution of non-governmental organisations, independent journalists, national minorities, and opposition politicians.[1][2] In a testimony to the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice labeled Belarus as one of the world's six "outposts of tyranny".[3] In response, the Belarusian government called the assessment "quite far from reality".[4] As at 2017, the Viasna Human Rights Centre lists two political prisoners, down from 11 in 2016[5] currently detained in Belarus.

President Alexander Lukashenko has described himself as having an "authoritarian ruling style".[6] Western countries have described Belarus under Lukashenko as a dictatorship; the government has accused the same Western powers of trying to oust Lukashenko.[7] The Council of Europe has barred Belarus from membership since 1997 for undemocratic voting and election irregularities in the November 1996 constitutional referendum and parliament by-elections.[8]

Dozens of Belarusian government officials responsible for political repressions, forced disappearances, propaganda, electoral fraud have been subject to personal sanctions by the United States and the European Union.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Belarus

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5. Eastern Europe is a festering cauldron of human rights abuse.

Belarus is indeed worse than Lithuania, Poland and Romania, but those countries should not be mistaken for paragons of virtue either.

The treatment of ethnic minorities and LGTBQ people in all these counties is abysmal.