“Belarusky Chas” reports that Alexander Lukashenko has never passed health examination before the authoritative medical commission. In his interview to the newspaper former Lukashenko close aide Ivan Titenkov said: “In 1998-1999 all country’s leaders went through medical tests. All except Lukashenko.”

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Chief of the police department of sentence execution Kadushkin conceded to requests to allow for a meeting between Schukin and some representatives of the Belarusian Association of Journalists in Zhodino jail. This rendezvous will be made in the form of exception, reports the Interior Minister press-center. BAJ was given green light to meet Schukin not until BAJ head Zhanna Litvina personally addressed Interior Minister Naumov at today’s press-conference.

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US State Department Spokesman released on July 13 a press statement on the first year since the disappearance of an ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky. Following read it full text:

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Belarus was included into the US State Department report on men trafficking as a state, which pays little attention to this fundamental human rights problem. “The Belarusian government falls short of minimal requirements due to the shortage of resources and thriving corruption,” – reads the report transcript.

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Teachers protest against the ruling of the district councils, under which every teacher is supposed to mow 400 kilos of hay in order to help the agriculture with stockpiling food for cattle in winter.

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Situation with indebted salary is one of the worst in Mogilyov region. According to the official information, it makes 2858 million roubles on July 1. And debts are equal to 2191,7 million in agriculture, 388,5 million in industry, 206,6 million in construction industry, 71,2 in other fields. Situation is even worse in Grodno region – debts amount to 3940,3 million roubles.

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Trial over the suspected perpetrators of ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky’s abduction will be non-public, said at the July 13 press-conference Belarusian Minister for the Interior Vladimir Naumov. Moreover, the man pinpointed that former “Almaz” fighters will only be tried for kidnapping Zavadsky, as far as the investigators gathered no evidence of their involvement in other crimes. Naumov also confessed that they lack proof of their engagement in this one too and may at one point drop charges. He didn’t say though whether the criminals could be set free after all.

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“Narodnaya Volya” received a watch, which, as believed by their present owner, could belong to Yuri Zakahrenko, who went missing two years ago. The whereabouts of ex-Minister for the Interior are still unidentified. The incident, which occurred May 7, 2001 night, remains mystery. Latest sensational statements, voiced by the procuracy detectives Petrushkevich and Sluchek, came as a shock to everyone – for the last three years a special death squad has been operating in the country. Same people allege that the abductions of Lukashenko’s opponents had been perpetrated by these people.

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France Press reports that on the occasion of the first anniversary since the vanishing of ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky US State Department representative Richard Boucher underscored that the United Stated are particularly worried about harassment and persecution of opposition advocates in Belarus.

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today at 11a.m. in the National press-center. The Minister of Internal Affairs of Belarus intends to answer “any questions on the ORT cameraman’s abduction”. Such a claim was made by him ahead of the coming press-conference, although it would be extremely difficult for him to account for disappearances.

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Procuracy investigation group claims that it accomplished investigation proceedings into ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky’s disappearance case, reports RIA “Novosti”. Former “Almaz” officers Valery Ignatovich and three others are acting as suspects in the process.

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Alexander Volchanin – former head of the initiative group for nominating Alexander Lukashenko as candidate for the presidency from Zhodino town is feeling increasingly harsh pressure from the authorities. The man said this at the July 12 press-conference.

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Speaker of the 13th Supreme Soviet Syamon Sharetsky, who had previously stayed in Lithuania, left for the United States, said the secretary of the Lithuanian Association of human rights Stasis Kaushinis. Sharetsky undercover immigrated to Vilnius in 1999. He said he feared for his safety in Belarus. Lithuanian Sejm chair of the day Vitautas Landsbergis personally made sure that Sharetsky enjoys normal living conditions.

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Brest electro-mechanical factory put on sale their machinery and containers with one purpose in mind – to find means to pay workers’ their salaries. Most of the sales money, instead of covering the raw materials purchase for the manufacture process, will be used to clear off the company’s indebtedness before employees, as ordered by the government’s directive.

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Salary debts were the reason for the extra-curricular assembly of the Brest regional council. Among the companies, which developed chronic indebtedness, were Baranovichi automatic lines plant (138,2mln rubles), Brest electro-mechanical plant (70,1mln rubles), Ivatsevichi wood-processing factory (36,5mln), Ivatsevichi (17,5) and Kobrin (14,2) wool factories, husbandries “Russia” (43) and “Masherova” (37,6) and many others.

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