17:29 Homel police “helped” human rights activists

On June 8 Homel police thwarted a meeting of human rights watchdogs with activists of youth pro-democracy movement under a pretext of a fugitive criminal search.

17:10 Lukashenka deprives Belarusians of EU’s support

Belarus has a real chance to join new programmes of Brussels for Eastern partners, but Lukashenka needs to release political prisoners and carry out free democratic elections for this.

16:43 Speaker of Lithuanian Seimas: Arrest of a businessman is a dangerous signal for investors

On June 9 Česlovas Juršėnas, the Speaker of the Seimas (the Lithuanian parliament) commented the situation with the Lithuanian businessman Alvydas Jablonskis, President of Lithuanian Association of Customs Brokers.

15:40 Zhanna Litvina: Authorities impudently impose their vision of media’s role on society

Zhanna Litvina, head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, thinks the undeclared war of the Belarusian authorities against independent media has recently escalated in the country.

13:45 Detained for national symbols – tried for “beating a policeman”

A trial over a young activist is to start today in Lahojsk. He was detained for using national symbols during “the Beatles Festival”.

13:35 Demonstration in support of Ivan Shyla to take place in the US

A demonstration in support of Ivan Shyla, a Young Front member, will be held in New York on June 29. On June 4 Ivan Shyla was illegally expelled from Salihorsk secondary school No. 4 the day before his last exam.

13:31 Web page of Еuropean Belarus is opened

Web page of Еuropean Belarus is opened. The page greets visitors at adress www.europeanbelarus.org

13:21 Russia’s ambassador: Belarus to pay 400 dollars for gas by 2011.

Aleksandr Surikov, Russia’s ambassador to Belarus, has said today gas prices for Belarus can exceed 200 dollars in 2009.

13:11 Did prison guards steal money of political prisoner?

Sayrhei Parsyukevich has found himself without money and food after he was transferred to the Shklou penal colony.

13:06 Anzelika Borys fined almost Br 1.5 mln for concert

Anzelika Borys, head of the unrecognized by the authorities Union of Poles, has been sentenced to a fine of Br 1,400,000 doe organizing a concert of a well-known Polish band “Lombard” in Hrodna.

12:17 Expensive reconstruction (Photo, video)

October (Kastrychnitskaya) metro station has been closed for a reconstruction today. In the meantime, as it was found out, a “compensatory” bus ride should be paid for.

10:22 A national flag as a sign of our life (Photo)

White-red-white national flags continue to emerge in Minsk everywhere.

9:56 Lukashenka has been told to “STOP!” (Photo)

On Saturday overnight activists of a civil campaign “European Belarus” and “Young Front” painted more than 50 graffiti “STOP LUKA!” in the streets of Lida.

9:29 Appeal to release political prisoners on thousand of porch doors

Salihorsk activists have held a mass action. Stickers “Freedom to Kazulin” have appeared on all porch doors in several housing complexes overnight.

8:58 Russia driving Lukashenka into corner

During the informal CIS summit in St. Petersburg, the Russian President has tete-a-tete meetings with most of his CIS colleagues, except for the Belarusian one.

8:31 Andrew McIntosh: There cannot be free elections without free mass media in Belarus

An international conference dedicated to democratisation of mass media in Belarus took place in Warsaw on June 6 and 7. The head of the sub-committee on mass media of the EC Parliamentary Assembly Andrew McIntosh said that there could be no free elections in Belarus without free mass media.