The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE January 08, 2003 www.charter97.org --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE January 08, 2003 www.charter97.org -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.charter97 http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com