“Gasprom” is planning to cease supplying gas to Belarus, which during the nine months 2002 has already pumped out from the Russian gas monopolist 1,5bln cubic meters of natural gas, said at the opening ceremony in Vyborg of the complex for the production of liquefied natural gas, deputy head of the “Gasprom’s” board Alexander Ryazanov. According to him, “Gasprom” will be seeking alternative suppliers for Belarus, who are selling gas at $35-36 for 1thsd cubic meters, rather than at $24, as was the case with “Gasprom”.

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Yesterday the head of the entrepreneurial trade union of the Grodno “Yuzhny” market Valery Levonevsky, held in the Oktyabrsky confinement center of Grodno, went on a hunger-strike. Before that move the judge of the Leninsky district court Natalya Kozel sentenced Levonevsky to 15 days of arrest for organizing the unsanctioned entrepreneurial meeting, held on October 11 on the Lenin’s square opposite the Grodno town hall.

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Belarusian embassy in Russia can’t tell the exact figure of Belarusians, who are held hostage in the Theatrical center in Dubrovka in Moscow. RIA “Novosti” reports with a reference to the Belarusian diplomatic representation, that, according to preliminary estimations, there are no more than 10 of them.

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Latest events unfolding in Moscow make us call into question Moscow’s ability to resolve the Chechen problem. The final outcome of the Moscow history remains unidentified, but one thing is clear – this is a result of the Chechen crisis. Ilyas Ahmadov, Chechen Foreign Minister condemned the terrorist act in an interview to the Radio Svaboda, pointing out that it is Kremlin, which bears responsibility for the attack owing to its unceasingly growing military violence in Chechnya. “President Maskhadov and other leaders have always denounced any terror and violence outbursts, which endanger the lives of innocent civilians. Something that we are witnessing in Moscow is a result of a war, unleashed by the Kremlin leaders. I believe, Russian leadership bears responsibility for every human death there.”

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Fearful events are currently unfolding near the Moscow Palace of culture of ball-bearing plant, where the Chechen guerillas hold over 700 civilians hostage. Among the latter there are also Belarusian nationals. In this connection, we asked to comment on the tragic occurrence the famous Belarusian filmmaker Yuri Khaschevatsky, who has just finished his documentary about Chechnya “Caucasian captives”. The film shows how people’s lives get transformed in the process of war. “I noticed that many people felt rather curious about the war. Boring and miserable life made them think that war would change things for the better. Today it is important to understand that war is something awful and it makes beasts out of people. Both the Chechen rebels and Russian troops are becoming beastlike. And there atrocities soon penetrate the peaceful society”.

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Chargé d`Affaires of the US mission Douglas Davidson delivered another statement on human rights situation in Belarus to the Permanent Council in Vienna on October 24, 2002. Following read the full transcript of the statement:

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The news was announced yesterday by the Belarusian Ministry of foreign affairs. After Josan’s departure OSCE AMG in Minsk will have no more foreign diplomats.

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Radio Svaboda turned for the commentary on the eviction of the last remaining AMG OSCE official in Minsk Alina Josan to the press-secretary of OSCE Aihan Eurensel, who expressed firsthand OSCE reaction to the Foreign Ministry’s statement.

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RFE/RL President Thomas A Dine welcomed the release today from a prison in Bamberg, Germany of RFE/RL Belarusian Service journalist Natalia Sudliankova.

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