CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 28, 2007
http://charter97.org/eng/news/
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MIKOLA STATKEVICH: MARCH 25 TO BECOME STATE HOLIDAY
14:19 28/02/2007
A leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Narodnaya Hramada), a coordinator of the European coalition, currently a political prisoner Mikola Statkevich who serves two years of corrective labour for organizing mass rallies, believes that March 25 is to become a state holiday in Belarus. "The aim of negotiations with the authorities announced by Alyaksandr Milinkevich is very noble and understandable for all, as independence is an essential pre-requisite for freedom and democracy. There would be no freedom
without independence, and with independence we will achieve freedom, sooner or later. Milinkevich's suggestion is very apt for European policy, as the opposition leader demonstrates he is a reliable politician, who can take part in the process of establishing dialogue of Belarus with Europe. I believe March 25 is to become a state holiday in Belarus. I am sure many people would gather to celebrate Liberty Day. On March 25, 1918 a momentous event took place in the history of our country, which pre-determined
statehood of Belarus. Besides, for many people March 25 is a remembrance about the events of the last year, when dozens thousands of people took to the streets in Minsk to defend their choice," told Mikola Statkevich in an interview to the Charter'97 press-cenetr.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/25
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US IMPOSE SANCTIONS ON 6 MORE BELARUSIAN TOP OFFICIALS
10:21 28/02/2007
The US administration has imposed economic sanctions on a group of Belarusian top officials. This time the Prosecutor General of Belarus Pyotr Miklashevich, the minister of education Alyaksandr Radzkou, the minister of information Uladzimir Rusakevich, Minsk special riot police squad commander Yury Padabed, a former Interior Minister Yury Sivakou and the head of public associations department of Justice Ministry of Belarus Aleh Slizheuski are blacklisted. The sanctions include a ban for entering the US, freezing
any assets under U.S. jurisdiction. Besides, the order prohibits Americans from doing business with the six officials, ITAR-TASS informs. Thus, US sanctions have been imposed on 16 present and former top officials of Belarus, the US Treasury Department informs.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/usa
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GRANDIOSE CELEBRATIONS OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ARE TO BE HELD IN EUROPE 25 MARCH
09:43 28/02/2007
The program of celebration of the 50th anniversary of signing the Roman treaty, which became the basis for foundation of the European Union, was submitted to the ministry for foreign affairs of Belgium in Brussels. The official celebration with participation of heads of the member states of the European Union are to be held in Berlin, capital city of Germany, which is presently presiding in the European Union 25 March 2007.Meanwile, simultaneously, the celebrations are to be held in Rome where the Treaty on
the European Unities was signed and in Brussels where headquarters of the major EU institutions and organizations are situated. As the Charter'97 press-center has been informed, the possibility of a direct TV bridge between Minsk and Berlin on 25 March with participation of the European countries' leaders and Belarusian policymakers is under consideration at the headquarters of Alyaksandr Milinkevich.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/50
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MILINKEVICH'S WIFE INVITED TO JUDGE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FILMS CONTEST IN CZECH REPUBLIC
18:13 28/02/2007
The International film festival of documentary films "One world" has started in the Czech Republic. It presents films dedicated to the topic of human rights protection. Next week Prague and 15 more Czech cities will have a chance to learn about the situation with human rights all over the world. As the Charter'97 press-center has been informed, organizes of the festival had invited to the festival Ina Kulej, the wife of the leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich. She is the chair of
the Committee on defense of the repressed "Solidarity". According to preliminary information, two films about Belarus are to be presented at the festival, "Ploshcha" (The Square) by Yury Khashchavatski and "A Lesson of Belarusian" by Mirek Debinski.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/milinkevich
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MEETING OF ENTREPRENEURS IS TO BE HELD IN GRODNO 25 MARCH
18:01 28/02/2007
The meeting of entrepreneurs is to be held in Grodno 25 March. Activists of the political forces are expected to join the meeting. This was reported by the entrepreneurs' strike committee leader Valeri Levaneusky to BelaPAN. "The agreement on participation in the meeting was reached with representatives of the United Civil Party 27 February and 26 February- with supporters of Alyaksandr Milinkevich", Levaneusky said.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/grodno
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BELARUSIAN SUGAR REFINERIES ARE AT THE BRAKE OF BANKRUPTCY
18:01 28/02/2007
Sales of their product remain acute to Belarusian sugar producers; Interfax was reported at the "Belgospischeprom" concern. Taking into account low level of sugar deliveries to Russia, the manufacturers are busy with searching new channels for selling their output", it was stressed at the concern.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/zavod
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GLEB PAVLOVSKY ACCUSED POLES OF TURNING OVER JEWS TO NAZIS
17:43 28/02/2007
Gleb Pavlovsky, Effective Politics Foundation head, a Kremlin spin-doctor, and Vladimir Bukovsky, who was presented as a "legendary person", a dissenter, a writer who has to live abroad, arrived to a conference "Russia Backslide to Empire?" in Warsaw yesterday, the European radio for Belarus informs.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/gleb
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ANATOL ASKERKA STRUGGLES FOR REHABILITATION AT WORK
17:14 28/02/2007
On 31 January 2007 Anatol Askerka, deputy chair of Barysau city primary organization of the trade union of radio-electronic trade, was fired from the position of repairman of the 6th category at Frebor Ltd. joint venture. The trade union activist has worked at the enterprise for 15 years, since its establishment, and had no reprimands. On the contrary, he has several awards from the administration. According to a governmental ruling, such workers have the right to discuss with the administration the possibility
of conclusion a working contract for 3 or more years. However, Frebor director Vasil Burhun refused to talk with Askerka and other representatives of the trade union about prolongation of the working contracts, because Askerka allegedly belonged to Belarusian Chemical Trade Union.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/askerka
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HOMEL: UCP ACTIVIST FORCED TO COLLABORATE WITH KGB
17:13 28/02/2007
Ivan Siarheieu, an activist of the United Civil Party, student of Homel State Technical University sent a letter to the chair of Hrodna regional KGB office, asking to consider his signature under a collaboration agreement invalid and hold an investigation concerning the persons who introduced themselves as KGB workers and pressurized him.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/ucp
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YOUNG FRONT ACTIVISTS DEMAND THAT KGB RETURN COMPUTERS
17:13 28/02/2007
The activists of an unregistered organization Young Front Barys Haretski, Aliaksei Ianusheuski, Zmitser Khvedaruk and Anastasiia Palazhanka have applied to the Belarusian KGB with the demand to immediately return the computer system blocks that were confiscated from them during the searches of their apartments that were conducted on 4 February.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/front
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BELARUSIAN BORDER GUARDS DETAIN TOURIST BUS FOR 11 HOURS
17:13 28/02/2007
At 3.30 a.m. on 26 February at Makrany border crossing the Belarusian border guards stopped a bus Lviv-Minsk by which 42 students and senior pupils, activists of different youth organizations, were returning home from the Ukraine.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/border
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PROPERTY OF ASSISTANCE TO CHILDREN OF CHERNOBYL' ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN SEIZED
16:07 28/02/2007
Custom's officers ruined the major sponsor of the Gomel region. They penalized the leading charity organization to the amount of Br 330 million. In addition, 100 million rubles will be charged for utilization of the perished products, which had not reached the zone through the fault of the Custom's officers. They perished at the warehouses, which had been rented for 50 million rubles. All in all, the damage amounted to around 200 thousand euro, the site www.bulletinonline.org reported. But the public organization
simply does not have the money at its disposal.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/arest
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RULES FOR FOREIGNERS' STAY IN BELARUS BECOME MORE RIGOROUS SINCE MARCH 1
15:36 28/02/2007
New Code of the Republic of Belarus and Code on Administrative Offences and Procedure and Execution Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offences enter into force from 1 March, 2007. These codes introduce a new kind of penalty under administrative law, deportation. It is to be used against a foreign citizen or stateless persons for committing a number of administrative violations.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/mart
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ALYAKSANDR MILINKEVICH VISITS CITIES OF BREST REGION
14:41 28/02/2007
The leader of the united democratic forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich visits Brest region. He meets pro-democracy activists from Pruzhany, Ivatsevichy, Hantsavichy, Kobryn and other regional centres. Today Alyaksandr Milinkevich is to hold a press-conference in Brest.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/brest
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PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE CHECKS UP ON SOME PERSONS' IMPLICATION IN VERANIKA CHARKASAVA ASSASSINATION
14:01 28/02/2007
Workers of law-enforcing agencies are checking up on several persons' possible implication in the assassination of a journalist Veranika Charkasava, a deputy prosecutor general Viktar Prus told to journalists in Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/cherkasova
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RBK DAILY: CONSOLIDATION OF OIL ASSETS DOES NOT EXCLUDE THEIR SELLING TO PRIVATE INVESTORS
13:42 28/02/2007
Privatization of the Belarusian economy announced not long ago will not touch upon the oil industry. The state oil company is to be established by July 2007. According to the official sources, this was declared by Deputy Prime Minister Uladzimir Syamashka at the meeting of the presidium of the Council of Ministers. According to him, the work on establishing oil trading company with participation of Belarusian oil refineries is underway, the RBK daily writes.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/rbk
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BELARUSIAN OPPOSITIONISTS MET STATE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE
12:20 28/02/2007
During their visit to Washington Tuesday Belarusian oppositionists had meetings in the US Department of State and in large non-governmental organizations: The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and with leaders of Belarusian expatriate community.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/gosdep
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BELARUSIANS URGE AMBASSADORS OF EUROPE AND US TO FIGHT FOR FREEDOM OF BELARUSIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS (PHOTO)
11:19 28/02/2007
Belarusians who live in Warsaw started addressing Embassies of the EU countries, Russia, Ukraine, Canada and the US, 31 countries altogether, with an appeal to demand official Minsk to release the former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin and other political prisoners.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/photo
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RYHOR BARADULIN RECOVERING
10:21 28/02/2007
The condition of renowned Belarusian poet Ryhor Baradulin who is currently in the intensive care unit of the Presidential Administration's hospital diagnosed with pneumonia, has markedly improved, his wife, Valyantsina Baradulin, told BelaPAN on Tuesday.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/28/rygor
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 28, 2007
http://charter97.org/eng/news/