"We continue to express our anxiety in connection with poor human rights situation and lack of progress in the investigation of disappearances of political opposition members - Zakharenko, Gonchar, Krasovsky and journalist Zavadsky," - such a statement was produced by the Parliamentary Troika, which ran today its final press-conference in Minsk. Troika, composed of Adrian Severin, president of the OSCE PA, Yan Marinus Wiersma, head of the EP delegation for Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova and Terry Davis, chair of the PACE Political Affairs Committee, stayed in Belarus on March 5-7.

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March 6 the court of Borisov (Minsk region) tried former head of the Borisov town hall Viktor Kopultsevich and former chair of the district committee Georgy Kiberman for organizing the unsanctioned meeting in the assembly hall of the plant`s palace of culture, where they invited Mikhail Chigir.

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At the moment there are approximately 100 thousand Internet-users in Belarus. The most significant growth of their number was registered over the last year. Such data were presented to the public by the US embassy in Minsk.

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In connection with the increased size of tariffs on alcoholic beverages, on March 4 the prices on domestic white vodka were raised by 3,5%. This is third in a row price-increase on vodka this year. The previous two occurred on January 12 and February 9 (each time by 3,5%).

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One of the members of the new resistance movement ZUBR was sentenced March 6 night to a 15-days arrest for picketing Lukashenko`s residence, when six young people protested against mass disappearances in Belarus. Three of them were captured and stood before the Leninsky district court of Minsk. As a result, Anton Telezhnikov from Borisov was sentenced to 15 days of imprisonment. Andrei Petrov and Dmitry Abramovich were fined 20 minimum wages each (approximately $100).

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Latvian officials do not intend to meet the Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Ermoshin, currently on a working tour to Latvia, said March 6 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia. Thus, Riga fulfilled the recommendations of EU and USA, who proposed to restrict contacts with official Minsk. Ermoshin will only visit the Belarusian community in Latvia and speak at the opening of the Belarusian Commodity Fair in Latvia.

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Members of the Parliamentary Troika delegation will finish their visit to Minsk. In course of it they held a series of meetings with representatives of both opposition and official Belarusian structures. The greatest number of participants gathered at the Troika`s meeting with the leaders of the opposition political parties and 13th Supreme Soviet deputies. Today Troika will run their final press-conference. Read our coverage of the event later on this site.

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"Whom would you give your voice for, given the presidential elections were taking place today?" - Minsk people were asked by the staffers of the social research institution "Zerkalo" (BelaPAN) during the survey, held in February-March this year. 600 people, aged 18 and older, took part in the poll. Only 18% claimed readiness to vote for Lukashenko (in late December 2000 he was supported by 21%).

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Trial proceedings over the editor of the independent newspaper "Nash Volny Gorod" of Krychev Nikolai Matorenko came to an end. The man was fined 50 minimum wages. The editor of the unregistered paper "Nash Volny Gorod" was charged with violating the legislation on conducting entrepreneurial activities. Witnesses and police sources report that he was taking across the Russia-Belarus border more than 300 copies, which is the breach of law.

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