CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February 11, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml
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CHAIN OF THOSE WHO CARE STRETCHES AT PRISON WALLS
In the afternoon on February 11 around fifty people formed a human chain along
the walls of the Minsk colony UZ 15/1 in Kalvariyskaya street. Today is the forth
anniversary since the imprisonment of Lukashenkos outspoken opponent, 13th Supreme
Soviet deputy, businessman Andrei Klimov, thrown behind bars upon trumped-up
charges.
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 DIAMOND BANKER BROUGHT TO ACCOUNT
BDG
Session on the bank sector development problems, held by Alexander Lukashenko
last Friday, wasnt marked by too high information saturation. The president,
as usually, called on the bankers to be honest and live modest lives. Meantime,
he added that the state wouldnt take away all of the money from commercial banks.
The main news of the meeting was the statement, voiced by the head of the Investigative
committee Leonid Glukhovsky, claiming that police might shortly institute criminal
procedures against the former Belpromstroibanks president Nikolai Rakov. Seemingly,
this his message was designed to become an additional stimulus in attracting
extra funds for the spring sowing.
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LAWSUIT OPENED VS BELSNABSERVICE LTD.
Legal proceedings have been instituted against the Belsnadservice Ltd.. BELTA
correspondent was told in the Department for financial research of the Committee
for state control of Belarus that this enterprise had allegedly submitted to
the Belagroprombank open joint stock company a deliberately false report on
the income and losses for the first half of 2000 and had thus been given a 20mln
rubles loan.
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PROTEST ON ANDREI KLIMOVS ARREST 4TH ANNIVERSARY
At noon on February 11, on the forth anniversary since the arrest of the famous
13th Supreme Soviet parliamentary and businessman Andrei Klimov, the activists
of the United Civil Party will form a chain of those who care near the jail
in the Kalvariyskaya street of Minsk where Klimov is currently serving his term.
As you remember, Andrei Klimov had been sentenced by the Leninsky court of Minsk
to six years of imprisonment for alleged large-scale theft and forgery during
the construction of the block of flats in the Lodochnaya street in Minsk. Andrei
didnt confess his guilt, his defense claimed absence of corpus delicti on his
part, while the international and domestic human rights watchdogs stated the
political motives behind the incarceration.
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US STATE DEPT. REITERATES ALARM OVER HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN BELARUS
Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Lorne Craner
met February 7 with Mikolai Markevich, Iosif Siaredzich, Andrei Bastunets, and
Viachaslau Khadasousky, representatives of independent media
in Belarus, and reiterated the strong support of the United States for those
advocating freedom of expression and other fundamental rights in Belarus.
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JURY REFUSES TO CONSIDER ALKAEV AND LOPATIKS RAPPORTS
There ended the court investigation at the process, held behind closed doors,
over the group of the former Almaz riot police officer Valery Ignatovich. BelaPAN
reports from the informed sources that the jury has considered a few appeals.
For instance, one of the representatives of the victims side petitioned the
court over summoning the witnesses of the confiscation of the journal, recording
the dates when the execution gun had been issued. They explained this by the
absence in court of certain documents, which had originally been included into
the criminal case on Dmitry Zavadskys disappearance. Among such documents are
the rapports of the head of the investigation department Oleg Alkaev and head
of the criminal police Nikolai Lopatik, protocols of seizure of the guns issue
records, along with the letter of the then prosecutor general of Belarus to his
Russian colleagues, featuring a request to send to Belarus a special set of equipment
to locate and unearth the human remains.
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BELARUSIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE PETITION ABOUT ANDREI KLIMAUS RELEASE
The Belarusian Helsinki Committee addressed Ivan Bahura, the head of the colony
number 15/1 where the deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet Anderi Klimau is serving
his sentence, with an appeal to submit materials to the court about his possible
conditional earlier release.
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MTP ROCKED BY MASS REDUNDANCY
Mass labor force curtailment started at the Minsk tractor plant. The administration
explains it by the need to economize financial resources. Radio Svaboda quotes
deputy director general Nikolai Stukach as saying that the plants leadership
ruled to reduce the number of manpower by 10%. Thats approximately 1900 people,
working for the Minsk tractor plant. In first turn, we will get rid of the vacancies.
Secondly, well dismiss those, who receive any social allowance. You know, theres
a group of people, who have already reached the retirement age but keep working.
After that we will move on to the main group of workers,  said Nikolai Stukach.
At present, the MTP dwells in confusion and anxious expectation.
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February 11, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml