CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January, 08, 2003
www.charter97.org
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OUR NEWS LINE BECAME DAILY 5 YEARS AGO
12:58 08/01/2004

On January 1999 at the web-site www.charter97.org daily political news about
the life in our country has appeared. Five years ago in the Belarusian part of
the Internet a project was launched which today is the oldest and has more viewers
than any other news site in Belarus. In recent times we are registering a constant
increase in the number of viewers. People from more than 100 countries of the
world read us. We work for you, our dear friends. We always remember the Article
19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights "Every person has a right for
freedom of opinion and expression, this right includes liberty to hold an opinion
and freely express it, freedom to search and spread information and ideas in
any ways and irrespective of state borders".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/lenta

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BELARUS FACES EU PROBE INTO LABOUR RIGHTS
11:38 08/01/2004, By Raphael Minder and Tobias Buck in Brussels,  The Financial
Times, photo ByMedia.net

Belarus will be told on Wednesday that it faces a European Union investigation
into its treatment of labour unions that could result in the country losing its
right to preferential tariffs on exports worth hundreds of millions of euros.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/lgota

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LUKASHENKA NOT JUSTIFIED VOTERS' HOPES
15:26 08/01/2004

Hopes of 60 per cent of Minsk dwellers, who were questioned during an opinion
poll concerning Lukashenka's reelection, were not justified. This result was
received during the survey carried out by staff of the sociological service "Zerkalo"
of the information agency BelaPAN on the eve of the year 2004. 500 city-dwellers
aged 18 and older have been questioned.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/ne

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HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE
14:30 08/01/2004, Heidi Riepl, "Oberoesterreichische Nachrichten", (Austria)

With the NATO and the EU extension to the East former communist Eastern Europe
is becoming considerably closer to the West. However, two former Soviet republics
remain behind and drift farther and farther away from democratic European states.

http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/love

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HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS COMMENT ON REPORT ABOUT OPPOSITIONISTS ABDUCTED IN BELARUS
13:48 08/01/2004

The head of the public commission on investigation of the cases of missing oppositionists
Aleh Volchek has sent his comments on the report of Christos Pourgourides, prepared
for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. As the former investigator
himself, he calls attention of Christos Pourgourides to a number of issues which
were not reflected in his report on political abductions, but have a vital importance.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/prava

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CHARITY ACTION OF EUROPEAN COALITION
13:46 08/01/2004

On January 5, 2004 at 4 p.m. in Hrodna in the regional Puppet theatre a charitable
New Year party for orphans, children from poor families and families having many
children. This festive event was organized by Hrodna businessmen and Hrodna public
women's organization "Spring of Mercy". Besides, this event was organized with
the support of the European Coalition "Free Belarus".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/blago

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CONDITIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS WORSENED
13:20 08/01/2004

State of small business in Belarus has worsened over the past year, believe the
leaders of the businessmen's movement. The chairman of the Belarusian public
organization "Private Property" Leanid Malakhaw considers the past year "rather
stressful" for entrepreneurs. "A few unpopular decrees on small business have
been adopted, which restrict and complicate work of the businessmen", -- he said.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/malahov

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OSCE ENVOY TO BELARUS SAYS ELECTION WILL BE YEARS "MOST IMPORTANT" EVENT
13:15 08/01/2004

The OSCE office in Minsk will continue its work in two major directions this
year: the implementation of projects and monitoring fulfillment of obligations
by Belarus, the head of the office, Eberhard Heyken, told Belapan. According
to him, the OSCE office "gained much experience" last year. "Therefore, the conditions
for starting work this year will be much better than the starting conditions
in 2003," Heyken believes. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/osce

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NATIONAL LYCEUM TO GO ON WITH STUDIES IN MOTHERLAND
13:09 08/01/2004, Radio Svaboda

The staff and students of the National Humanitarian Lyceum of Jakub Kolas have
returned from Vilnya to Minsk. Professors and children are satisfied with the
results of the teaching in Lithuania, where for the first time in this half a
year they had an opportunity to have lessons under one roof. After a week vacations
studies for the students of the Lyceum start again.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/licej

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DEMOCRATS SEVERELY BEATEN UP IN BELAZYORSK
13:06 08/01/2004

The head of Belazersk town branch of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya
Hramada) Yawheny Akaronka and his wife, the deputy of town council Natallya Akaronka
were beaten up by the unknown on January 2 in the evening. There were six assaulters.
Yawhen Akaronka was placed to a hospital with grave injuries.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/napadenie

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YOUNG OPPOSITIONISTS ARRESTED IN MINSK
13:02 08/01/2004

Activists of a democratic opposition Raman Kazakevich and Dasha Maldavanava were
detained on December 5 in Minsk at 7.30 p.m. by the store "Tsentralny" by the
two special police forces officers for their attempt to give out New Year and
Christmas cards with congratulations from European coalition "Free Belarus"/
Despite of the fact that there were imprint at the cards, young oppositionists
were taken to the police department of the Central District of Minsk, were a
report relating the article 143 of the Administrative Code has been lodged. They
were released in an 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/molodost

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INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - BELARUS UPDATE
11:43 08/01/2004

Edited by Victor Cole
Vol. 7, No. 1
January 2004
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/08/update

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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
December, 08, 2003
www.charter97.org