CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March 14, 2003
www.charter97.org
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CAMPAIGN "LETTER TO JAIL"
14:41 14/03/2003

Four organizers of the People's March "For Better Life!", held on March 12 in
Minsk, were condemned by the Sovietsky district court of Minsk to 15 days of
arrest each. Andrei Sannikov, Ludmila Gryaznova, Dmitry Bondarenko and Leonid
Malakhov were imprisoned for demanding reduction of public utilities tariffs,
rise of wages, stipends and pensions, improvement of entrepreneurial conditions.
From our site you may send a letter of solidarity with the imprisoned. All letters
will be collected and passed over to those, held in Okrestina jail. To your and
our freedom!
http://www.charter97.org/index.phtml?sid=4&did=NM_2003&lang=3

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ILHR CONDEMNS ARREST OF PEOPLE'S MARCH ORGANIZERS
11:37 14/03/2003

The International League for Human Rights calls for the immediate and unconditional
release of all four march leaders and any others detained for peaceful expression
and call on authorities to refrain from obstruction of peaceful assemblies of
protest. Read below the full transcript of the League's statement.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/14/ilhr

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ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF BELARUSIAN INTELLIGENTSIA ASSEMBLY DEMANDS LIBERATION
OF PEOPLE'S MARCH ORGANIZERS
17:19 14/03/2003
Organizing committee of the Belarusian Intelligentsia Assembly passed an address
to the head of the Minsk city court and procuracy with a call to release the
arrested organizers of the People's March "For Better Life!" Andrei Sannikov,
Ludmila Gryaznova, Dmitry Bondarenko and Leonid Malakhov. All four convicts are
delegates of the intelligentsia's Assembly and must therefore take part in its
session.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/14/intel

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HELSINKI COMMITTEE DENOUNCES ARREST OF PEOPLE'S MARCH ORGANIZERS
16:53 14/03/2003

Minsk city hall's refusal to allow the freedom of peaceful assemblies and rallies,
as well as the arrest of the March's organizers are viewed by the Belarusian
Helsinki Committee as flagrant violation of citizens' rights and Belarus' international
commitments.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/14/kom

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EU FRUSTRATED BY ELECTIONS IN BELARUS
16:16 14/03/2003

Greek chairmanship in the OSCE circulated a statement, passed at the March 13
session of the Permanent Council. "Izvestia" correspondent reports that the EU
structures familiarized themselves with great interest with the OSCE mission's
report on March 2 elections in Minsk. EU welcomes the fact of the report's creation,
as far as the Belarusian CEC didn't invite international observers to the elections.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/14/eu

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UKRAINIAN SOLIDARITY IN STRUGGLE AGAINST BELARUSIAN DICTATORSHIP
16:14 14/03/2003

Ukrainian democratic community launched a campaign of solidarity with the Belarusian
opposition. Ukrainian information resource Maidan Inform has received a letter
asking for support from the Ukrainian Diaspora in the U.S. to promote a U.S.
Congressional Act to help democracy in Belarus.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/14/ukraine

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ZAKHARENKO'S CASE FULL OF MYSTERY
13:38 14/03/2003, Oleg Volchek, Narodnaya Volya

As the press reported before the mother of the missing ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky
petitioned the court over the illicit actions of the procuracy, which refused
to present her a copy of the ruling on the halt of investigation into her son's
involuntary disappearance. Such destiny now befell the criminal lawsuit into
Zakharenko's vanishing case too.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/14/zhaharenko

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ZUBR MOVEMENT'S STATEMENT
11:43 14/03/2003

On March 12, 2003 Alexander Lukashenko demonstrated his fear before peaceful
protest of the Belarusian nation, as well as helplessness before people's personal
courage. Driven to poverty and looted by the regime, they took to the streets
at the People's March "For Better Life!" under social slogans and demanded resignation
of Lukashenko and his government. Over 100,000 individual entrepreneurs in dozens
of Belarusian towns upheld Minsk action through a countrywide strike.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/14/zubr

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STATEMENT OF YOUTH UNION OF THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF BELARUSIANS
11:42 14/03/2003

People's March "For Better Life!" one more time manifested to the Belarusian
authorities that the Belarusian nation won't tolerate silently humiliation and
violence, which have been committed by the regime of Lukashenko for many a year
now. Arrests of Andrei Sannikov, Dmitry Bondarenko, Ludmila Gryaznova and Leonid
Malakhov for their participation in the rally and demands to lift salaries, stipends
and pensions, reduce public utilities tariffs and create favorable conditions
for entrepreneurs prove the government's fears and turmoil.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/14/canada

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LEADERS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL MOVEMENT UPHOLD CONVICTED PEOPLE'S MARCH ORGANIZERS
11:41 14/03/2003

Leaders of entrepreneurial structures, who joined the People's March "For Better
Life!"  chairman of the Striking Committee of entrepreneurs of Belarus Valery
Levonevsky and chairman of the public association "Perspective" Anatoly Shumchenko
supported their colleague, co-chairman of the "Private Property" Leonid Malakhov
and other March's organizers, sentenced to 15 days of arrest.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/14/predpr

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STATEMENT BY UNION OF BELARUSIANS ABROAD
11:40 14/03/2003

On March 12 the Union of Belarusians Abroad held an action of solidarity with
the Belarusian People's March in Prague. The Union's members visited the offices
of international organizations, headquartered in Prague, delivering their statement,
which you may read underneath.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/14/zviaz
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March 14, 2003
www.charter97.org