The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE January, 08, 2003 www.charter97.org --------------------------------------------------------- Translation and interpreting services - http://charter97.org/index.phtml?sid=4&did=Translate&eid=service&lang=3 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------- (!) Ads on the site: adv@charter97.org --------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE December, 08, 2003 www.charter97.org -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.charter97&email= http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com