CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 16, 2007
http://charter97.org/eng/news/
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ALYAKSANDR MILINKEVICH: "16TH DAY IS REMINDER ABOUT BELARUS TO THE WORLD"
16:33 16/02/2007
Today the Day of Belarusian Solidarity is celebrated in Belarus and around the world for the 16th time. The leader of the democratic forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich has called upon praying for release of Belarusian political prisoners. "I am enormously thankful to all those who show their solidarity with Belarus on this day. The 16th day of every month has become a landmark for democratic activists in our country and abroad. Today Belarus is a problem number one in Europe, and front pages of many newspapers in
Europe cover the situation in our country, and it's a merit of all those people who are reminding the world that human rights in Belarus are violated, free election is absent, independent press is extinct. As a Christian I call upon all Belarusians and friends of our country to pray for early release of all Belarusian political prisoners, for restoration of democracy in Belarus," told Alyaksandr Milinkevich in an interview to Charter'97 press-center.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/milinkevich
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DAY OF OUR SOLIDARITY
10:10 16/02/2007
Today the Day of Solidarity with Belarus is traditionally celebrated in Belarus and all over the world. Hundreds thousands of Belarusians and friends of our country all over the world will light candles as a sign of solidarity with families of the abducted oppositionists and political prisoners, with all those who are fighting for freedom and democracy in Belarus. Many people will gather with candles of memory and solidarity to the squares of their cities. Rallies with demands to release political prisoners
in Belarus and start democratic reforms are to take place all over the world.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/day
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BELARUSIAN YOUNG PEOPLE GATHERED IN STREETS OF MINSK WITH CANDLES (PHOTO)
20:14 16/02/2007
150 young activists have marched with lit candles along Skaryna (Nezalezhnastsi) Avenue in Minsk today. in this way young activists have expressed their solidarity with political prisoners and families of abducted oppositionists.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/mol
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MICROSOFT REPORTS TO HAVE INCREASED ITS SALES IN BELARUS BY 50 PERCENT IN 2006
19:45 16/02/2007
Microsoft Corporation increased its sales in Belarus by 50 percent in 2006, Valery Lanovenko, general director for Ukraine and Belarus, told reporters in Minsk on February 15. He said that Microsoft is "very optimistic" about the prospects for its new products, in particular Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007, in Belarus. Both products are now on sale in 70 countries, including Belarus, he added.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/microsoft
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BABRUJSK POLICE HAVEN'T INTERFERED WITH SOLIDARITY ACTION FOR THE FIRST TIME (PHOTO)
20:13 16/02/2007
A rally dedicated to the Day of Belarusian Solidarity has taken place in Babrujsk once again. People have gathered near a chapel in Minsk Street. They held candles in their hands. Policemen haven't been interfering with the action for the first time, they were absent from the site of the action.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/bobruisk
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STREAMERS CALL UPON RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS (PHOTO)
20:06 16/02/2007
Streamers "Freedom to Political Prisoners!" have emerged in different parts of Minsk today. The Charter'97 press-center has managed to make a picture of them in the center of Minsk, over Kastrychnik cinema, and on the bridge near the Central railway station.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/rast
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BELARUSIAN STUDENTS IN ESTONIA HELD SOLIDARITY RALLY
19:58 16/02/2007
Belarusian students who study in Tartu University in Estonia have staged an action of solidarity with families of the abducted and with political prisoners in Belarus.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/estonia
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ACTIONS OF SOLIDARITY WITH BELARUSIANS STAGED IN POLAND (PHOTO)
19:11 16/02/2007
Today actions of solidarity with families of disappeared oppositionists and public activists of Belarus. At Palace Square in Warsaw an action dedicated to the Day of Solidarity started early in the morning. In the center of Polish capital an open-air exhibition of Belarusian demonstrations is set up. Belarusian songs are heard. In the evening films and clips about events in Belarus are to be screened in the evening.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/photo
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AMERICAN CITIZENS DEPORTED FROM BELARUS
17:51 16/02/2007
10 US citizens, Ronald and Christine Wart, Belinda Hogan, John Williams, Bill, Angela and Carroll Guetzhal and three others, have been deported from Belarus. They have been charged with violation of rules of stay in Belarus, Radio Svaboda informs.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/deport
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DOCUMENTARY ABOUT ACTIONS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION WAS PRESENTED IN BERLIN
17:47 16/02/2007
Documentary "Can I get a Right?" dwelling on "Amnesty International" action for human rights protection of German film director Sebastian Heintsel was presented in Berlin.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/berlin
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FRANAK VYACHORKA: DAYS OF SOLIDARITY CHANGED BELARUS
16:02 16/02/2007
Today the Day of Belarusian Solidarity is celebrated in Belarus and around the world. Recently activists of democratic youth movements prefer to stage short actions on the Day of Solidarity. Their aim is to raise awareness of the society about the political situation in the country. Young activist Franak Vyachorka believes that Days of Solidarity have changes Belarus in some ways.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/franak
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SVABODA NEWSPAPER: MILINKEVICH'S APPEAL TO LUKASHENKA IS AIMED AT CHANGING PRESENT SITUATION
15:19 16/02/2007
The situation at the Belarusian playground with the authorities playing with themselves and the opposition shouting at the grandstands has been described for years. Actually, nobody asked the parties to the playground and they never expressed the desire to join the game. In these terms, the open letter of A. Milinkevich to A. Lukashenka is a precedent in the newest Belarusian history, Ales Kebik wrote in the "Svaboda" newspaper.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/zvarot
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TRIAL OVER KANSTANTSIN LUKASHOU STARTED
13:19 16/02/2007
A trial over Kanstantsin Lukashou has started in the court of Lenin district of Minsk. He is charged with resistance to policemen, Radio Svaboda informs. On March 29 last year Kanstantsin Lukashou was taking V Siuchyk from the surgery of the third Minsk city hospital. On that day unknown persons with IDs of Interior Ministry workers were trying to detain Siuchyk after he was discharged from the hospital. However the brother helped the activist to escape. Since December 19 Kanstantsin Lukashou is kept in custody.
He faces up to 6 years of imprisonment.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/sud
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SIDORSKI: NUCLEAR PLANT IN BELARUS TO APPEAR IN 4-5 YEARS
12:20 16/02/2007
In the next 4-5 years Belarus will have its own nuclear power station, told Belarusian Prime Minister Syarhei Sidorski to Eurasian bank chairman of board Igor Finogenov at their meeting in Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/atom
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PACE SPOKESMAN IS GOING TO STUDY THE SITUATION IN BELARUS IN DETAIL
11:59 16/02/2007
"I consider that it is important for me to have a clear understanding of the situation in Belarus before starting my work", Italian deputy Andrea Rigoni, newly appointed spokesman for the Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Belarus, declared. According to him, it is especially essential to explore the situation taking into account such democratic standards as free opinion-making, free press and independent court system.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/pace
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16TH ACTION OF SOLIDARITY WITH PEOPLE OF BELARUS TO TAKE PLACE IN WASHINGTON
11:52 16/02/2007
A 16th action of solidarity with political prisoners and families of disappeared Belarusian oppositionists is to take place in front of Belarusian Embassy in Washington on Friday, February 16. The rally was initiated by a civil initiative "Pohlyad".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/16
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JUSTICE MINISTRY OF BELARUS DENIED REGISTRATION TO UNION OF LEFT PARTIES
11:17 16/02/2007
Justice Ministry of Belarus has denied state registration to the Union of political parties "Union of Left Parties". As informed by a press-release at the official site of the ministry, the current legislation gives grounds on which the registering authority makes a decision to deny state registration to a union. In particular, a union of political parties is denied registration in case an established order of a union creation has been violated.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/16/union
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 16, 2007
http://charter97.org/eng/news/