Chairman of the United Civil Party Anatoly Lebedko delivered his speech at the June 24 PACE session in Strasbourg, pointing out the recent crackdown on the freedom of speech and press in the country. Following comes the transcript of his speech:

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The news on Russian state television on Wednesday morning included a weekly segment called "Moscow and Minsk", 15 minutes of propaganda for the `Russia-Belarus Union` that is supposed to be taking shape following the signing of a largely meaningless treaty between the two countries six years ago. I agonised for the poor presenter, and for the writers struggling with her script. Their job was difficult enough at the best of times, finding peasants and politicians to fill the airwaves with mindless pap about a supposed future union that few people in Russia thought would ever happen and nobody much cared about anyway. But now it has become downright impossible, because even the two countries` leaders have stopped believing in the union.

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Last week’s sudden and undisguised escalation of tensions in relations between Moscow and Minsk was perceived by many as sensation, though it is not such in reality. Two years ago it became clear that the friendship of the two states and oaths of allegiance were accompanied by tendencies which can well turn both sides into zealous opponents, if not irreconcilable foes. One should rather marvel at the fact that both state restrained themselves, not allowing any scandals to shatter their relations.

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A new version of the “Law on the freedom of faith and religious organizations” was characterized by the participants of the open public hearings as “shameful and disgraceful”. Hearings, which involved over 150 scholars, diplomats, journalists and representatives of various public and religious organizations, took place on June 24 in the International educational center in Minsk.

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Special rapporteur on Belarus Wolfgang Berendt read out a brief report on the outcomes of the PACE delegation’s visit to Minsk during June 24 PACE session. “The mission was a tough one, for it took place in light of the conflict between Belarus and OSCE. This undoubtedly influenced our trip and complicated Belarus’ relations with the international organizations as a whole,” – said Mr.Berendt.

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The International League for Human Rights, dedicated to protecting human rights worldwide, denounced recent crackdown on free press in Belarus and, in particular, the accusatory verdicts, passed against the “Pagonya” journalists Nikolai Markevich and Pavel Mozheiko. Following read the full text of the League’s address to Lukashenko:

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Grodno court finished legal proceedings on the case of the journalists, who published a verse about Alexander Lukashenko. The jury sentenced “Pagonya” editor Markevich to 2,5 and journalist Mozheiko – to 2 years of hard labor. Next in line for imprisonment are the journalists, who have written that Lukashenko is a lunatic and psychiatrists, who diagnosed him as such. This group of people can be punished more severely.

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In this way the Belarusian “parliament’s” commentator Sergei Kostyan characterized the recent speech on the “union state”, delivered by Russia’s president Vladimir Putin during yesterday’s press-conference. “Something that Putin suggested is inadmissible for Belarus. And he knew that it will be so, when he dictated his proposal,” – said Kostyan. According to him, by voicing such statements, Putin is fulfilling the “Jewish lobby’s order”, which, in its turn, “is being guided by the directives from Washington”.

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Belarusian politicians view differently yesterday’s speech by Putin. Each of them was trying to notice there some hidden motive, which would suit his own purpose best. BelaPAN interviewed in this connection the main Belarusian Liberal-Democrat Gaidukevich, leader of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party “Narodnaya Gromada” Statkevich and communist Kalyakin.

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June 25 will see the start of operation of the second channel ONT (All-Nation’s TV). The ONT channel will be broadcasted on the ORT frequency and will cover 98% of the Belarusian territory. From the very first day the company will televise newscasts “Our news”. It will see light every day at 8.35p.m., right after the “Vremya” program. The new TV channel is run by the notorious representatives of the First national channel: Grigory Kisel, Egor Khrustalev, Yuri Koziyatko etc. This fact alone testifies to the real nature of the newborn media outlet. Pundits say that one cannot expect anything new from the second channel.

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President of the Russian Trade Industrial Palace Evgeny Primakov will come on a visit to Minsk on June 25. Belarusian embassy in Moscow reports that Alexander Lukashenko will rendezvous with Evgeny Primakov on June 26, that is tomorrow.

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