Coordinator of the European Coalition “Free Belarus”, chairman of the Belarusian Social-Democratic party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich visited Warsaw and met a newly elected chairman of the Polish Union of Left Democrats (SLD) Krzysztof Janik and Secretary General of SLD Marek Dyduch. During the meeting the state of affairs in Poland and Belarus was discussed, as well as issues of cooperation.

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On March 15 the Chyhunachny district court of Vitsebsk issued a warning to activists of the Conservative Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front Uladzimir Pleschanka and Alyaxandar Salawyan. The court started right after the detention of oppositionists by the building of the regional executive committee, where they organized their usual protest held each Monday. Alyaxandar Salawyan had a poster “Participation in elections is support to regime”, and Uladzimir Pleschanka had in his hands an announcement “Collection of signatures against union agreement, illegally signed by Alyaxandar Lukashenka”.

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Trials of Zubr activists Alyaxei Lyawkovich, Nasta Vasilenka and Mikita Sasim were to take polace on March 15 in Baranavichy. Yong people are accused of violation of the Article 167-10 of the Administrative Code (Acting on behalf of unregistered organization). Sasim, Lyawkovich and Vasilenka were detained on March 8, when police noticed their badges with Zubr logo. Yesterday judge Mikalai Kmita sent the reports to police for revision. The same judge sentenced Sasim to 10 days of arrest on March 10. Mikita was taken to the court from the pre-trial detention cell, where he serves his sentence now.

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Act on Democracy in Belarus of 2004 can be considered by the House of Representatives of the US Congress as a separate document within nearest weeks. Concrete figures for supporting democracy are not specified in the document, and sanctions against Belarusian authorities are proposed. As the adviser of the Commission on Cooperation and Security in Europe of the US Congress Orest Deychakiwsky told the “Beloruuskij Rynok”, soon a new version of the Act on Democracy in Belarus would be presented in the House of Representatives of the US Congress. The new version was approved by the International Committee of the US Congress in the end of February.

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