On January 13 in an informal conversation at Chuhunachny district police department of Homiel journalist of the Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta (BDG) Iryna Makavetskaya was informed that it is impossible to bring a criminal action on the case of menace to her life. The reason is the absence of a specific article in the Code relating threats on the phone. To institute proceedings the threat must be revealed in some actions. “The action was not brought up, they have not even sent a request to the telephone station to find out who was calling. I feel defenseless now. I see no interest from the side of the police, on the contrary, I have a thought that this situation must have been planned”, said Iryna to the human rights center Viasna.
Reporters Without Borders has condemned a crackdown against the country’s top selling newspaper, the independent Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta (BDG). The Belarus post office, Belpochta, which delivers the newspapers to subscribers countrywide as well as the state distributor Belsayuzdruk, have both cancelled their 2004 contracts with the newspaper. Elsewhere, death threats were made overnight on 10/11 January against Irina Makovetskaya, the newspaper’s correspondent in Gomel, southern Belarus.
The main topic of yesterday’s press conference of the Minister of Internal Affairs Uladzimir Navumaw was a report on political abductions in Belarus, prepared by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. It occurred at urgent request of journalists. First of all Navumaw was asked to comment on the conclusion of Christos Pourgourides on possible involvement of the highest Belarusian officials to disappearances of politicians. Navumaw replied that he himself had been just answering Mr.Pourgourides’ questions and had no idea why he arrived to such a conclusion.
On January 14 judge of Lenin district court Alena Tserashkova issued an official warning to the president of the World Association of Belarusan Jewry Jakov Gutman. Jakov Gutman came to the building of presidential Administration with a poster “Mr. Lukashenka, please stop demolition of Jewish sacred places, Jewish cemeteries, and the memorial to the victims of Holocaust. Jakov Gutman”. He was detained. At the police station he was kept for several hours. Police officers drew up a statement of the case for an unsanctioned picket, and after that Jewish activist was taken to court.
On January 15 of the Jakub Kolas National Humanities Lyceum celebrates the 14th anniversary of its foundation. For 13 years this celebration was held in the building of the Lyceum without any hindrances and was accompanied by impressive performances, various photo exhibitions, concerts and a well-known research-and-practice conference. However in summer 2003 it happened that a number of distressing events were disturbing the Lyceum. The authorities took away the building of the Lyceum and liquidated it, though they failed to destroy it.
Dear Colleagues. Remember, please, you are expected to refer to the Charter`97 Press Center when using the site materials. News export , javascript-informer
, javascript-informer
