(Geneva) Human rights defenders are subject to a deliberate pattern of obstruction, harassment and intimidation by the Belarusian authorities to ultimately silence them, Amnesty International said today publishing its report Belarus: Stifling the promotion of human rights.

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Since March 25 the Instruction of the Ministry of Information “On distribution of periodicals registered in foreign states on the territory of Belarus” was put in force. The new document stipulates a stricter control over distribution of foreign mass media in Belarus, the press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists informs.

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In Polatsk persecution of activists of independent trade union continues. On March 26 chairman of a branch of the Free Trade Union of Polatsk heat and power plant Aleh Shaitar was fired. He worked as a senior operator of boiler and turbine shop. The pretext for giving him notice was “non-fulfillment of functional check of equipment”.

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Seven detained participants of a meeting that took place in Salihorsk on March 25, were summoned to the town court of Salihorsk. Five of them were fined, one was issued a warning, and a trial over another one participant is to be held this week, Radio Svaboda informs.

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About 40 people took part in celebration on the occasion of the Freedom Day (Day of proclamation of the Belarusian Democratic Republic) in New York (USA). In the canter of the city young people gathered. The majority were former students from Belarus. The organizer of the action was emigrant organization “BAZA” headed by Zyanon Paznyak, ex-leader of the Belarusian Popular Front, who emigrated in 1996. The participants of the action came to the building of the UN General Headquarters with national white-red-white flags and slogans criticizing Lukashenka’s regime. After that they proceeded to the Belarusian mission in the UN.

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The administration of Baranavichy State College of Light Industry continues to revenge the young people who left the Belarusian Republican Youth Union and joined the opposition movement Zubr. Today at 2 p.m. a council of teachers is to take place. Sasim is invited to come. Director of the college Alyaxandar Lis does not conceal his aspiration to expel Sasim, and some teachers told the student about it. Press service of the Zubr movement does not doubt that these events are politically motivated, because Nikita had good results in studies. Last week a meeting of teacher has taken place already, and it ruled to expel Katsyaryna Bankevich, but to put her “on probation”. She was charged with dissemination of the Zubr bulletin.

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