Defamation suit was opened on July 14 by the chairman of the Belarusian trade union of radio-electronic industry Gennady Fedynich. The defendants in the case are chairman of the Belarusian Federation of trade unions Leonid Kozik and editorial board of the newspaper “Belarusky Chas”.

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Written reprimand from the Justice Department of the Minsk city hall was received on July 15 by the public association “Independent society of legal research”. The basis for issuing that reprimand was the society’s members’ participation in lawsuits, touching upon NGOs, such as representing the public’s position in a court hearing on the liquidation of the Grodno regional public association “Ratusha”.

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Fifth inspection of the activities of the “Vesna” human rights center in course of this year was initiated by the Justice Ministry. BelaPAN was told in “Vesna” that the four previous check-ups commenced in no time after the local elections. This time the Ministry of justice organized the complete examination of the organization’s statutory activities, namely of their compliance with the current legislation.

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Belarus and Russia claim unready for the creation of a unique regional Air Defense system for the time being, said at the Tuesday press-conference in Minsk Air Force and Air Defense Commander of Belarus, major-general Oleg Paferov.

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Belarus will have its pilots’ training program reformed, said at July 15 press-conference in the National press-center the Commander of Air Force and Air Defense of Belarus major-general Oleg Paferov. The purchase of L-39 jets will help them start practical training of students of the aviation department of the Military Academy on the territory of our country. Right now they are being trained at the ROSTO air club in Vyazma. Flights on L-39 planes will raise their air experience by 3-3,5 times, therefore solving the lack of professional training problem.

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Alexander Lukashenko has recently achieved unbelievable heights in the ideological brain-washing of population. The documentary, televised by the national channel BT with him as a main hero, made a role model cinema star out of Lukashenko. The film “Land under white wings” portrays him as a guide for foreigners and TV viewers, acquainting them with his native Belarus. The authors also mention certain details about hard life in Lukashenko’s residence. The temperature there averages 17 degrees Celcium – Lukashenko is convinced that brains are functioning worse in warmth and better in coolness.

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The parents of the students of the liquidated Humanities Lyceum of Yakub Kolas organized a parental meeting, at which they determined not to make any concessions to the city officials. On September 1 the whole Lyceum will convene in one building.

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The share of state’s participation in the statutory fund of the “Capital Television” joint stock company will be raised to 90%, reads the decree, signed by the president. Therefore, the previous ratio of stockholders with 71% of shares belonging to the Minsk city hall and 29% to the joint stock company “Cosmos TV” has now been significantly changed.

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Following a half-year pause the authorities now reopened investigation into the disappearance case of Viktor Gonchar and Anatoly Krasovsky, abducted by the unknown on September 16, 1999. The decision to renew the search was passed by the Minsk prosecutor Nikolai Kulik. He also ruled to replace the detective by Sergei Kuharenok. He will be the third investigator on the matter after Sergei Novikov and Vladimir Chumachenko. The previous two after a series of investigative actions confessed that they faced certain complications, which don’t let them finish off investigation successfully.

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A long-promised decree on licensing has finally been signed. The number of licensed types of activities contracted by three times – and it seems to be quite an important achievement. One could at first marvel and rejoice at such a progress, but somehow it turns out that decree #17 isn’t at all so great, as one could get an impression at first glance.

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