CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March 11, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml
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ANDREI SANNIKOV: TO REMAIN OPPOSITION
The lower chamber included into the next sessions agenda a draft law on ratifying
certain changes and amendments into the Law On political parties. The amendments,
in case of their passage, will even more restrict the order of holding street
rallies and assemblies. Nonetheless, opposition structures keep trying hard to
work out the mechanisms of the democratic forces ultimate victory. The Belorusskaya
Delovaya Gazeta inquired from the Charter97 international coordinator Andrei
Sannikov whether any of these attempts can bear forth fruit.
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IGNATOVICHS GANG DUE TO BE SENTENCED MARCH 14
The last courts hearing on Ignatovichs groups case was put off till March
11. The four men are charged with serial murders and the abduction of an ORT
cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky. The persecutor demanded capital punishment for all
four. Prior to that, the influential human rights watchdog Amnesty International,
called on the Belarusian authorities to a more thorough investigation into Dmitry
Zavadskys disappearance. The Amnesty International declared that the trial over
the possible journalists kidnappers took place in breach of the international
norms: the process was of a closed nature and saw no presentation of convincing
proof of the defendants guilt. The Council of Europes secretary general Walter
Schwimmer called upon the Belarusian authorities not to condemn the suspects
to death penalty.
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MIGHTY GOD CHOSEN NATIONAL ANTHEM OF BELARUS
Last Sunday Belarusian opposition accepted an alternative variant of the national
anthem of the country. The song Mighty God was chosen. Six variants of the
national hymn were suggested. At the assembly in Minsk the leaders of the political
parties and representatives of the intelligentsia. The minutes of the assembly
were submitted to the Culture Ministry.
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PROPERTY DISTRAINED IN HOUSE OF PAVAL SEVYARYNETSS PARENTS
In the house of the parents of the Young Front leader Paval Sevyarynets, who
live in Vitsebsk, on March 6 in the evening the officers of the court distrained
the property. As said by Sevyarynets, it happened after the decision of the Soviet
District Court of Minsk by which he was sentenced to a fine equal to 300 minimal
salaries (USD1,800) for participation in the march that took place in Minsk on
February 14, on the St.Valentines Day.
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BELARUS EXECUTIONS - COUNCIL OF EUROPE SECRETARY GENERAL CALLS FOR DEATH PENALTY
BAN
Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer has urged Belarus not to
sentence four accused men: as Valery Ihnatovich, Maxim Malik, Alyaksei Guz and
Syargei Savushkin, to death. Today, on March 11, at 11 a.m. in the Minsk court
a verdict to them will be pronounced to them in the Minsk regional court. The
state prosecutor Fiodar Shedau demanded execution for the band of the former
Almaz officer Ihnatovich that is charged with numerous crimes, including abduction
of Russian TV cameraman Dzmitser Zavadsky.
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POLAND WONT EXTRADITE ANDREI ZHUKAVETS TO BELARUSIAN AUTHORITIES
In Byalystok a third hearing of the Court the Appeal on the request of the Belarusian
businessman Andrei Zhukavets was held. Zhukavets has lodged an appeal against
the judgment of the Byalystok regional court that for the third time ruled that
his extradition to Belarus is acceptable. However this time the Court the Appeal
accepted the final decision that the extradition of Zhukavets to the Belarusian
authorities is not possible. This last trial I the case of Zhukavets was in a
sense extraordinary. The public prosecutor appeared for the defense of the accused.
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PICKETS IN PAHONYAS DEFENSE PROHIBITED
The Hrodna executive committee prohibited the community of Hrodna to carry out
three pickets in defense of the editor-in-chief of the Pahonya newspaper Mikalai
Markevich and journalist Pavel Mazheika, who were accused by the public prosecutor
of the region in libeling the president. The chair of the executive committee
Alyaxandar Antonenka explained the ban as following: the protests in the period
of investigation wont contribute to the impartialness of the inquiry. The pickets
in defense of journalists were to happen in front of the buildings of the public
prosecutors office of the Hrodna region, the Investigation committee and the
regional executive committee.
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WHAT SHALL WE LEAVE TO OUR POSTERITY?
Under this slogan another action of the Zubr movement was held in Barysau. It
was dedicated to protection of the buildings in the old part of Barysau. Many
of the houses were built more than a century ago. More than hundred Zubrs gathered
on March 10, at 11 a.m. by the Barysau cinema Peramoha. Part of the Zubrs stood
with streamers with the words: First they take away our history, then the memory,
and then  the Freedom! and What shall we leave to our posterity?
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COURT TO CONSIDER CASE OF DESTITUTE EX CHAIR OF SUPREME SOVIET
On March 11 a Pension Case of Stanislau Shushkevich is to be considered by
the Moscow district city court of Minsk. Ex chairman of the Supreme Council appeals
against the rejection of the Labor and Social Defense Ministry to raise his pension,
which now is equal to about $2. As said by him, earlier he earned money by reading
lectures in the universities of the USA and Poland, but now he is at dire straits.
By the way, ex-head of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, who together with Shushkevich
signed treaty of the Belavezhskaya Puscha, receives pension equal to $600, has
a personal car and guard.
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TRADE UNIONS OF THE BALTIC STATES PROTEST AGAINST ANTI-TRADE UNION POLICY OF
BELARUSIAN GOVERNMENT
The protest against the intervention of the authorities to the affairs of the
trade unions was expressed by the participants of the Conference of the Baltic
States trade unions. In their address they wrote: Despite numerous protests
of the trade unions of Russian and many other countries, international trade
unions, International Labor Organization, the authorities o Belarus continue
intervention into the internal affairs of the trade unions, infringe workers
rights for freedom of association. The trade unions of Denmark, Norway, Sweden,
Germany, Finland and the countries of the Baltic region expressed their solidarity
with the fight of the Belarusian trade unions.
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LIETUVOS ENERGIA RISES ENERGY EXPORT PRICES FOR BELARUS
Lithuanian energy-transmitting company Lietuvos Energia plans to raise this
spring the prices on the exported energy supplies to Belarus and Kaliningrad
region, reports Baltiysky kurs exclusively for the RusEnergy. LEs director
general Rimantas Yuozaitis reported that during the negotiations with the current
mediator in electricity export  the Russian company Inter RAO EES  thy already
bargained a 10% bigger price.
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SOWING CAMPAIGN CLOSE TO FAILURE AS USUAL
The indebtedness of the agricultural enterprises for the mineral fertilizers
sold by the Belneftekhim concern is equal to 13.2 bn roubles and has grown
twice compared to January. On this reason the delivery of the mineral fertilizers
is slowed down, in spite of the fact that the spring sowing campaign is coming.
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March 11, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml