CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 16, 2003
http://charter97.org/eng/news/
---------------------------------------------------------

IRINA KRASOVSKAYA: "I WANT THE REGIME TO BE CHANGED"
12:14 16/02/2004

The issue of political kidnappings in Belarus has becme very topical lately.
It is discussed in all international institutions. Harsh report "Disappeared
People in Belarus" presented by Christos Purgurides, special speaker of the Parliamentarian
Assembly of the European Union, has produced an enormous resonance.  He demanded
resignation of the high-ranking officials who were associated with disappearances
of Belarusian public and political figures.  Only last week a number of international
leaders and institutions expressed their anxiety concerning disappearances of
political opponents to Lukashenko's regime.  It was done by participants of the
international conference "Future of Democracies outside the Baltic Region" in
Riga, deputies of the European Parliament, and representatives of the Congress
of the United States of America. Press-center of Charter'97 talks to Irina Krasovskaya,
whose husband disappeared in 1999, about the above-mentioned facts and other
events.  Today Irina Krasovskaya is the leader of civil initiative We Remember
and a member of European Coalition Free Belarus. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/16/kras

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

BELARUS BLASTS GAS "EXTORTION"
11:23 16/02/2004, Combined Reports C Reuters, AP, photo by ByMedia.net

MINSK, Belarus -- Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko fired the latest
salvo in his countrys struggle with Russia over natural gas supplies Friday,
accusing Moscow of using gas deliveries to gain control over a Belarussian pipeline
company.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/16/gasprom

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

ARRESTS ON THE DAY OF LOVE
11:15 16/02/2004, photo by ByMedia.net

6 young men were detained by men in mufti on February 14 on St. Valentine's Day
at the Svaboda Square in Minsk. On this day the Young Front planned an action
of making a declaration of love of the Belarusian youth to the European countries,
not only of sweethearts to each other. The authorities prevented the action's
realization, Radio Racyja informs.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/16/day

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

DUTCH HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP DEMANDS INVESTIGATION OF LOUD CASES
15:51 16/02/2004

An Amnesty International group from Nootdorp (the Netherlands) sent another letter
to Alyaksandar Lukashenka, where he is called for independent objective investigation
of the abductions of oppositional politicians Viktar Hanchar, Yuri Zakharanka,
a businessman and public figure Anatol Krasowsky and a journalist Zmitser Zavadsky.
 "There are many voices, for many years already, voices from abroad, voices from
within your country, of the victims of all the oppressive measures of the last
years, of all the people who have chosen for solidarity with those victims, of
the wives and children and other beloved ones of the men who were abducted. All
these voices ask for justice, no less or more than mere justice for all the people
of your country We can't believe that you will refuse forever to hear those
voices. So we also call again, as we did and shall do, on your sense of justice",
wrote human rights activists from the Netherlands.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/16/prav

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

BELARUS THREATENS TO SEVER TIES WITH MOSCOW
15:23 16/02/2004, www.russiajournal.com

MOSCOW - A one day suspension of Russian gas supplies to Belarus on February
11 prompted Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to make another verbal
attack against Moscow.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/16/sever

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

VACLAV HAVEL: "LUKASHENKA MUST EXPECT REACTION OF OUTSIDE WORLD"
13:05 16/02/2004

"I cannot imagine that somebody from outside could dictate another country in
which way the roads are to be constructed, whether the country should have the
upper chamber of the parliament or not, and so on. However, it can be expected
that the foreign world would always carefully monitor and comment on everything
relating basic human rights. If the authorities somewhere would suppress freedom
of expression or free information circulation, if the authorities would forge
elections or arrest people for their political views, they must expect reaction
from outside world. In the end, this is the situation with Lukashenka's Belarus",
said former Czech president Vaclal Havel in his interview to Ukrainian weekly
"Zerkalo nedeli". The interview with legendary Czech leader was publicized on
the eve of the international conference "Ukraine in Europe and In the World".
 Vaclav Havel would probably be one of its participants. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/16/gavel

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

BRUCE CONNAK: "BELARUS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH OSCE STANDARDS"
12:43 16/02/2004

"Belarus does not comply with the OSCE standards in the area of mass media freedom,
elections and non-governmental organizations". This statement was made by the
Charg dAffaires at the US Mission to the OSCE Bruce Connuck on February, 12
at the meeting of the Permanent Council of the organization in Vienna, BelaPAN
agency informs.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/16/osce

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

HRODNA REPORTERS NOT ALLOWED TO CONSULTATION ON IDEOLOGY
12:40 16/02/2004

On February 12 Hrodna journalists were removed from the hall were the meeting
of the Department of Information of Hrodna executive committee took place. Liliya
Ananich, deputy minister of Information participated in it. It is the second
time in Hrodna, when officials of the department interfere with the work of independent
press correspondents, the Belarusian Association of Journalists' press service
informs. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/16/journ

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

RYBAKOW'S COLLAPSE
11:11 16/02/2004, photo by ByMedia.net

On February 13 Yahor Rybakow was dismissed from his position of the chairman
of the National Television and Radio Company by the Decree of Belarusian president.
The decree was sighed right after Alyaksandar Lukashenka met Belarusian prosecutor
general Viktar Sheiman, who reported about disclosed unlawful acts committed
by the chairman of the national state TV and Radio company, the press service
of the president informed BELTA news agency. The dismissal of Rybakow was carried
out according to the same scheme to which Halina Zhuravkova was dismissed from
office recently. The next step can be detention of Rybakow. Press center of Charter'97
will inform about the situation. According to our information, the violations
were disclosed also during inspections in a number of local branches of the National
TV and Radio Company, the ONT Channel and editorial office of the "Sovetskaya
Belorussiya" newspaper.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/16/rybakov

---------------------------------------------------------
CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 16, 2003
http://charter97.org/eng/news/