News on 25.10.2007

25.10.2007

Lukashenka sent Yakubovich to Israel 15

15:07, — Politics

Aliaksandr Lukashenka is sending his spokesman to Israel to resolve a conflict with his remarks that have been regarded as anti-Semitic, Israeli news-paper Jerusalem Post running today. As Ambassador of Belarus to Israel Ihar Liashchenia said to the edition on Friday, Paval Yakubovich, editor in chief of semiofficial newspaper “Sovetskaya Belorussia” is meeting today with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel representatives and journalists.

Cross of Martyrs reinstalled in Kurapaty

13:48, — society

Yesterday late evening in the memorial area Kurapaty the restored Cross of Martyrs was reinstalled. Valer Buival, spokesman of the Conservatory Christian Party BPF (Belarusian Popular Front) informed Radio Svaboda about it. Some weeks ago the cross was broken by unknown vandals. The public committee on the Cross restoration was created, headed by Zianon Pazniak, discoverer of Kurapaty, head of the CCP BPF.

OMON tried to disperse picket in support of Kazulin 16

13:41, — Politics

24 October the permitted by the Belarusian authorities 3 hours picket in solidarity with Aliaksandr Kazulin took place in Minsk. After half an hour of the action start, an armored vehicle with the security forces agents in civvies – supposedly OMON soldiers (riot police) drove to the participants. Ihar Rynkevich, deputy head of the Belarusian Socio-Democratic Party (Hramada) said about it to Charter’97 press center.

Natallia Piatkevich: «If we devalue amnesty we will loose respect and discipline»

13:38, — Politics

Vice Head of president’s administration Natallia Piatkevich says there is no need to widen the list of prisoners to be amnestied, as she said October 24 in the “chamber of representatives” at the discussion of the amnesty bill, BelaPAN reports.

«Gazeta Wyborcza»: Poland’s future Prime Minister can be interdicted to enter Belarus

13:37, — Politics

Leader of “Civil Platform” Donald Tusk will be the first Prime Minister in Poland’s history who is not welcome at the country’s eastern neighbours’, the author of the article “Tusk will not enter Belarus” published in the current issue of the Polish “Gazeta Wyborcza” stated.

Iryna Khalip: «Normal people don’t talk at all, whether they like Jews or not» 12

12:12, — Politics

“Lukashenka is absolutely wrongly persuaded that for resolving of the conflict between Belarus and Israel is enough to send there one person who has a notice in metrics that he is a Jew. As if the Israeli would look at Yakubovich and say, if even in “Sovetskaya Belorussia” a Jew works, there is no anti-Semitism in the country and can’t be. But the Israeli are not so silly to swallow such a fly. Paval Yakubovich can be anyone, but not a diplomat and negotiator, so his participant in the attempt to resolve the conflict won’t be successful by definition”, - famous journalist Iryna Khalip said to Charter’97 press center commenting the information about editor of “Sovetskaya Belorussia” Paval Yakubovich’s visit to Israel in order to resolve the Belarus-Israel conflict.

Belarus to supply arms to Arabic Emirates «on hundreds millions dollars»? 5

11:18, — Politics

Viktar Sheiman, the Security Council of Belarus State Secretary is making the official visit to the United Arabic Emirates. The directions of trade-economic and military-technical cooperation were in the focus of attention during the negotiations between the Belarusian official and the country’s official personalities. Concerning the military-technical cooperation, Viktar Sheiman said to BelTA that “there are good contracts, already concluded and scheduled to be concluded in the nearest time on hundreds millions dollars”.

Human rights activists criticize amnesty bill

10:16, — Politics

Deputies of the lower chamber of the Belarusian “parliament” adopted an amnesty bill at the first and the second readings on October 24. In case the law is adopted before 1 November 2007, the amnesty can be held in the beginning of 2008.

Belarusian Jews’ reaction to Lukashenka’s anti-Semitic statement

10:12, — Politics

The Union of Belarusian Jews public associations and communities expressed “confusion and concern” after the “statements conveying negative meaning regarding the lifestyle of the Jewish population of Belarusian and Israeli cities” which were made “at the press-conference held for Russian journalists on October 12 in Minsk.”

«Narodnaya Volia» journalists are not allowed to go abroad

9:51, — Politics

For more than three weeks journalists of the independent newspaper “Narodnaya Volia” cannot get the so-called permitting stamp for traveling abroad. According to the department of citizenship and migration, the delay was caused by thorough examination of the journalists’ documents by the KGB.