CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 10, 2003
www.charter97.org
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PEOPLE'S MARCH WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 12
21:30 10/01/2003

Peoples March "For Better Life!" will be held in Minsk on March 12 this year.
Dmitry Bondarenko, one of Charter97 coordinators announced it today. Originally
it was planned to carry out the action last  autumn on the initiative of a group
of public figures: economist Ludmila Griaznova, film-maker Yuru Khaschevatsky,
historian Valentin Golubev, journalist Valery Schukin, diplomat Andrey Sannikov
and human rights activist Dmitry Bondarenko. Later it was decided to postpone
the action till the  year 2003.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/10/nm

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HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CHRONICLE IN BELARUS IN 2002
14:08 10/01/2003, Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter'97 human rights coordinator

Presentation of a report on human rights violations in Belarus was held today
in the office of Charter'97 press-center. The report, entitled "Human rights
violations in 2002 chronicle" was presented by the Charter'97 human rights coordinator
Ludmila Gryaznova. The document accumulates information about political disappearances,
tortures, arrests and detentions of directors, entrepreneurs and statesmen, refusals
to hold just and open judicial processes, violations of the freedom of speech
and press, freedom of peaceful assemblies and associations, freedom of faith,
trade union rights, government's relation to the international and non-governmental
investigation into human rights violations. In conclusion, Ludmila Gryaznova
analyzed the legal situation in the country in the year 2002 in the following
way: "Human rights violations in 2002 aren't less massive than during the presidential
elections 2001. Alexander Lukashenko, having cast away the illusions of heading
the Russian-Belarusian union, concentrated on Belarus. In order to prepare for
the third presidential term and concomitant referendum, the authorities continue
to suppress fundamental human rights and freedoms.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/10/monitoring

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THE BELL TOLLED
13:59 10/01/2003, Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter'97 human rights coordinator

Human rights violations chronicle in December 2002
Belarus' neighbors are accessing the European Union and NATO, joining the European
civilization and safety. Latvians, Lithuanians and Romanians turn into real citizens
of the unified Europe. The bell finally tolled for Belarus, where the journalists
don't spend nights at home and politicians get assaulted in the street in the
darkness of the night. It is high time we get down to reforms, otherwise the
door to Europe will go shut for it for ages.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/10/monitoring2

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SADDAM MAY FIND REFUGE IN BELARUS
11:35 10/01/2003, Tony Allen-Mills, Hilary Mackenzie, The Ottawa Citizen

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/2003/01/10/saddam

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VITEBSK OPPOSITIONIST SENTENCED TO 10 DAYS ARREST
11:43 10/01/2003

Vitebsk UCP member was sentenced to 10 days of arrest for staging an unsanctioned
picket. Fedor Bakunov's arrest was carried out right in the courtroom, whereas
the family of the detainee learned about that not until last night.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/10/vitebsk

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NEW TIDE OF REPRESSIONS AGAINST DIRECTORS
11:42 10/01/2003

"The heads of companies, who failed to prevent the untimely payment of salaries,
must be fired without a right to occupy leading posts in the future", the Belarusian
Prime Minister Gennady Novitsky was instructed yesterday by the country's president
Alexander Lukashenko.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/10/director

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SHEIMAN NOT INTERROGATED
11:40 10/01/2003

Zinaida Gonchar claims that procuracy has never interrogated main suspects in
her husband Viktor Gonchar's disappearance case. The lady mentioned that in an
interview to Radio Ratsya in connection with the investigator's intention to
cease investigation into the abduction of Gonchar and Krasovsky.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/10/sheiman

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POLICE LAWLESSNESS IN RETALIATION FOR NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTION
11:37 10/01/2003, ZUBR

ZUBR movement's activist Denis Chikalev was detained and brutally beaten on January
9 by the Gomel police. The reason for that was the passing out to passer-bys
of the New Year issue of the newspaper "ZUBR".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/10/zubr

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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 10, 2003
www.charter97.org