CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 08, 2003
www.charter97.org
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ZUBR COORDINATOR'S PUNISHMENT WAS NOT REMITED
17:08 08/01/2003, ZUBR

Today one of ZUBR coordinators Alexey Shidlovsky learned that Central district
court didn't remit his punishment: two years of corrective labor.
In the summer of 2001 he was found sentenced to 2 years of corrective labor for
political graffity. Since that time he pays 20% of income every month. After
half of his term was finished inspection of corrective labor sent documents on
remittement of the punishment to Central district court of Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/shidlousky

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BELARUS ACCUSES POLAND OF PROVOKING CRISIS OVER FUEL OIL
11:22 08/01/2003, Associated Press

An official of the Belarus customs committee on Friday harshly criticized neighboring
Poland for lifting a duty exemption on fuel oil, which caused huge backups of
tanker trucks at the border. Fuel oil is about 40 percent cheaper in Belarus
than in Poland and many entrepreneurs made a living by hauling the fuel into
Poland in tanker trucks with a capacity of up to 900 liters (240 gallons).
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/oil

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OSCE AND BELARUS AGREE ON NEW OSCE OFFICE IN MINSK
11:11 08/01/2003, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

The Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
agreed on Monday to create a new OSCE Office in Minsk from January 1, 2003, replacing
the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group which will cease its activities on December
31, 2002. The decision by the 55 OSCE ambassadors follows negotiations between
the Government of Belarus and the  OSCEs Portuguese Chairmanship on a new mandate
for the Organizations activities in Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/osce

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ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF MINSK RESIDENTS ARE WAITING FOR JUGGLING ON LOCAL ELECTIONS
16:57 08/01/2003

About 39 per-cent of respondents think that results of elections to local Councils
on Match, 2 will not be juggled. Only 18 per-cent are sure in it. 21% think that
results more likely will not be falsified. 32% of respondents think just the
opposite. 14 per-cent are sure that the elections will be juggled. 18% said that
more likely results of elections will be falsified.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/elec

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VOLFGANG BERENDT CRITICIZES BERLIN FOR INSUFFICIENT ATTENTION TO BELARUSAN QUESTION
15:01 08/01/2003

In conversation with Strasburg correspondent "Frankfurter Rundschau" famous German
politician made quite sharp statements about foreign policy of German government.
Volfgang Berendt criticizes Berlin for underestimation of Council of Europe and
lack of attention to Belarusan situation.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/behrendt

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COMMITTEE OF STATE CONTROL ARRESTED EQUIPMENT OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS
13:23 08/01/2003, Radio Svaboda

Representatives of Committee of state control arrested equipment that costs about
15 thousand dollars. Mambers of Union of cinematographers were using it. Official
reason  equipment was not registered as property of the Union. But film-maker
Yury Khashchevatsky suspects that action of state controllers ca have political
reasons.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/kino

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POET SLAVAMIR ADAMOVICH ASKED FOR POLITICAL SHELTER IN NORWAY
12:19 08/01/2003

Slamavamir Adamovich explained this deed by "impossibility to live and work in
country where freedom and democracy are not respected". Adamovich is in one of
camps for refugees in the North of Norway. He can wait for solving of his question
for more than six months.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/adamovich

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NEW TRIAL FOR "SLANDER" ON LUKASHENKO
12:03 08/01/2003

Oksana Novikova who is charged of slander on Lukashenko will soon be trailed.
Criminal persecution was started for spreading of leaflets containing information
that Lukashenko was involved in disappearances of leaders of opposition.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/kleveta

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US EMBASSY MAKES AN EXAMPLE OF INVESTIGATION OF DISAPPEARANCES
11:35 08/01/2003

Last year on December, 26 during the press conference minister of interior affairs
Vladimir Naumov while answering question of reporter of radio "Liberty" said
that Belarus is agree to invite foreign specialists for participation in investigation
of political disappearances if one makes example of it in history of international
relations. US embassy informed Belarusan Ministry of foreign affairs about four
similar cases.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/primer

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BELARUS AGREES TO LET OSCE REMAIN
11:22 08/01/2003, George Jahn, Associated Press Writer

A 55-nation organization monitoring democracy will be allowed to remain in Belarus
after a compromise agreement reached Monday that defuses government allegations
of political bias, officials said. The office of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation (news - web sites) in Europe will reopen its office Wednesday,
one day after the old OSCE (news - web sites) mission formally closes down, officials
for the agency said. Belarus, an OSCE member, announced in October it was closing
the OSCE office. But negotiations have been going on for weeks at the OSCE headquarters
in Vienna, Austria, on how to keep the mission going, with attention focusing
on compromise language on what the OSCEs mission in Minsk should be.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/ap

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U.S. WELCOMES AGREEMENT TO OPEN OSCE OFFICE IN BELARUS
11:20 08/01/2003, Delivered by Ambassador Stephan M. Minikes to the Special Meeting
of the Permanent Council

The United States would like to recognize the efforts of the Chair, the Secretariat
and Belarus to forge agreement on an OSCE Office in Belarus in accordance with
OSCE principles and commitments. The decision we have just adopted reaffirms
the vital role the OSCE will play in promoting democratic institutions, civil
society, and respect for OSCE principles and commitments as well as monitoring
and reporting on this process.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/usa

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ANDREY KLIMOV'S TERM WAS REDUCED
11:19 08/01/2003

Punishment was remitted from Deputy of Supreme Sovet Andrey Klimov. He was sentenced
to it three years ago by verdict of court of Lenin district of Minsk. According
to Lukashenko's decree Andrey Klimov is prohibited to leave Belarus.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/klimov

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SADDAM MAY FIND REFUGE IN BELARUS
11:15 08/01/2003, Tony Allen-Mills in Washington and Hilary Mackenzie in Baghdad,
The Ottawa Citizen; with files from

The former Soviet republic of Belarus has emerged as a possible refuge for Saddam
Hussein after American officials hinted that the Iraqi leader might be allowed
to flee into exile to avert a U.S. assault on Baghdad. A visit to Iraq by a presidential
delegation from Belarus last week coincided with a suggestion by U.S. Defence
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that Mr. Saddam and his family could "leave the country."
Mr. Rumsfeld said in a television interview: "If he doesnt care to give up his
weapons of mass destruction, then hes got the choice of leaving."
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/08/saddam
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 08, 2003
www.charter97.org