CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 29, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml
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CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL OF DEMOCRATIC FORCES RESUMES WORK

The meeting of the Consultative Council of Democratic Forces took place on January
29 in Minsk. The strategy of Belarusian democrats for the near future was worked
out at the meeting. At the session of the CCDF a decision was made to create
national organizing committees for marking Freedom Day (March, 25) and Chernobyl
Memory Day (April, 26). Besides, the CCDF statement was made. The full text of
the statement follows:
more

IMPORTANT WITNESSES INTERROGATED AT IHNATOVICHS TRIAL

At the trial over the group of the former special squadron Almaz officer Valery
Ihnatovich, which is held behind closed doors, important witnesses were interrogated.
According to BelaPAN agency, the court continued to examine the episode of Zavadskys
abduction on July 7, 2000. In particular, one of the relatives of the suspect
Maxim Malik was interrogated. Maliks relative was summoned to court without
prior notice, right from Baranavichy, where he lives.
more

SLANDER AGAINST OPPOSITION UNPUNISHED

Board on civil cases of the Minsk city court overturned the ruling of the court
of a lower instance on the case of dignity and honor defense by Anatol Lyabedzka,
the United Civil Party leader, against Yuri Azaryonak, Belarusian TV program
Secret Springs of Politics creator. So the court satisfied Azaryonaks complaint
and the prosecutors office protest. The members of the board think that in his
program Azaryonak has not insulted Lyabedzkas dignity and honour.
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WHO IS UPSET BY OSCE MISSION AND WHO IS THE NEXT CANDIDATE FOR JAIL?

Lukashenka throws directors to jails and wants to limit OSCE mandate  it is
the title of an article in the yesterday issue of the Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher
Zeitung. As said by the author of the piece of writing, starting from 1994 Lukashenkas
victory in presidential elections, the Belarusian head of state always could
find a reason for anger. First it was Parliament, then mass media, then oppositional
politicians Recently Lukashenka lost his temper because of top directors and
OSCE mission mandate  Neue Zuercher Zeitung writes. The directors are charged
with corruption, OSCE representatives are accused of spying in favour of the
opposition. It cannot be called an unexpected thing, the author believes. The
question is: is there somebody whom the OSCE mission gets in the way, and who
is the next candidate for jail?
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LUKASHENKA DEMANDS STRICTER SURVEILLANCE OVER TOP DIRECTORATES FROM PROSECUTORS

On January 28 Alyaxandar Lukashenka called for more severe supervision over obedience
to laws in fuel and energy sphere, in the system of finance and credit, in the
sphere of licensed activities, declaring of the profits and property from the
Public Prosecutor General Viktar Sheiman. He also ordered to make surveillance
over top directors of organizations stricter, and to insist on full compensation
of the material loss, caused by negligence, abuse of office, non-authorized use
of budget and credit money.
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WHY BORIS GRYZLOV HAVENT FLIED TO MINSK?
strana.ru

On the todays session of the Coordinative Council of the Collegial Bodies of
the CIS countries law-enforcing agencies, a collective discussion on the law-enforcing
agencies cooperation in International program of common measures in delinquency
struggle is to take place. However the head of the Russian Interior Ministry
will not come to Minsk. The Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov, as strana.ru was
informed by high-ranking officials, cancelled the planned visit to Belarus literally
in the last moment.

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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 29, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml