CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 11, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml
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WITNESSES: ALYAXANDAR CHIHIRS BEATEN BY POLICE
In the court of the Lenin district of Minsk continues hearing of the criminal
case of Alyaxandar Chihir, Anton Yashyn and Zmitser Yutskevich charged with car
stealing (Article 205 of the RB Criminal Code). On January 10 Syarhei Kalyada
and Vasil Bykau, who had been detained together with Alyaxandar Chihir on February
10, 2001, were interrogated.
Before the arrest at the Minsk automobile market Kola they sold spare parts,
which Alyaxandar Chihir bought. The witnesses told about the circumstances of
the arrest. Bykau was released four days later, and he was not charged with anything.
In the court the report of administrative offense allegedly committed by Bykau
and gave grounds for his incarceration, was read out. However, the witness said
that he did not commit any wrongdoing, and that charge was a pretext for his
detention.
Syarhei Kalyada has spent about two months in custody. Now he is a suspect in
selling stolen things. He told that during the apprehension he was beaten right
in the police station of the auto market by one of the supposed victims whose
car was stolen. However, during the investigation neither Chihir, nor Kalyada,
nor others were charged with this stealing. The beating, as said by Kalyada,
continued  in the police department of the Moscow district of Minsk. He also
said that at the police station of the market Alyaxandar Chihir was beaten as
well. Besides, Kalyada told about searched carried out by police officers in
the garages belonging to A.Chihir or rented by him. The doors were opened and
the garages videotaped. Kalyada had an impression that police officers knew the
place well.
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PUBLIC PROSECUTORS OFFICE DISTRAINS MIKHAIL LYAVONAUS PROPERTY
Despite of the fact that the former director of the MTZ (Minsk Tractor-building
Plant) Mikhial Lyavonau has not been charged officially, the Public Prosecutors
Office distrains his property. Yesterday at his apartment in Starazhouskaya Street
a search was made. The officers have already taken away some of his personal
possessions. The search was made also in his dacha (summer cottage) and garage.
The wife of the former MTZ manager Alena Lyavonava has refused to comment on
the actions of the investigators. In her interview to Radio Svaboda she said
that her husband has not committed any crimes, he is not guilty before the state.
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REPORTS ON ZAVADSKYS CASE HAVE MANY INCONSISTENCIES
At the trial over the group of the former Special squad Almaz officer, Valery
Ignatovich, facts from the documents on the episode of ORT cameraman Zavadsdkys
abduction were announced. Reports of the examination of the Skoda car, in which
Zavadsky was to arrive to the national airport Minsk and meet Pavel Sharamet
on July 7, 2000, were read out. On arrival Sharamet found Skoda at the place
where Zavadsky usually parked it, but Dmitry himself disappeared without traces.
In the reports of the initial examination of the car it was not said if the fingerprints
have been found or not, and about the place where the car radio was found. In
the report of the second examination it was stated that the radio was placed
at the back seat of the car. And the third report claimed that it was situated
in the place where Zavadsky usually hid it, under the right front seat. These
details could indicate if Zavadsky had been driving the car and arrived to the
airport himself or the car was driven by another man. That is why it is possible
that experts that searched the car could be summoned to court and interrogated.
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BELARUSIAN ECONOMY TO FACE SYSTEM CRISIS IN FIRST HALF 2002
Within the next six months the economy of Belarus will encounter a serious system
crisis, BelaPAN was told by the former head of the Belarusian National Bank Stanislav
Bogdankevich. According to his forecasts, in the near future the country will
witness failure to fulfill the profit provision of the national budget, the level
of profitability will remain in decline, while the number of companies operating
at a loss will drastically go uphill. Inflation this year may twice exceed the
planned parameter, constituting 40-50%. Such a conclusion, says Bogdankevich,
can be drawn judging by the ineffectiveness of the Belarusian economy, unprofitable
sales markets, both interior, exterior and Russian.
Bordankevich also points out that there exists a paradoxical situation: the more
we manufacture the poorer we become and the greater debts we face. The Belarusian
economy reached the critical mass of unprofitable companies, while the outdated
equipment amounted to 80%. All this, noted Bogdankevich, will necessarily push
the authorities to order the National Bank to make additional fiscal emission,
while the commercial banks will have to earmark credit resources under the ineffective
projects and manufacture. This, in its turn, will inevitably be reflected on
the level of prices and the devaluation of the national currency.
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WIVES OF REPRESSED POLITICIANS ADDRESS POLISH PRESIDENT
yusnews.info
Polish ambassador in Minsk Mariush Mashkevich received on January 10 wives of
the repressed Belarusian politicians. Ludmila Karpenko, Svetlana Zavadskaya,
Irina Krasovskaya, Tatyana Klimova and Zinaida Gonchar passed over to the diplomat
their letter to the Polish president Alexander Kvasnevsky, who will shortly meet
with the Russian president Vladimir Putin. In their letter the women plead with
Kvasnevsky to raise an issue of the political killings, abductions and imprisonments
in Belarus during his meeting with Putin. The ambassador Mashkvich pledged that
he would hand over the letter to his president. Following comes the full text
of the letter.
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BELARUSIAN PROCURACY ISSUES LEONOVS ARREST WARRANT
Deputy prosecutor general of Belarus Prus issued on January 10 a sanction to
arrest Mikhail Leonov, BelaPAN was told by the attorney of the former head of
the national unitary enterprise Minsk tractor plant Nikolai Shalimo. In the
evening the suspect had to be transferred from the temporary confinement center,
where he had stayed since January 8, to the pre-trial jail. So far, they havent
officially charged Mikhail Leonov yet. According to the lawyer, Mikhail Leonov
reacted to the procuracys decision quietly. He expected it,  said Shalimo.
As concerns his actions, said the lawyer, first of all he intends to examine
all information on the case, which he manages to collect.
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BELARUS CONSIDERS LIBYA MUCH PROMISING PARTNER
Belarus considers Libya to be a promising partner in the Northern African region,
said on Thursday deputy head of the Department of information of the Belarusian
Foreign Ministry Andrei Savinykh. The man reported that the first session of
the joint Belarusian-Libyan commission for economic, trade and scientific cooperation
will be held on January 15-19 in the Libyan capital Tripoli. The Belarusian delegation
will be headed by the Minister for foreign affairs Mikhail Khvostov.
At the meeting the sides will negotiate issues, concerning the supplies of the
Belarusian military machinery and popular goods to Libya.
According to the Belarusian FM, the results, which will be achieved at the commissions
session, will enable the Belarusian manufacturers to strengthen their positions
at the growing Libyan market under the conditions of tense competition on behalf
of the western countries.
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ANDREI ZAITSAUS FATHER DEMANDS PUBLIC PROSECUTORS OFFICE FIND CULPRITS OF HIS
SONS DEATH
Yuri Zaitsau, father of Andrei Zaitsau, a Zubr activist from Homel, whom KGB
tried to recruit and make work as an informer, demands from the Public Prosecutors
Office of the Soviet district of Homel, to find those having connection to his
sons death. Earlier Andreis mother, Larisa, submitted a tape with a telephone
talk of her son and KGB officer to the Public Prosecutors Office. A copy of
Andreis appeal to the Belarusian Helsinki Committee written two days before
his death was submitted as well.
The original appeal was submitted to the regional Public Prosecutors Office
by Euseenka, a chairman of the BHC branch. However, Uladzimer Haurylchyk, deputy
Public Prosecutor of the region, who formerly was a Public Prosecutor, has given
Zaitsaus appeal to local KGB head Anatol Tsakun. That is, to a man, against
whose subordinates Andrei lodged a petition.
Public Prosecutors Office does not hurry to institute proceedings. Public Prosecutor
of the Soviet district of Homel Uladzimer Padsekin, like KGB press-service before,
stated publicly in a TV program of local TV about some health problems of Andrei
Zaitsau, about some difficulties of his army service. In response Andreis mother
Larisa Zaitsava told in her interview to Radio Svaboda: He hurt his head twice
in the first form. He was registered by a doctor. It was long before he joined
the army. Then he was excluded from these lists. If there was something wrong
with him, he would not be allowed to join the army.
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NAME OF KGB OFFICER WHO PUSHED ANDREI ZAITSAU COMMIT SUICIDE IS KNOWN
ZUBRs from Homel found out a name of the KGB officer who tried to recruit Andrei
Zaitsau.
He told the deceased that his name is Ales Eustihneeu. Andreis friends are sure
that his real name is Alyaxandar Yastremsky (or Estremsky). KGB denies that officer
Ales Eustihneeu exists.Now we demand the Public Prosecutors Office and KGB leadership
to investigate activities of Alyaxandar Yastremsky (or Estremsky).
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PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED AGAINST GREASE PLANT DIRECTOR
Homel investigation Committee of the Ministry of the Interior brought up an action
related to abuse of power against some heads of the local grease plant. A department
on economic crimes of the region is involved in the investigation as well.
Allegedly, while contracts on delivery of caustic soda were concluded, the plant
lost more than 600 thousands dollars. The deputy manager of the plant Tsuronkau
who early has been arrested and charged with stealing allegedly is connected
to this case.
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MASS STAFF REDUCTION AT ENTERPRISES
www.praca.by
According to ruling of the local administration of the agricultre chemical plant
in Cherven, 35 out of 90 workers of the plant will be kicked out.  The reason
is absence of work. People are forced to filed in resignations out of their
will.
Administrations actions contradict the law, lawyer of the Minsk regional committee
of the agriculture complex workers Piotr Stelmakh says. For example, Trade Ministry
decree from February 22, 1995 says that if the enterprise has less than 1000
employees, administration cannot dismiss more than 20 workers at a time. Besides,
in the collective agreement administration undertakes not to carry out mass reductions
of staff.

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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 11, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml