News on 11.04.2008

11.04.2008

Struggle against import unfolds in Belarus 40

16:32, — Economics

All imported purchases in Belarus should be well grounded. Zyanon Lomats, chairman of the State Control Committee (SCC) said it in Minsk.

Justification of Belarusian regime’s cruelty by Russia looks simply monstrous 27

15:21, Sergei Bajmukhametov, “Russian Bazaar” (New York, USA) — Politics

The EU and the US have announced that economic sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime can be used after the latest crackdown on the oppositional rally and unseen repressions against journalists. And Russia has taken Belarus under its shelter.

Vasilevich washing his hands of 1

15:02, — Politics

General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus readdressed appeal of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) to the prosecutor’s office of Minsk. It was said in the letter, the BAJ received 10 April from Prosecutor’s General Ryhor Vasilevich in reply to their recent appeal in the context of searches in journalists’ apartments.

10 participants of market vendors rally to stand trial on April 16 2

13:00, — Politics

Alyaksandr Berazenka, Paval Vinagradau, Mikhail Subach and underage Maxim Dashuk, who appear in the criminal case for street protests on January 10, won’t stand trial on April 16 together with other demonstrators.

Activist fined over 1 mln Br for protest against toxic chemicals plant construction 11

12:27, — Politics

The court of Pukhavichy district ahs punished the dweller of Druzhny settlement Syarhei Abrazouski with a fine of 1 mln Belarusian rubles. He was charged with staging an unsanctioned rally against construction of a chemical plant. Mr. Abrazouski pleaded not guilty, as said he would challenge the verdict.

By crackdown on rally March 25 Belarusians were deprived of cheap Schengen visas 10

11:32, — Politics

European deputies do not want to sign the declaration for lowering the cost of visas for Belarusian citizens, the reason for that was a harsh response of the Belarusian authorities to the opposition rally on March 25 in Minsk.

Emanuel Zeltser dying in KGB jail? 8

11:17, — Crime

Brother of detained in Minsk American lawyer Emanuel Zeltser sent an open letter to Ryhor Vasilevich, Prosecutor General of Belarus asking to interfere and save his life – relatives, referring to a Belarusian lawyer of the detained, say Emanuel Zeltser’s state of health is critical.

Lord Bell’s wages may amount to million dollars a year 7

11:15, — Politics

Two weeks determined for approval of the PR-campaign for the Belarusian head of state have passed, but there is no news so far. Former Margaret Thatcher's PR adviser and Boris Berezovsky’s friend promised to help Lukashenka to burnish image of Belarus in the West.

Political prisoner Parsyukevich gasps from asthma in prison cell 6

11:00, — Politics

Lawyer Vera Stramkouskaya attended in the Minsk pretrial detention center Syarhei Parsyukevuch, activist of the entrepreneurs’ movement, on 10 April.

Russia restored border with Belarus 11

10:34, — Politics

At the Belarusian-Russian border processing of temporary importation of passenger cars for citizens of Belarus ahs been resumed. Russian customs officers tax Belarusians for drawing up of documents. In this connection cars are to wait at the Belarusian-Russian border for 3-4 hours.

Lukashenka’s regime provokes U.S. to impose international sanctions 16

8:31, — Politics

“Closed discussion in the Belarusian “parliament” on air defence system building in Venezuela is in the line of war with the U.S. Someone is drawing anti-American line and trying to include a military component into there. It is apparently made for the U.S. to take Lukashenka’s regime seriously and to demand imposing of international sanctions,” Andrei Sannikov, international coordinator of Charter’97, thinks.