News on 25.04.2008

25.04.2008

Czech foreign ministry urges Belarusian authorities to stop prosecution of all persons arrested during peaceful demonstrations

18:01, — Politics

The Czech foreign ministry has called on the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally discontinue the prosecution of all persons arrested during peaceful demonstrations.

Political prisoner Andrei Kim taken to prison hospital 1

15:41, — Politics

Andrei Kim has been in the republican prison hospital since 24 April. The activist suffers from ophthalmia, which began during his detention in the pretrial detention center on Valadarski Street.

Attack on Charter’97 site 20

15:09, — Politics

Distributed denial of service attack targeted Charter’97 site at 2.20pm (Minsk time). The site was attacked by unknown abusers from the following IP addresses:

Pastor punished for conscience 4

13:31, — Religion

The Maskouski district court of Minsk fined Vyachaslau Hancharenka, pastor of New Love Church, of 1,400,000 Belarusian rubles for he was demanding freedom of conscience for the Belarusians.

Belarusians pray for Alyaksandr Kazulin’s release 1

12:42, — Politics

The believers call to have a national prayer on 25 April for political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin’s release.

“I’ll go on hunger strike even if it leads to my death...” 3

12:17, — Politics

Svyatlana Dvaraninava, an entrepreneur from Vitsebsk, has the 59th day of hunger strike in a pretrial detention center, and dreams to obtain justice.

Panic of increased radiation background in Belarus push by schoolchildren? (Video) 5

11:17, Hleb Labadzenka, “KP v Belarusi” — Society

Rumours about accident at a nuclear power plant and increased radiation background in Minsk has been circulating among the city dwellers for the third day.

Valer Shchukin had heart attack during his detention 8

9:48, — Politics

Militiamen detained a circulation of newspaper “Vitsebski Kuryer M” on the outskirts of Vitebsk at 8.00pm on 25 April. During the detention militiamen attacked human rights activist Valer Shchukin. He felt bad during the clash.

EP President: “In Belarus, where the last dictatorship in Europe exists, we take the side of citizens” 2

9:34, — Politics

President of the European Parliament Hans Gert Pottering attended the European Humanitarian University, the Belarusian university in exile, during his official visit to Lithuania.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Department of State: «Lukashenka’s isolate Belarus actions» 24

9:13, — Politics

David Merkel, the deputy US Secretary of State on European and Eurasian issues appointed in March, told ERB that America was not going to reduce the staff of its Embassy to our country and was still waiting for the Belarusian authorities to release Alyaksandr Kazulin. According to the politician, nothing can promote the isolation of Belarus more than the political persecution in the country.

Milinkevich detained at meeting with Minsk dwellers (Video) 1

8:28, — Politics

Alyaksandr Milinkevich, head of the organising committee of the “For Freedom” movement, was set free in the evening of 24 April. He spent 2 hours and 40 minutes in the Maskouski district militia department. The politician was detained at the beginning of his meeting with dwellers of the Minsk city district Malinauka.