On August 2 the authorities halted operation of the biggest of all 6 Minsk McDonald’s fast food restaurants. Radio Ratsya reports that they erected a two-meter high fence around the restaurant, located near the central railway station. The Belarusian State University intends to build its new premises on the place. McDonald’s addressed the government of Belarus and the Minsk city hall for clarification.

---

Last night the Grodno journalists Andrei Pochobut, Irina Chernyavka and Andjey Pisalnik stayed in police custody. They were detained in the Pogranichny village, where the local authorities started destroying the first Belarusian temple of the Autocephalous Orthodox church.

---

The judicial process against the newspaper “Nasha Svaboda” starts today in the Moskovsky district court of Minsk. The lawsuit was initiated by the chair of the Committee for state control Anatoly Tozik. The journalists, in their turn, claim that the charges are fabricated, while the court’s goal is to annihilate independent mass media in Belarus.

---

Demolition of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the Pogranichny village of Grodno region commenced at 8p.m. yesterday. In order to prevent the believers from protecting the temple, police cordoned off the place. After that there appeared two cranes near the building and two buses, filled with the young men with short haircuts.

---

Graffiti “Freedom to Malakhov, Severinets and Schukin” were spray-painted overnight August 1-2 on the walls of the special confinement center in the Okrestina str. As you know, businessman Leonid Malakhov was sentenced to 10 days of arrest on July 29 for holding the “Can’t live like that!” picket, protesting against businessmen’s rights violations. The Young Front leader Pavel Severinets received ten days of jail too for organizing a rally on the Independence Day eve July 27 in support of the independent press. Journalist Valery Schukin got 15 days of arrest for an attempt to cover the events, taking place in the Pogranichny village of the Grodno region, where the authorities are destroying the temple of the Autocephalous church. Demands to release the prisoners of conscience were signed by ZUBRs.

---

“Belneftehim” petroleum concern raised on August 1, 2002 wholesale prices on petroleum goods, sold via the “Belneftehim” network and retail prices on gas, supplied by companies which are part of the concern. The prices went 10% up. As you remember, the last price increase occurred on July 5, 2002.

---

Vice-Premier of the Russian government Viktor Khristenko deems that the present relations between Russian oil companies and Belarus refineries don’t comply with the legislation and contradict the very “union state” idea. RIA “Novosti” reports that Khristenko said that on Thursday, commenting on the recent decision by the Belarusian authorities concerning oil supplies. Under that decision, all oil suppliers in Belarus are obliged to freely donate per every ton of fuel processed in Belarus 27 kilos of diesel fuel for the agricultural needs of the country.

---

The Sovietsky district procuracy officials of Minsk paid on August 1 a visit to the headquarters of the United Civil Party. The goal of their visit is to find out whether they hide their any materials (posters, stickers), which defame honor and dignity of Alexander Lukashenko.

---