The Coordination Council of democratic forces is seriously alarmed by the forthcoming on September 11 trial proceedings over the editor of the free newspaper “Rabochy” Viktor Ivashkevich. CCDF called on those, who care about Ivashkevich’s fate to come to the Pervomaisky district court of Minsk at 10p.m. on that day. Viktor Ivashkevich is charged with crimes, envisaged by parts 1,2 of article 14, part 2 of article 367, part 1 of article 368 of the Belarusian Penal Code.

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Administrative action against the chairman of the Grodno UCP branch Yuri Istomin over his violation of art. 167-1/1 of the Administrative code (participation in an unsanctioned rally) was considered on September 2 in the Leninsky district court of Grodno. Yuri Istomin, along with the activists of versatile organizations, was apprehended on July 8 in course of the action, dedicated to the second year since ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky’s abduction. Judge Demchenko found Istomin guilty of violating the “established order of holding pickets” and fined him 200thsd BLR ($110).

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Former lawyer Igor Aksenchik studied on September 2 the criminal case materials on libel (art. 188/2 of the Criminal code), instituted against him by the Leninsky district procuracy of Minsk. Aksenchik represented mother of the missing ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky during a trial over the group of the former riot police officer Valery Ignatovich.

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“Schools must become not only the educational and cultural institutions but also a birthplace of propaganda of our current state policy,” – declared Alexander Lukashenko on September 2 in Molodechno, where he took part in an opening ceremony of the school #14, reports BelaPAN. Lukashenko left the following inscription in the school’s Book of dignitaries: “I’ll be glad if our school becomes a stronghold of state policy”.

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On August 31 the Russian ORT channel televised Pavel Sheremet’s documentary “Wild Manhunt-2”. Regrettably, the Belarusian TV audience could not watch it, for the ONT leadership, broadcasting its programs on the ORT frequency, refused to show the film in order not to “thwart the climate of trust in the Belarusian society”. Radio Ratsya site offers to its visitors an opportunity to see the movie. Download (111 Mb, Mpeg4, AVI). Program for viewing the film (DivXPro, 3 Mb).

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On September 3 the wives of the missing Belarusian opposition members – businessman Anatoly Krasovsky and journalist Dmitry Zavadsky – will visit the Hague upon invitation of the influential human rights watchdog “Amnesty International”. The women will meet with the president of the commission for foreign affairs of the Dutch parliament France Timmermans. Moreover, Irina Krasovskaya and Svetlana Zavadskaya will pay a visit to the Ministry of foreign affairs and talk to the ambassador for human rights Mrs.Jones Bosh.

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The president of Iraq Saddam Hussein said on Monday that the USA are plotting a military action against his country “in order to put under control the oil resources of the Middle East”. “America believes that by destroying Iraq she will get into possession the oil riches of the region, constituting 65% of the world’s resources,” – mentioned the leader of Iraq, welcoming in Baghdad the chairman of the Belarusian section of the Joint Belarusian-Iraqi commission for trade and economic cooperation Leonid Kozik. The latter delivered to Saddam Hussein personal missive from Alexander Lukashenko.

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From time to tome among the brotherly Slav nations there occur things, which are commonplace for any other fraternity. In Moscow Russian national Vladimir Putin shook hands with Belarusian Alexander Lukashenko and left a symbolic brotherly kiss on his cheek. However, such gentleness between the presidents is more of a lethal political kiss. The snag is, Putin’s unification plan envisages the incorporation of a 10mln strong Belarus.

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On September 3 the individual entrepreneurs of Novopolotsk, Polotsk, Orsha and Vitebsk will embark on a one-day warning strike protesting against the decision to introduce cash machines and supporting the businessmen of Gomel and Mogilev, who had undertaken an unlimited strike on September 1.

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In late August two husbandries of the Tolochinsky and Gorodoksky peasants refused to work until they are paid out due wages.

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