CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March 10, 2003
www.charter97.org
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CONSTITUTION AND LAW ON OUR SIDE
17:29 10/03/2003

People's March "For Better Life!" will be held on March 14 in compliance with
article 35 of the Belarusian Constitution, which guarantees to every individual
a right for the freedom of assemblies, meetings, street rallies, demonstrations
and pickets, which don't violate the order of things and other people's rights,
said at today's press-conference in Minsk members of the organizing committee
for celebrating the People's March  Charter'97 human rights coordinator Ludmila
Gryaznova, international coordinator of Charter'97 Andrei Sannikov, co-chairman
of the "Private property" public association Leonid Malakhov, ZUBR resistance
movement's coordinator Vladimir Kobets, chairman of the "Perspective" public
association Anatoly Shumchenko. The participants can gather at 6p.m. on March
12, Yakub Kolas square.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/allpress

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AI: BELARUS SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM CRACKING DOWN ON PEOPLE'S MARCH
13:02 10/03/2003

Ahead of Wednesdays "Peoples March: For Better Life" Amnesty International is
calling on the Belarusian authorities to ensure that the policing of the demonstration
respects the right to peaceful protest. Thousands of Belarusians are expected
to take to the streets of Minsk on 12 March in the years first large-scale protest
action in support of human rights and political freedom, and to voice concern
about widespread poverty in the country.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/amnesty

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DEAR COLLEAGUES!
11:21 10/03/2003

Feel free to engage in the emergency press-conference, hosted by the organizers
of the People's March "For Better Life!". The theme of the press-conference "Minsk
City Hall's response to the request to hold the rally in central city". The event
will be held today, March 10, at 2p.m. in Svabody square, 23 (office of the newspaper
"Rabochy").
Best regards,
Charter'97 press-center
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/press

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IMPOSTURE
13:34 10/03/2003

In connection with the appeared rumors in some mass media outlets, claiming that
Olga Karach, elected deputy of the Vitebsk town hall, is also ZUBR movement's
coordinator for Vitebsk region, ZUBR movement announces that on November 21,
2002 ZUBR Council ruled to dismiss her from the post and ever since then she
has nothing to do with the ZUBR resistance movement, of which we reported back
in Nov.'2002 in a concomitant press-release.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/vitebsk

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BELARUSIAN LABOR PARTY SET TO ENGAGE IN PEOPLE'S MARCH
13:33 10/03/2003

The Belarusian Labor Party intends to take part in the People's March "For Better
Life!", due to take place in Minsk on March 12, Charter's press-center was told
by acting party's chairman Leonid Lemeshonok. According to him, the Labor Party
is supportive of the trade unions, which are dwelling in disastrous condition
with their rights badly violated. "We support all parties and public organizations
which will take to the streets on March 12 in People's March and uphold all their
demands,"  said he.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/praza

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JUSTICE MINISTRY COMPLAINS OVER LEBEDKO'S ALLEGED OFFENSE
13:00 10/03/2003

Anatoly Lebedko "overlooks the country's legislation", assume the officials from
the Belarusian Justice Ministry, who disliked the recent UCP leader's publication
in "Narodnaya Volya" of March 4, entitled "Inquisition". In this article the
famous politician tells a story of his strife with the KGB concerning the illicitly
issued official reprimand.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/ucpb

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WARSAW, KIEV TO HOST SOLIDARITY ACTIONS WITH PEOPLE'S MARCH
12:58 10/03/2003

Actions of solidarity with the forthcoming People's March "For Better Life!"
will be held on March 12 in Warsaw and Kiev. The organizers of picket in Warsaw,
which will most likely be held opposite the Belarusian embassy in Belarus, is
the Polish party "Unia Volnosti". The event will also involve ZUBR activists
and other Belarusians, who visit the Polish capital. A whole range of the Ukrainian
opposition organizations will engage in the action opposite the Belarusian embassy
in Kiev, due to take place on the same very day. Other European cities will also
host the actions of solidarity with the People's March "For Better Life!" in
Belarus.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/nm

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RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR DISLIKES PRIVATIZATION CONDITIONS IN BELARUS
11:31 10/03/2003

For the time being, privatization conditions of the Belarusian large industrial
companies aren't at all attractive for the Russian business, said at the March
7 press-conference the plenipotentiary ambassador of Russian Federation in Belarus
Alexander Blokhin. According to him, the privatization process at the Belarusian
companies, involving Russian capital, is really complicated.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/russia

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BELARUSIAN FERTILIZERS TO BE SCATTERED ON CUBAN FIELDS
11:29 10/03/2003

"Belneftehim" concern and "Belaruskaliy" company ruled to sell the test consignment
of 15thsd tons of the mineral fertilizers to Cuba under CIF supplies conditions,
which envisage participation in the shipment of the Belarusian transport-expedition
firms.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/mineral

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OUR NEW SPECIAL PROJECT  SECTION "TSESLER AND VOICHENKO"
11:27 10/03/2003

Every Monday and Thursday see on our site one of the works of the famous Belarusian
designers Vladimir TSESLER and Sergei VOICHENKO. These people are real professionals
in creating artistic concepts and the concomitant technology practically in every
sphere, reads the text of their official booklet. ATTENTION  the works will
be updated once in a few days and there'll be no archives of them. We publish
the works with the authors' consent. All copyrights belong to Vladimir TSESLER
and Sergei VOICHENKO.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/zesler

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CPJ: BELARUSIAN COURT AMENDS IMPRISONED JOURNALIST'S SENTENCE
11:25 10/03/2003

CPJ is a New Yorkbased, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard
press freedom worldwide.
A Belarusian court ruled on Tuesday, March 4, that jailed journalist Mikola Markevich,
editor-in-chief of the independent weekly newspaper Pahonya, could serve the
remainder of his sentence in his hometown of Hrodna, in western Belarus.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/pahonia

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CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO PAY VISIT TO MINSK IN LATE MARCH
11:22 10/03/2003

The Foreign Minister of Cuba Felipe Peres Roke will visit Minsk in late March,
"Mediafact" was told by deputy head of the information department of the Belarusian
Foreign Ministry Andrei Savinyh. According to him, the visit is scheduled for
March 28-30. In course of it the sides will discuss the perspectives of deepening
trade-economic cooperation, notes Savinyh.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/10/cuba
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March 10, 2003
www.charter97.org