CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 18, 2003
http://charter97.org/eng/news/
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GAZPROM THREATENS BELARUS WITH INTERNATIONAL ROW
16:46 18/02/2004, photo ByMedia.net

Gazprom is going to response harshly to the possible transit gas diverting by
Belarus. "If Belarus starts to divert transit gas supplied to Poland and Germany,
these actions would be turned into a great scandal of the international level
with unpredictable consequences for Belarus", warned Gazprom press secretary
Sergei Kupriyanov, utro.ru informs.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/18/skandal

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COURT PARTIALLY SATISFIED SUIT AGAINST "NARODNAYA VOLYA"
15:44 18/02/2004

Court of the Lenin Distruct of Minsk partially answered to the claim of "Alliance
Media Ltd." and editor-in-chief of the "Obozrevatel" Syarhei Atroschanka against
editorial office of the newspaper "Narodnaya Volya". The court obliged the newspaper
to print the disclaimer of one of the articles, published before. Besides, according
to the court decision, the editorial office is to defray sue charges and costs
of attorney of Alliance Media Ltd. At the same time, the court refuse charge
the "Narodnaya Volya" 50 millions rubles for moral damage of the plaintiff, Radio
Racyja informs. It is the result of one of the two suits against "Narodnaya Volya"
by S. Atroschanka. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/18/isk

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TWO ZUBRS DETAINED IN MINSK
11:32 18/02/2004

Two activists of the Zubr movement were daeteined by police in Minsk on February
17. Lubow Kuchynskaya and Alyaksei Kontar pasted leaflets in the Skaryna Avenue.
In the crossroads with the Kazlow Street a few police officers in civilian clothes
approached them. The young people were taken to the police department of the
Patryzansky district of Minsk, where they spent an hour. After that activists
were released without drawing up a report. Another groups of activists were gluing
leaflets in Minsk at the same time. The leaflets could be seen in the Jakub Kolas
street, Akadziemichaskaya, Syrhanaw, Kuzma Chorny streets, in the vicinity of
metro stations "Park Chaluskintsaw" and "Maskowskaya", press service of the Zubr
movement informs. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/18/zubr

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NEW FRONT LINES OF GAS WAR
11:24 18/02/2004, Ihar Svabodzin, photo by ByMedia.net

Russia has cut off natural gas supplies to Belarus on Wednesday at 10.00 a.m.
Moscow time. "It was made because of absence of contracts between economic entities",
TransNafta's General Director Vladimir Kondrachuk told ITAR-TASS. And on yesterday
evening representatives of Belarus started urgent negotiations with TransNafta
on continuation of gas supplies. The Belarusian side delayed answer to the uttermost.
There was no information about talks a few hours before the assumed moment pf
turning off gas taps. The Russians declared their readiness to continue talks
throughout the whole day. Beside information about beginning of the talks, it
was made known that Belarusian authorities decided to take a credit from Russia,
in order to make a long-term contract for gas supplies with Russian concern Gazprom.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/18/new

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RUSSIA TO SUPPLY S-300 MISSILE SYSTEMS TO BELARUS
16:34 18/02/2004, www.russiajournal.com

Russia will supply the modernized S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Belarus
soon, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov said after a meeting of the two
countries' defense ministry boards on Wednesday.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/18/s300

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HANNA ARTSIUSHKEVICH: AUTHORITIES KNEW ABOUT RYBAKOW'S SINS LONG AGO
16:05 18/02/2004

Former head of the National TV and Radio Company Yahor Rybakow detained. He is
accused of abuse of office, violations in business activities and so on. Now
the former head of the National TV and Radio Company is in pre-trial detention
cell in Minsk. Some journalists consider that the authorities knew about Rybakow's
crimes long ago. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/18/greh

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TRANSNAFTA SAYS STOPPED GAS SUPPLIES TO BELARUS WED MORNING
14:14 18/02/2004

Russian independent trader Transnafta stopped natural gas supplies to Belarus
on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Moscow time as Belarus' state gas pipeline monopoly Beltransgaz
failed to sign a new contract with Transnafta, Transnaftas General Director Vladimir
Kondrachuk told ITAR-TASS Wednesday.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/18/gazprom

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INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - BELARUS UPDATE
14:09 18/02/2004

Edited by Victor Cole
Vol. 7, No. 7
February 2004
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/18/update

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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 18, 2003
http://charter97.org/eng/news/