CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 8, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml
----------------------------------------------------------------
MTP DIRECTOR PLACED IN PRE-TRIAL CONFINEMENT
Director of the Minsk Tractor Plant Mikhail Leonov is charged over the power
abuse, leading to disastrous consequences (art.166/2 of the Criminal code) and
negligence, resulting in the infliction of large-scale damage (art.168). Mikhail
Leonov was locked in the confinement center. Today the law-enforcers searched
Leonovs car and office, as well as studied his documents. Earlier today they
also dismissed him from his post. Concerning the Criminal codes articles, which
Leonov is accused of violating, the press-secretary of the Belarusian procuracy
general Aleksei Taranov noted that it is a temporary phenomenon that they only
brought up two charges against MTP director.
Director of the Minsk tractor plant Mikhail Leonov was detained Monday night
when trying to depart from Belarus, reports Reuters with a reference to the procuracy
official. Leonov was allegedly detained on a train en route to Russia. Moreover,
the law-enforcers found phony documents on him. Over the past two months the
procuracy, Committee for state control, KGB and police have been examining the
situation at the USSRs biggest tractor manufacturer although no accusations
have been brought personally against Leonov.
Persecution of unreliable directors and the repartition of financial flows
is quickly picking up speed.
----------------------------------------------------------------
TRADE UNIONS WANT CANCELLATION OF ARBITRARY RULING
www.praca.by
Governments order to cancel the cashless transfer of trade union dues gravely
violates the rights of the workers, contradicting both the tariff agreement,
the agreement between the Mogilev regional council, regional trade union association
and the association of entrepreneurs and industry workers, violating the decision
of the Constitutional court On the order of payment of trade union membership
dues, further leading to the collapse of trade union system, write the members
of the Bobruisk open joint stock company Fandok in their address to Alexander
Lukashenko. The workers plead with the incumbent to cancel the ruling.
We (100% of the employed) determined on our own how we should pay the trade
union dues, - reads their letter to Lukashenko: The employer confirmed his commitment
to retain and transfer the trade union dues in a centralized way, having included
this provision into the collective agreement We badly need the trade union today.
It defends us in court and renders free legal assistance Without the trade union
the worker is helpless
----------------------------------------------------------------
EUROPARLIAMENT DEMANDS INVESTIGATION INTO DISAPPEARANCES
Chairman and deputies chairman of the delegation of the European Parliament for
Belarus Yan Marinus Wiersma, Lennart Sacredeus and Elizabeth Schroedter forwarded
an open letter to Alexander Lukashenko in which they raise grave concerns over
the states failure to locate the missing oppositionists. Read below the full
text of the address:
Mr. President,
We  the chairman and vice-chairs of the European Parliament Delegation to Belarus
 wish to express our continued and deep concern at the disappearance of a number
of prominent figures in 1999 and 2000  Yuri Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, Anatoly
Krasovsky and Dmitry Zavadsky. It has been alleged that the authorities were
involved in these deaths and we understand that they have declined all offers
of independent assistance in investigating them.
We consider that it is essential to establish an independent and transparent
investigation to resolve these matters. Only in this way can Belarus begin to
gain some credibility and recognition that it is moving towards the creation
of a free and open society governed by the rule of law.
We intend to continue to address this subject within the framework of the Troika
of the European Parliament and the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of
Europe and the OSCE. We are copying this letter to these other institutions and
are inviting them to also express their concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Yan Marinus Wiersma, Chairman
Lennart Sacredeus, 1st Vice-Chairman
Elizabeth Schroedter, 2nd Vice-Chairman
----------------------------------------------------------------
BELARUS FM BLAMES OSCE AMG OVER UNDERMINING EXISTING STATE ORDER
OSCE is a regional structure, which must take greatest interest in the issues
of economic development, security and cooperation, rather than focus its attention
solely on the human rights,  pinpointed in an interview to Interfax the Foreign
Minister of Belarus Mikhail Khvostov. According to the head of the Belarusian
Foreign Ministry, the human rights are no doubt a very important issue on the
agenda of any organization, but it can in no wise be the corner-stone of such
an organization as OSCE.
If this happens, that means that OSCE hasnt yet found its place in the region
and shares the sphere of responsibility with NATO, CoE and EU,  said the Minister.
According to Khvostov, none of the OSCE groups must be faced with tasks, aimed
at overthrowing the existing government. Any mission, he said, must execute
field rather than political functions, mostly cooperating with the government.
Khvostov further suggested that the OSCE AMG mandate in the country should be
reviewed. This issue was raised by the Belarusian side, he added.
Head of the foreign office stressed that so far Belarus hasnt considered any
candidacies, who might be appointed chair of the OSCE mission in Minsk. At the
same time the official underscored that he heard of two candidatures: German
and British nationals, the biographic data on whom we possess.
The previous OSCE AMG leader Hans-Georg Wieck left Minsk after the expiration
of his mandate late last year.
----------------------------------------------------------------
STATE CONTROL COMMITTEE PUTS SCREWS ON
The Committee for state control of the Gomel region occupies the leading spot
in the country as far as the application of economic sanctions. This was specified
at the Committees meeting on 2001 outcomes, held on January 4 in the Gomel region.
As claimed by the chair of the Committee for the Gomel region Valery Dulebenets,
according to the results of the examination of 1351 economic entities, which
is 87% of the inspected ones, there had been applied economic sanctions for 2bln830mln
rubles.
The total amount of fines exceeds by 1,8 times the fines, accumulated in 2000.
However, the Committee of the Gomel region only managed to receive from the law
violators 924mln rubles in penalties, which is the second best result in the
country. Valery Dulebenets stressed that they brought to administrative accountability
1,5 thousand people, fining them 30,5mln rubles, while another 1450 people were
subject to disciplinary measures, 56 of them being dismissed from the previously
occupied posts.
----------------------------------------------------------------
MINSK TRACTOR PLANT DIRECTOR M.LEONOV ARRESTED
Director of the Minsk tractor plant Mikhail Leonov was detained Monday night
when trying to depart from Belarus, reports Reuters with a reference to the procuracy
official. Leonov was allegedly detained on a train en route to Russia. Moreover,
the law-enforcers found phony documents on him. Over the past two months the
procuracy, Committee for state control, KGB and police have been examining the
situation at the USSRs biggest tractor manufacturer.
In course of the inspection there have been opened a few legal actions, although
no accusations have been brought personally against Leonov,  said the procuracy
official. Meantime, says Reuters, Leonovs secretariat declines to comment on
the issue. Recently a few criminal proceedings have been initiated in Belarus
against leading industrial figures. Back in November Alexander Lukashenko noted
that fifteen more people are next in line for arrest.
Among those, charged with economic crimes, which inflicted damage upon the state,
are heads of the railway and director of the refrigerator plant Leonid Kalugin,
who nominated himself as candidate for the presidency but came short of collecting
the necessary number of signatures.
The government claim it to be a mere struggle against corruption and financial
frauds, while opposition  a harassment of unreliable directorate and repartition
of financial flows.
----------------------------------------------------------------
PAGONYA NEWSPAPER FACES LIBEL ACTION
Grodno region procuracy continued investigation into the libel lawsuit, opened
against the independent newspaper Pagonya for alleged slander against the president
(article 367/1 of the Criminal Code). The action was brought against the newspapers
editor-in-chief Nikolai Markevich and its correspondent Pavel Mozheiko. The lawsuit
was instituted on September 5, 2001 after the newspaper published materials,
which, as deemed by procuracy, were defaming the honor of Alexander Lukashenko.
Then, on November 12 the newspaper was shut down upon the decision of the Supreme
Economic Court of Belarus. The investigation is being carried out by the investigator
of the regional procuracy Oleg Kulevich. On January 5 Markevich and Mozheiko
were summoned for interrogation to the procuracy. However, the interrogations
were all of a sudden put off and the procuracy officer told the journalists that
they would receive their subpoenas later.
----------------------------------------------------------------
BREST DISSENTERS FINED, ARRESTED
Two participants of the action The chain of those who care, held in Brest on
December 9, were sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest. Eight action
participants received 20 minimal wages fines each. This verdict was passed on
January 5 by the court of the Leninsky district of Brest, represented by judge
Oleg Mironyuk.
Previously BelaPAN reported that on December 9 the law-enforcers apprehended
12 action participants. They all faced administrative protocols on violation
of order of mass assemblies, while two of them were also charged with insubordination
to legitimate police claims. On January 4 the court began considering only 10
administrative files, for one of the female picketers never showed up in the
courtroom, while Vladimir Velichkins case had been singled out into a unique
episode.
During the court sessions they interrogated as witnesses the officers of the
Leninsky police station of Brest, who unleashed the arrests, as well as deputy
chief of this station Mikhail Kregel, who issued an arrest warrant. They also
viewed the video, recorded by the police agents during the detention operation.
As a result, the jury announced all ten guilty of holding an unsanctioned meeting
and ruled to apply administrative arrest against Vladimir Malei and Gennady Samoilenko.
The remainder eight people were fined 200 thousand rubles each.
Following the announcement of the court verdict one of the dissenters Raisa Antonyuk
asked the judge to sentence her to the administrative arrest, for she was unable
to pay a fine. However, the judge declined her request. As noted by other convicts
after the trial, they likewise encounter problems with fines: 7 out of 10 protesters
are pensioners, living, as they said, on pensions alone.
-------------------------------------------------------------
DIRECTOR OF GOMEL RADIO PLANT INCARCERATED
Director of the Gomel Radio Plant Anatoly Kirikov was placed into pre-trial confinement.
The man is suspected of abuse of power under article 424/3 of the Belarusian
Penal Code. The investigation is being carried out by the Gomel region investigative
committee.
BelaPAN reports that in the near future the director may be charged with deliberate
signing of an unprofitable contract on supplying products to one of the Riga
companies, as a result of which the company suffered an 87mln ruble damage. According
to some well-informed sources, Anatoly Kirikov has always had numerous problems
with the personnel over the purposefulness and effectiveness of collaboration
with foreign clients. So one cannot exclude that this episode wont be unique.
At the moment, they continue examining the economic activities of Kirikov as
the companys director. Police sealed all plants premises, at which the business
and financial archives are being stored.
----------------------------------------------------------------
MOGILEV MARKET DIRECTOR APPREHENDED
Agents of the Mogilev police economic crimes department arrested director of
the unitary trade enterprise Kooperativnaya Zagotovitelnaya Torgovlya of the
Mogilev regional consumers union, director of the Zadneprovsky marketplace Anatoly
Protosenya. The man is accused of large-scale bribery.
According to the preliminary information, at the moment of actual detention,
which occurred on December 29, they found with the director of one of the regional
centers greatest markets $1,000 and $300  with his intermediary. Moreover,
a large amount of money was found at Protosenyas apartment during a search.
Anatoly Protosenya is arrested but refuses to acknowledge his guilt. Police opened
criminal proceedings on the matter.
----------------------------------------------------------------
STATE COMMITTEE FOR CONTROL TO DEAL WITH HEALTHCARE AND OIL CHEMISTRY
In 2002 the State Committee for Control of Belarus will concentrate on examining
the healthcare and oil chemistry industries, said deputy SCC chair Mikhail Matusevich
at the January 4 meeting in the Gomel region. Their choice fell on healthcare
for it is in this very sphere that they annually work with 15% of the state budget
funds, which stands for 1trln rubles this year. Mikhail Matusevich is convinced
that their examinations will be a success. He recalled the last years revision,
conducted at such a complex state enterprise as the Belarusian railway service,
after which they opened 8 legal actions for financial frauds.
----------------------------------------------------------------
BANKS ARE RID OF LICENSES TO ATTRACT DEPOSITS
It may well happen that the four banks licenses to attract new populations
deposits will be revoked, BelaPAN quotes head of the National Banks information
department Anatoly Drozdov as saying. These will be the banks, which failed to
comply with the requirement to raise the personal deposits level to 10mln euros,
which came into force on January 1, 2002.
----------------------------------------------------------------
GOMEL COMPANIES MENACING STATE
Menacing called the situation with the growth of creditors indebtedness at
the Gomel region companies chair of the regional committee Alexander Yakobson,
speaking on January 4 at the deputies Council meeting. Yakobson underscored that
the companies debt constitutes 530bln rubles, by 1,4 times surpassing the size
of their debtors indebtedness. The most complex is the situation with the Gomel
radio plant, whose creditors indebtedness reaches 734mln rubles, with Mozyrselmash
factory and the Gomel engine plant, whose debts on loans average to 500mln rubles.
Moreover, due to the reduction of companies profits the income part of the budget
was underpaid 20bln rubles. In comparison with the year 2000 the number of unprofitable
companies grew twofold and there had been 40,7% of them in the region in 2001.
The profitability of other manufacturers slipped down from 21,7% in 2000 to 13,2%
in 2001.
It also deserves mention that the head of the Gomel regional council said that
his region looks more or less normal as compared with the rest of the regions.
----------------------------------------------------------------
60% AGRICULTURAL COMPANIES UNDERGO LOSSES
According to the preliminary data of the Ministry of statistics and analysis
of Belarus, the year 2001 ended in financial losses for 1,403 agricultural companies,
operating under the auspices of the Ministry of agriculture and foodstuffs, which
is 58,9% of their total amount. The number of profitable husbandries constituted
978, which is 259 (21%) less than in the year 2000.
The greatest percent of unprofitable enterprises had been recorded in 2001 in
the Vitebsk region (83,6%), Mogilev (78), Gomel (65,3) and Minsk (52,6).
The general level of their non-profitability equals to 3,1%. The level of non-profitability
of the sold commodity amounted to 4,7%, which was conditioned mostly by the high
degree of the products cost, by far exceeding the final sale prices. This is
especially so with the cattle-breeding industry, where the losses increased from
8,8% in 2000 to 12,8% in 2001. The level of profitability of the sold goods in
plant-growing in 2001, according to official calculations, dropped from 47,3
to 23,1%.
----------------------------------------------------------------
BUDGET UNDERPAID 190BLN RUBLES
The size of the Belarus exterior debt by late 2001 constituted $769mln. The
interior debt amounts to 715,5bln rubles or 5% GDP. Specialists of the countrys
financial institution note that the countrys economic condition could be better,
provided the real sector of the economy fulfilled the planned parameters. However,
as far as nothing of the kind took place, the budget never received 190mln of
expected profits.
----------------------------------------------------------------
PURCHASE PRICES ON CATTLE-BREEDING PRODUCTS GO 15% UPHILL
Purchase prices on cattle-breeding products rose on January 3 by 15%. Such a
decision had been passed by the Ministry of agriculture and foodstuff along with
the Ministry of economy. According to the head of the price department of the
Ministry of agriculture Ekaterina Pevneva, the growth of purchase prices is a
state-by-stage compensation of the agricultural expenses in connection with the
increasing prices on resources and the production of industrial and technical
designation, used in the agriculture.
----------------------------------------------------------------
MINSK REGION IMPOSES NEW DUES
New dues were introduced since January 2002 on the territory of the Minsk region
 the transport due for the renovation and fixing of the state transport and
dues to develop the towns and districts infrastructure.
In accordance with the provisions on these dues, established by the Minsk regional
Council of deputies, reports BelaPAN, the transport due will amount to 1,5% of
the profits, resting in the possession of the physical entity, while due for
the infrastructure development  3,5% of the profits. The obtained means will
go for the construction, maintenance and centralized purchase of equipment and
inventory for the social sphere.
----------------------------------------------------------------
DECREE#8 APPLIED AGAINST DISSENTERS
The Central district court of Mogilev considered on January 3 the case of the
chair of the Mogilev-based UCP, chair of the local Lev Sapega foundation V.Shantsev,
charged with violating the notorious Decree#8. The jury recognized the man guilty
of violating the decree. They ruled to confiscate his equipment (a few PCs, Xerox,
printers etc) and fine him 100 minimal wages. Irrefutable facts, testifying that
absolutely all prosecutions evidences were obtained illegally, and thus cannot
be taken into consideration, were taken no heed of.
In course of the trial proceedings, there were found out and confirmed numerous
violations of law by the Mogilev tax inspection. Practically none of their steps
were done without some law infringement, including the arbitrary seizure of the
equipment on September 6, 2001 (two days before the voting), an unsanctioned
access to the PCs database, documents forgery and other similar acts. Moreover,
they filed an administrative protocol against Shantsev, dating back to the December
21, 2001, although on that day the defendant was in Bobruisk at his partys assembly.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 8, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml