CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 09, 2003
http://charter97.org/eng/news/
---------------------------------------------------------

EUROPEAN FUTURE OF BELARUS
17:42 09/02/2004

More than 20 representatives of democratic forces participated in the forum "future
of Democracy outside Baltic states", which was held in the end of the last week
in Riga. The event was held at a high international level, gathered several hundreds
of participants, among them  representatives of political elite of the USA and
European countries. The main subject of the forum was the prospects of democracy
development in Belarus. Exclusively for the Charter97 press center the results
of the forum were commented by coordinators of the European coalition "Free Belarus"
Nikolay Statkevich and Andrej Sannikaw, and a representative of the Peoples
coalition Five Plus Yuri Khadyka.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/info

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

PROTEST OF BUSINESSMEN IN BARYSAW
16:56 09/02/2004

Several hundreds of small businessmen of Barysaw took part in a meeting held
by the town stadium today. At the rally organized by local branch of Independent
Trade Union, the topical problems of small-scale business were expressed. Leaders
of the small-scale business movement Leanid Malakhaw and Anatol Shumchanka, representatives
of some political parties and movements addressed the meeting. At the meeting
the address to all democratic forces of the country with the appeal to unite
was approved. The participants of the action also expressed their solidarity
with Vitsebsk businessmen, who went on termless hunger strike as a protest against
violations of their rights.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/miting

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

IRYNA KRASOWSKAYAS SPEECH AT RIGA FORUM
13:29 09/02/2004, photo by ByMedia.net

The member of the European Coalition "Free Belarus", leader of the civil initiative
"We Remember", Iryna Krasowskaya, whose husband disappeared without traces in
1999, delivered a speech in Riga at the international forum "Future of democracy
outside the Baltic states" on February 6. We offer you the full text of Iryna
Krasowskayas speech.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/forum

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

BELARUS UPSET RUSSIA
13:11 09/02/2004, www.sportinglife.com, photo ByMedia.net

Little Belarus won both singles rubbers on Sunday to record a famous win over
2002 winners Russia in Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/devis

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

NO POSTAL PRIVACY IN BELARUS
11:47 09/02/2004

Valer Levanewsky, Chairman of Belarusian strike committee of businessmen was
summoned to the police department of Lenin district of Hrodna for providing explanation.
He was summoned to police by the order of the prosecutor general of Hrodna Oblast,
to which a letter by Levanewsky with standard New Year congratulations was attached.
The letter was addressed to representatives of the Ukrainian diplomatic corps.
The same letters were sent to all Embassies in Belarus.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/taina

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

PUBLISHERS AND PRINTING-HOUSES TO BE RE-LICENSED
16:11 09/02/2004

All printing organizations are to submit documents for re-licensing before March
1, 2004, disregarding to the fact to which term they have received the previous
license. Organizations and firms are to receive a special license for publishing
books, newspapers, magazines, textbooks, booklets, postcards and other printed
matter, ONT TV channel informs.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/liz

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

MINSK EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DID NOT EXTEND A LEASE FOR BELARUSIAN LANGUAGE SOCIETY
16:10 09/02/2004

Minsk executive committee proposes the headship of the national civil association
"Frantsishak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society" to find another location for
their office.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/tbm

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

ULADZIMIR PLESHCHANKA FINED 2 MILLION 800 THOUSAND RUBLES
16:09 09/02/2004

Oppositionist from Vitsebsk was detained on February 5 with the poster "Collection
Of signatures Against Union Treaty, Illegally Signed By A. Lukashenka". Five
minutes in the room of Svyatlana Varatynskaya, judge of the district court of
Chyhunachny district were enough for Mr. Pleshchanka to be accused of unsanctioned
picketing and even received a verdict for another violation of the law on street
actions he was fined 2 million 800 thousand rubles, human rights center Viasna
informs, referring to Radio Svaboda.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/shtraf

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

RUSSIAN AND BELARUSIAN MINISTERS TO MEET IN MOSCOW ON FEBRUARY 10
15:04 09/02/2004

A meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Russia-Belarus "union" will take
place in Moscow on February 10, 2004. Pavel Borodin, the state secretary of the
"union", will deliver a report devoted to priority issues concerning the development
of the union, the information department of the "union's" constant committee
reported. 

http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/moscow

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

HEAD OF POPULAR FRONT BREST BRANCH FORCED TO PAY PENALTY
13:42 09/02/2004

On February 6, the court of Maskowsky District of Brest dismissed a complaint
of the head of the city organization of the Belarusian Popular Front Nina Davydowskaya
who appealed against the decision of administrative commission of Maskowsky district,
which fined her 49,000 rubles for dissemination of printed matter without imprint
and which "caused damage to the state interests". The police named in this way
the leaflets that were handed out by the Belarusian Popular Front members on
December 10, on the International Day of Human Rights near Brest plant "Tsvetotron".
The leaflets contained the appeal to the workers to stand up for their rights.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/bnf

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

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
13:05 09/02/2004

In the beginning of February a number of editorial offices of independent newspapers
received the new prices for a "pack of TV schedules", with the cost 5 millions
25 thousands Belarusian rubles for a month (more than 2,000 USD). As the press
service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) informs, these documents
do not differ in any way from those dated by January 30, though different newspapers
asked for schedules for a different number of TV channels. In all the agreements
the same price (5 million 25 thousands) is indicated, though, there is no list
of TV channels that are included to such a high-priced pack.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/gazeta

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

BELARUS DEMANDS RUSSIA OIL SUPPLY IN FORMER VOLUME
13:04 09/02/2004, Russian Information Agency Oreanda

Belarus demands from Russia to increase oil supply and continue gas supply and
electric power supply at the internal Russian prices. It was stated by Syarhei
Sidorsky, Belarusian Prime Minister. As said by him, Russia wants to change the
agreement reached before on supply of 18 million tons of oil, diminishing this
quantity to 15 millions tons.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/09/oil

---------------------------------------------------------
CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 09, 2003
http://charter97.org/eng/news/