Mailing List Service Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE December 19, 2001 read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml ---------------------------------------------------------------- MORE BUSINESSMEN VANISH AND COMMIT SUICIDE IN MINSK Over the last couple of days there occurred a few strange incidents, which are to be thoroughly examined by the law-enforcement bodies now. Vecherny Minsk reports that deputy director of the Atlant-Telecom Ltd died in the 9th clinics, where he had been placed with a gun wound on his head. According to the preliminary data, that was a clear suicidal act. A 30-year old man shot himself from an unregistered small-caliber gun. On the list of the disappeared theres a head of the Interbank calculation center. A 28-year old Minsker, driving a BMW-318, disappeared off the street. Analogous situation happened with a 41-year old lady, working as an accountant in the Priorbank. In late November the woman left her apartment never to be back ---------------------------------------------------------------- GREATEST BUDGET EXPENSES IN 2002 WILL GO TO RUN KGB, POLICE In the year 2002 the budget expenditure on the law-enforcement activities and provision of the state security will constitute over 368bln or 8,6% of the total expenses of the national budget. This is the biggest expenditure provision of all. From this sum they allotted for the state security 34bln45mln rubles, for the law-enforcers 125bln963mln. So the expected next year expenses for culture, art and cinema will only amount to 24bln481mln rubles. ---------------------------------------------------------------- OPPOSITION WARNS UKRAINE NOT TO FOLLOW IN BELARUS FOOTSTEPS Ukraine.ru On Tuesday upon the invitation of the Reforms and order party the leaders of the Belarusian opposition visited Kiev: Vice-Speaker of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus, chairman of the United Civil Party Anatoly Lebedko and ex-chairman of the Belarusian National Bank Stanislav Bogdankevich. As noted by the RaO press-service, during the visit they met with the leader of the bloc Our Ukraine Viktor Uschenko, deputies chair of the RaO party Sergei Sobolev and Vladimir Filenko. Afterwards, they ran a press-conference under the heading Democracy in Belarusian interpretation: will Ukraine get it too? At the press-conference Lebedko stressed that We have to warn Ukraine not to fall prey of the Belarusian path of development. According to him, the Belarusian ruling regime of today is the regime of kind dictatorship. Belarus is the last stronghold of authoritarianism on the political map of Europe. Our ten years experience is quite negative. The result of Alexander Lukashenkos seven-year rule is the formation of the parasite non-effective system of power. The country finds herself in an international isolation, UNIAN quotes him as saying. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ANDREI ZHUKOVETS EXTRADITION DELAYED The appellate court of Belostok considered the complaint of the Belarusian businessman Andrei Zhukovets, whom the Belostok district court determined to extradite to the Belarusian authorities. The appellate court declined the ruling of the district court and forwarded the case for additional re-consideration to the district court. ---------------------------------------------------------------- BELARUS, CHINA WIDEN MILITARY COOPERATION The enlargement of the military-technical cooperation between Belarus and China became the key goal for the visit to China on Dec. 10-15 by the Belarusian military delegation, headed by the leader of the Belarusian air force major-general Sergei Bulygin. It was the man himself who outlined this as their key goal in an interview to BelaPAN. As you remember, over the Dec.5-8 period Belarus was visited by the delegation of the Academy of national defense of the National Liberation Army of China, led by the deputy head of the Academy lieutenant-general Gao Tsintsyan. The Chinese delegates visited among other things the aviation repair company in Baranovich and 120th motorized infantry unit. ---------------------------------------------------------------- FREE TRADE UNION PROTESTS REGIMES PRESSURE Brest regional affiliate of the Free Trade Union of Belarus passed a special statement, enumerating multiple incidents of the exertion of pressure on them by the authorities. This pressure has grown particularly wild recently. According to the regional council of the Free Trade Union, the most distinctive examples of such pressure, laid down on the FTU members, are witnessed in the Brest State University. Over the last couple of months the rector dismissed the professors Evgeny Belasin, Vladimir Zamkovets, Igor Maslovsky and a few people from the maintenance staff. Some of these folks were reprimanded. The court is also considering the case of professor Ivan Kozhuh, who, in contradistinction to the decision of the universitys scientific council, wasnt approved as head of the department. Rector of this educational institution Vladimir Pletoukhov calls the Free Trade Union an illegal and destructive organization. By his personal decision he evicted the UCP from its premises and refused to provide it with the legal address. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ALYAXANDAR CHIHIRS CRIMINAL CASE HEARING STARTED Consideration of the criminal case of Alyaxandar Chihir, the youngest son of Mikhail Chihir, former Belarus Prime Minister, starts today at 10 a.m. in the court of the Lenin district of Minsk. Alyaxandar Chihir is accused of cars stealing, made by organized group, charges related to Article 205, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of Belarus. Alyaxandar Chihir has been remaining in jail since February 10, 2001. He does not plead guilty As maintained by his closest relatives, politics is underlying cause of the lawsuit, as Mikhail Chihir is opponent of the regime, who has participated in presidential vote as a candidate, and experienced political and criminal persecution himself. ---------------------------------------------------------------- WITNESSES REVEAL IGNATOVICHS CLOSE TIES WITH SPECIAL SERVICES At the trial over possible Zavadsys abductor, Ignatovich, the witnesses where interrogated who agreed to give evidence only in absence of the accused in the courtroom. The defense believes that it was an important testimony. One of the witnesses confirmed that former officer of special purposes unit Ignatovich had close ties with special services of Belarus. He said in particular that Ignatovich during his crimes showed a new-type pass of the special group Almaz member, while he had been dismissed from it long ago. ---------------------------------------------------------------- PEOPLE STAND TRIAL FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT MISSING POLITICIANS Participants of live chain held on December 9 are to be tried today in Baranavichi. Nine protesters were arrested during the action. Reports were filed on charges relating Article 167 part 1 of the Administrative Code. The hearing was rescheduled as the accused asked for an attorney. Yulia Plotnikava is in the most grave situation, as she is charged with the picket coordination. She can be sentenced to 15 days of arrest. Palina Panasiuk, ZUBR activist detained in Brest, is scheduled for December 22. ---------------------------------------------------------------- CRIMINAL CASE INSTITUTED AGAINST SILKORT LTD. EMPLOYEES Minsk regional Financial Investigations Department officers instituted criminal proceedings against several employees of the Stilkort Ltd., who registered this firm on February 8, 2000 but did not intend to act according firms Statute. As BELTA reporter was informed in the State Control Committee, the detained allegedly cashed money illegally, and as a result the state lost more than 17 millions BLR. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ANDREI SANNIKAU: UNDER LUKASHENKA BELARUS PLAYS PART OF AN EXTRA Belarus is critically disposed to the recent decision of George Bush Administration that the United States would withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. However, according to Charter97 international coordinator Andrei Sannikau, the policy of A.Lukashenka led to he situation when opinion of Belarus does not influence solving crucial strategic problems. It is not likely that Belarusian standpoint in this relation interests anybody. ---------------------------------------------------------------- BABRUISK WOMEN ON HUNGER STRIKE IN FRONT OF LUKASHENKAS ADMINISTRATION Four Babruisk women started hunger strike in front of presidential Administration on December 19. The four dismissed workers are united by the injustice of the local authorities. Three of the women demand flats guaranteed by the law, and the fourth wants to be reinstated at work. In August women from Babruisk held a ten-day hunger strike at the central square of the town. The mayor promised to settle the problem after the elections, but he failed. Now the women are going to protest with banners an appeal to meet with Lukashenka. ---------------------------------------------------------------- AMBASSADOR WIECK REMAINS AMG OSCE HEAD UNTIL JANUARY 1, 2002 The head of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus, Ambassador Hans-Georg Wieck, is set to leave Belarus on December 22. He informed about it on December 18 in Minsk at the session of the Consultative Council of oppositional political parties. However Wieck will direct the AMG OSCE until January 1, 2002, as said by him. Then, if his successor would not be appointed, Wiecks assistant, Michel Rivalier, is to become acting head of the group. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE December 19, 2001 read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.charter97 http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com