The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE February, 13, 2003 http://charter97.org/eng/news/ --------------------------------------------------------- BELARUS ENTREPRENEURS STRIKE 12:28 13/02/2004, AFP, photo ByMedia.net Thousands of entrepreneurs all over Belarus went on strike in a bid to protest laws stifling small business, the strikes leaders said overnight. Over 35,000 people joined the one-day action on Thursday to support 36 businessmen who went on hunger strike in Belaruss north-eastern town of Vitebsk last week. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/13/strike --------------------------------------------------------- SENATOR BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL: BELARUS HAS THE POOREST HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD OF ANY COUNTRY IN EUROPE 12:26 13/02/2004 Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell made a statement about situation in Belarus on 11 of February. Senator Campbell severely criticized the Belarusian authorities for pressure on independent media and NGO, persecuting journalists and opposition activists and urged to support Belarus democracy act: http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/13/senator --------------------------------------------------------- MINSK AUTHORITIES PROHIBIT TO YOUNG FRONT 14 FEBRUARY CELEBRATION 12:31 13/02/2004 The authorities explained their decision by saying that the law prohibited to hold mass street actions near the buildings of state institutions and diplomatic missions. Despite of the prohibition, the Young Front members plan to hold their action in the center of Minsk. In his interview to Radio "Liberty" the Young Front leader Pavel Seviarynets said that the action participants would visit the embassies of Western European countries and pass them congratulations. The procession would be held under the slogan "We Love Europe! We Love Belarus!". http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/13/mf --------------------------------------------------------- EUROPEAN PEOPLE"S PARTY CALLS LIQUIDATION OF "VIASNA" ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC 12:30 13/02/2004, VIASNA On 4-5 February the Congress of European People"s Party took place in Brussels. In its special resolution on Belarus it was said that "the law concerning political participants and civic non-governmental organisations has been recently amended. The new regulations oppress the said above institutions and do not correspond to the basic norms of international law. A number of non-governmental organizations had been closed (one of the most dramatic was the closure of "Viasna 96" - centre for the human-rights defence); several political parties and many non-governmental organisations were refused the registration without any sufficient reason." http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/13/enp --------------------------------------------------------- GAZPROM RESUMES GAS DELIVERIES TO BELARUS 12:29 13/02/2004, Interfax Belarus has signed an additional contract to import 360 million cubic meters of Russian natural gas. "This will be enough to satisfy Belaruss demands for gas for 5-6 days. Therefore, Gazprom has resumed full-scale natural gas transportation to Belarus today for at least that period," Interfax was told by Transnafta transport company on Thursday evening. Earlier on Thursday, Russia stopped all natural gas deliveries to Belarus. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/13/gas --------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE February, 13, 2003 http://charter97.org/eng/news/ -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.charter97&email= http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com