Leader of the "Youth Front" wing of the Belarusian Popular Front Pavel Severinets was arrested on February 16 in Minsk. He`s indicted for organizing and active participation in opposition`s unsanctioned rally, held February 14.

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US ambassador Michael Kozak will pass over his credentials to Alexander Lukashenko after February 19 - declared the spokesman of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Pavel Latushko. FM representative didn`t mention the exact date and order of the procedure, but reminded that some more diplomats are also awaiting this event. It`s worth mention that the Belarusian authorities in breach of all international legal norms have been refusing to accept Kozak`s credentials since last fall.

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US ambassador Michael Kozak will pass over his credentials to Alexander Lukashenko after February 19 - declared the spokesman of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Pavel Latushko. FM representative didn`t mention the exact date and order of the procedure, but reminded that some more diplomats are also awaiting this event. It`s worth mention that the Belarusian authorities in breach of all international legal norms have been refusing to accept Kozak`s credentials since last fall.

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February 17-19 Alexander Lukashenko will pay an official visit to Qatar. He plans to meet there with the country`s Emir sheikh Khamad ben Khalif Al Tani. Lukashenko will also hold negotiations with the Qatar Premier Abdullah ben Khalif Al Tani. His working agenda also includes meeting with the representatives of the Trade and Industrial chamber of the State of Qatar and visiting the industrial zone "Rass Laffan". Lukashenko`s journey to their far-away country of the Persian region came as a surprise for the public - nothing had been said about it in advance. Apparently, in search of their multi-vector contacts Belarusian FM officials addressed Qatar with a request to host their visit and all of a sudden received invitation. All recent Lukashenko`s visits are quite exotic in their essence - Cuba, Libya, now Qatar. It`s considered a shame to welcome dictator in the civilized world, which is only able of providing him with the necessary fund-raising. His travels to the odious regimes bear no financial fruit anyway.

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Vassil Bykov, namesake of an outstanding Belarusian novelist, has been released from custody. Vassil was captured on February 10 together with Sergei Kolyada and Alexander Chigir - son of a prominent politician Mikhail Chigir. The young people are suspected of selling stolen spare parts at the Minsk car market. Police report that Bykov was let go upon submitting a written pledge not to leave the country of residence.

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In the new set of documents, that arrived from Switzerland, there`s been a change in the accusation, brought against Borodin. Now he`s no longer charged with "illegal money-laundering" but with "organizing a criminal community". NTV reports with a reference to Interfax that the press-secretary of the "union state" Ivan Makushok reminded in this connection that earlier the Swiss authorities passed over to the US justice the documents for Borodin`s forced bringing to court to give his testimony.

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