The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE January, 15, 2003 www.charter97.org --------------------------------------------------------- Translation and interpreting services - http://charter97.org/index.phtml?sid=4&did=Translate&eid=service&lang=3 --------------------------------------------------------- PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE WORRIED BY CHARTER'97 MONITORING 15:02 15/01/2004, photo by ByMedia.net An activist of the civil initiative Cahter'97, a member of human rights department Natallya Kalyada was interrogated in the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Belarus on January 15. Official of the Public Prosecutor's Office Paval Radzivonaw displayed interest in the work of the civil initiative Charter'97, its human rights department and press center. In particular, the official expressed his disapproval with the monitoring of human rights violations done by human rights department of Charter'97. In this connection the officer of the Prosecutor's Office asked about Natallya Radzina, a press center worker who takes part in monitoring preparation. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/15/charter97 --------------------------------------------------------- JEWISH CEMETERY DESECRATED IN RAHACHOW 14:19 15/01/2004, photo by ByMedia.net On January 13 the head of Judaic Religious Union in Belarus (JRU) sent a letter to the chairman of Rahachow local executive committee of Homiel region, Ivan Kolas, and to the chair of the Committee on Religions and Nationalities by the Council of Ministers Stanislaw Buko, in connection with desecration of an ancient Jewish cemetery in Rahachow. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/15/rogochev --------------------------------------------------------- LYCEUM'S DAY IN THE STREET OUTDOORS 11:36 15/01/2004 On January 15 of the Jakub Kolas National Humanities Lyceum celebrates the 14th anniversary of its foundation. For 13 years this celebration was held in the building of the Lyceum without any hindrances and was accompanied by impressive performances, various photo exhibitions, concerts and a well-known research-and-practice conference. However in summer 2003 it happened that a number of distressing events were disturbing the Lyceum. The authorities took away the building of the Lyceum and liquidated it, though they failed to destroy it. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/15/licej --------------------------------------------------------- ANOTHER LETTER OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 12:28 15/01/2004 Yesterday a group of a well-known international human rights organization AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL sent a letter to Alyaksandar Lukashenka. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/15/amnesty --------------------------------------------------------- "BDG" REPORTER RECEIVES DENIAL TO BRING A CRIMINAL ACTION 12:27 15/01/2004 On January 13 in an informal conversation at Chuhunachny district police department of Homiel journalist of the Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta (BDG) Iryna Makavetskaya was informed that it is impossible to bring a criminal action on the case of menace to her life. The reason is the absence of a specific article in the Code relating threats on the phone. To institute proceedings the threat must be revealed in some actions. "The action was not brought up, they have not even sent a request to the telephone station to find out who was calling. I feel defenseless now. I see no interest from the side of the police, on the contrary, I have a thought that this situation must have been planned", said Iryna to the human rights center Viasna. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/15/bdg2 --------------------------------------------------------- REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS: COUNTRY'S TOP-SELLING NEWSPAPER TARGETED 12:08 15/01/2004 Reporters Without Borders has condemned a crackdown against the country's top selling newspaper, the independent Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta (BDG). The Belarus post office, Belpochta, which delivers the newspapers to subscribers countrywide as well as the state distributor Belsayuzdruk, have both cancelled their 2004 contracts with the newspaper. Elsewhere, death threats were made overnight on 10/11 January against Irina Makovetskaya, the newspaper's correspondent in Gomel, southern Belarus. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/15/bdg --------------------------------------------------------- MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS REFUSE TO COMMENT ON MEMO ON MISSING 12:06 15/01/2004 The main topic of yesterday's press conference of the Minister of Internal Affairs Uladzimir Navumaw was a report on political abductions in Belarus, prepared by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. It occurred at urgent request of journalists. First of all Navumaw was asked to comment on the conclusion of Christos Pourgourides on possible involvement of the highest Belarusian officials to disappearances of politicians. Navumaw replied that he himself had been just answering Mr.Pourgourides' questions and had no idea why he arrived to such a conclusion. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/15/naumov --------------------------------------------------------- COURT WARNS JEWISH ACTIVIST 11:57 15/01/2004 On January 14 judge of Lenin district court Alena Tserashkova issued an official warning to the president of the World Association of Belarusan Jewry Jakov Gutman. Jakov Gutman came to the building of presidential Administration with a poster "Mr. Lukashenka, please stop demolition of Jewish sacred places, Jewish cemeteries, and the memorial to the victims of Holocaust. Jakov Gutman". He was detained. At the police station he was kept for several hours. Police officers drew up a statement of the case for an unsanctioned picket, and after that Jewish activist was taken to court. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/01/15/gutman --------------------------------------------------------- (!) 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