CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 14, 2003
www.charter97.org
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LUDMILA KARPENKO: MY DEPARTURE IS TEMPORARY PHENOMENON
16:20 15/01/2003, Maria Eismont, Narodnaya Volya

The family of the prominent Belarusian politician Gennady Karpenko (Vice-Speaker
of Supreme Soviet, who died on April 6, 1999 under mysterious circumstances)
left for Germany a year ago. Half a year later Ludmila Karpenko, his son Dmitry
and daughter Tatiana were given political asylum in the town of Trir. Today the
Karpenko family lives in Eslingen.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/15/karpenko

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LUKASHENKO CAUGHT RED-HANDED
11:40 15/01/2003, Ksenia Solyanskaya, Gazeta.ru

On Tuesday more evidence have been found against Lukashenko, whom western special
services have long called implicated in illicit arms deals with Iraq. Having
opened up the containers, en route from Belarus to Iraq via Beirut, the Lebanese
policemen found in them military liaison devices and helmets for the tank crew.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/15/arms

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TRANSPORTERS OF BELARUSIAN ARMS SET FREE IN LEBANON
14:26 15/01/2003, Gazeta.ru

Lebanese authorities freed from custody two men, who sought to deliver to Iraq
via the territory of Lebanon military head-sets and spare parts for tanks. Now
both will have to pay fine for the illicit attempted transit through the territory
of Lebanon of military equipment. The men, whose names are kept confidential
by police, were captured in the airport of Beirut after it turned out that they
were transporting military equipment to Iraq.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/15/lib

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INDEPENDENT TRADE UNION PRESS ANNIHILATED
12:56 15/01/2003

The New Year for the Federation of trade unions of Belarus commenced with a dismissal
of six journalists of the trade union's mouthpiece  newspaper "Belarusky Chas"
 Irina Germanovich, Alexander Dubravin, Vladimir Dzuba, Alexander Egorov, Sergei
Yuriev and Ales Khmelnitsky. The journalists, stripped of their work, consider
it to be another initiative of the FTU leader Leonid Kozik.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/15/press

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RUSSIA DISTANCES HERSELF FROM BELARUS
11:44 15/01/2003, NTV

On Tuesday the Lebanese media initiated a scandal, touching upon the interests
of both Russia and Belarus. Today in the airport of Beirut they seized 12 tons
of cargo with "tank intercom head-sets and radio equipment" for Iraq, reports
the Arabic newspaper "Al-Hayat". According to the newspaper, the cargo was transported
by air from Belarus two days ago. However, the newspaper's heading read "Beirut
police seizes in airport Russian military equipment en route to Iraq".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/15/russia

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LUKASHENKO, OSCE DISPUTE GOES ON
11:42 15/01/2003, Markus Vener, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

In his dispute with the OSCE, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko temporarily
yielded to his opponents' claims. After Lukashenko banished OSCE personnel from
the country last year, thus attaining his ultimate goal, he in no time stated
his readiness to allow another on-ground mission's presence on the territory
of the country. This was agreed by Belarus and OSCE on the very last day of the
year.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/15/osce

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NIL BUNE: BELARUS  A COUNTRY OF CONTRASTS
11:39 15/01/2003, Belarusian Market

UN resident-coordinator Nil Bune has been working in Belarus since 1999. Previously
he represented the organization in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Pakistan, Butane,
Sudan and Sri-Lanka. According to Mr.Bune, Belarus' condition may improve only
if she makes use of the western countries' experience and implements structural
reformations in the economy.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/15/br
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 14, 2003
www.charter97.org