Representatives of democratic forces of Belarus issued a declaration in support of activists of resistance movement Zubr Mikita Sasim and Andrei Chyzh, who were arrested on March 10 for spreading newspaper “Supratsiw”. In the declaration the democrats state: “We, representatives of the democratic forces of Belarus, express our solidarity with political prisoners, activists of the Zubr movement Mikita Sasim and Adrei Chyzh, who were thrown into a pre-trial detention cell in Baranavichy, and demand their discharge. We protest against actions of the authorities, who pressurize the students of Baranavichy college of light industry, who joined the youth movement Zubr”.

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On 9 March Minsk City Executive Committee decided to prolong the rent of the building in Rumiantsaw Street, 13 to Frantsysk Skaryna Association of Belarusian Language and filed a letter to the ABL secretariat that read: “Your letter to the head of the administration of president of the Republic of Belarus U.R. Latupaw was considered at Minsk City Real Estate Center. It was decided to prolong the rent agreement to 4 February 2005”.

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Activist of Zubr movement Ivan Vasikaw was detained on March 11 by riot squad policemen during handing out a new issue of newspaper “Suprastiw” (“Resistance”) in Minsk. Zubrs hand out newspapers in the center of the city, by the metro station “Kastrychnitskaya”. Ivan Vasikaw was taken to the district administration of internal affairs, where a report was drawn up for dissemination of printed materials without imprint, Zubr press service einforms.

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New graffiti in the form of Zubr logo emerged March 12 overnight on the buyilding of the City committee of the BRYU in Minsk in Karl Marks Street. Activists of the resistance movement in this way expressed their protest against pressure on students of Baranavichy College of light industry, who joined opposition movement Zubr, by leadership of the BRYU. Graffiti were painted on the walls of the city committee and on the building close to it. Though it has happened in close proximity of Lukashenka’s residence, nobody was detained, Zubr press-service informs.

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American Committee to Protect Journalists, which headquarters are situated in New York, has issued another annual report on journalists who were assaulted and killed in line of duty. As Russian service of Radio Liberty was informed by coordinator of the Committee to Protect Journalists Alex Lupis, Belarus as a matter of fact has turned into an informational black hole on the European continent. According to Lupis, in Belarus government carries out an extremely aggressive policy against freedom of press. It includes fines, hampering mass media distribution, damaging words against journalists, and even assault and battery by security service officers. Disappearance of reporter Dzmitry Zavadsky is not investigated yet, as the government put obstacles in the way of investigation. President Lukashenka himself is involved into this crime, said coordinator of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

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Navapolatsk town executive committee again refused to postpone the registration of the organizational structures of the Free Trade Union of Belarus. As the leader of Navapolatsk-Polatsk regional organization of the Free Trade Union of Belarus Uladzimir Antanovich, local authorities deliberately delay registration of the Free Trade Union’s structures on far-fetched reasons, which are not justified neither from the point of view of law, nor from the point of view of common sense.

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A number of national flags were hanged out by Baranavichy Zubr activists from the college of light industry. It was a sign of protest against arrest of Mikita Sasim and Andrei Chyzh. White-red-white flags were hoisted between buildings in the Savetskaya Street, in the center of the town. In this street the college and students hostel are situated, and lots of students live there.

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