CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January, 13, 2003
www.charter97.org
---------------------------------------------------------
Translation and interpreting services - http://charter97.org/index.phtml?sid=4&did=Translate&eid=service&lang=3
---------------------------------------------------------

BREAKDOWN OF TALKS ON FUEL COSTS
12:26 13/01/2004

The talks of the heads of governments of Russian and Belarus planned for January
12 and intended to discuss gas supply have been postponed for an unknown term.
The Belarusian side is in charge of the pause in the negotiations. Instead of
Moscow Belarusian Prime Minister Syarhei Sidorski left for Vienna where he took
part in the meeting of the supervisory board of Prior Bank, which belongs to
Austrian group Reifeisen now. Cancellation of his visit to Moscow could mean
that the Belarusian side had planned a break-through in negotiations, but seeing
that it is unlikely, immediately decided to lower the level of negotiators who
continue talks. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/13/zena

---------------------------------------------------------

CHRISTOS POURGOURIDES PREPARES A "BOMB"
12:01 13/01/2004

Christos Pourgourides, a Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
rapporteur on high-profile disappearances in Belarus is indignant by the absence
of reaction of the Belarusian authorities to the memorandum on the cases of the
missing people. He says that this fact only confirms that his memorandum on high-profile
disappearances is well-founded. If by the end of January winter session of the
PARE assembles, its juridical committee would discuss the final report by Christos
Pourgourides. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/13/pace

---------------------------------------------------------

ATTEMPT TO OUST BELARUSIAN LANGUAGE SOCIETY
15:28 13/01/2004

On January 12 public association Frantsishak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society
received a notification of community services about cancellation of a contract
of renting premises at Rumyantsav Str., 13. Housing and communal service of the
Partisan District demands Frantsishak Skaryna Society to leave the building in
two months, informs human rights center "Viasna".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/13/tbm

---------------------------------------------------------

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY TROIKA TO VISIT BELARUS
13:06 13/01/2004

A Parliamentary Troika, comprised of representatives of the European Parliament,
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe will visit Belarus in the end of January. During their visit, the delegates
plan to get to know the political situation in Belarus. Presumably the Parliamentary
Troika will be represented by chairs of the Ad Hoc Committees on Belarus, Mrs.
Uta Zapf (PA OSCE), Mr. Jonas Cekuolis (PACE) and Mr. Jan Marinus Wiersma (the
European Parliament). Last time the same representatives of the European institutions
visited Belarus in 2001. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/13/tri

---------------------------------------------------------

2003 A TERRIBLE YEAR FOR BELARUS PRESS FREEDOM, NGOS - RIGHTS ADVOCATE
12:08 13/01/2004, Agence France Presse

Last year in Belarus saw an all but total elimination of press freedom and increased
repression against NGOs, a leading human rights advocate in the impoverished
former Soviet republic told a press conference late Friday. "That year saw a
final purge of independent media," including Russian television channels reporting
from Belarus, said Lyudmila Gryaznova, of the leading local human rights defense
association Human Rights Alliance. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/13/ngo

---------------------------------------------------------

TWO MORE SUMMONS FOR AKSANA NOVIKAVA
12:04 13/01/2004

Aksana Novikava, who was sentenced to a suspended prison term in April 2003 for
insult of president Lukashenka, received two more summons for her participation
in peaceful protests, informs the human rights center "Viasna".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/13/novikava

---------------------------------------------------------
(!) Ads on the site: adv@charter97.org
---------------------------------------------------------
CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
December, 13, 2003
www.charter97.org