On April 28, when the situation with human rights in Belarus is to be considered at the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, “Belarusian-European Association” (BEA) organizes a picket in Strasbourg. Representatives of the Belarusian diaspora are going to demand the PACE deputies to influence the situation in Belarus more actively, and to consider objectively the cases of disappearances of prominent figures in Belarus (Yuri Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasowski and Dzmitry Zavadski).

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“Many people think that the criminal action against me is so absurd that such things cannot happen at all. And it is a great mistake, as everything is possible in our country. The things that are happening to the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and to me personally have the only explanation: somebody wants to intimidate everybody. If it is possible to treat this way the head of the well-known organization, to disdain the opinion of the European Commission, reaction of the European Union, it is possible to treat everybody the way one wants and nobody would be responcible for that”, in this way the chair of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Tatsiana Protska commented to the Charter’97 press center the fact that on April 23 investigator of the Department of Financial Investigations of the State Control Committee in Minsk and Minks region, proclaimed her a suspect in a criminal case relating non-payment of taxes from the money received in the framework of the technical assistance TASIS program. This program was created by the European Commission for carrying out projects in the CIS countries. According to the European Commission requirements, TASIS progects in Belarus are free from taxation.

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On the eve of the Charnobyl catastrophe anniversary Lukashenka’s propaganda machine stooped to political speculation on the Belarusian tragedy and to shameless lie. As the press service of the Belarusian Popular Front Party informs, Prokopov in a TV reel “the Way to Nowhere” of the evening program “In Centre of Attention” told that allegedly “Chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front Party V. Vyachorka has promised that when the BPF would come to power, they would stop support of the regions affected by Charnobyl”.

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On April 25 at the market I nthe town of Lida Uladzimir Levaneyski, son of the chairman of the Small Traders National Strike Committee, member of the European Coalition “Free Belarus” Valery Levaneyski.

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After the Belarusian Helsinki committee’s suit to revert the decision of the tax inspection about sanctions against the human rights organization, the BHC chairperson Tatsiana Protska was named a suspect and she was to give a written undertaking not to leave a place.

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Situation of refugees and displaced persons in the CIS countries, situation in Kosovo, objectives of the UN reinforcement, Euro and European economy – these are the main issues of the spring session of the Parliamentary session of the Council of Europe (PACE), which is to open on Monday in Strasbourg and to last till April 30. Besides consideration of the two PACE resolutions condemning Belarusian authorities for actions limiting mass media freedom and for disappearances of people are on the agenda .

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The European Union and Russia are to cooperate in the question of democracy support in Belarus. It was stated by British Minister on European Affairs Dennis MacShane in his interview to RIA Novosti. He reminded that after the EU enlargement Belarus is to become the immediate neighbour of the European Union. “We are worried by total ignoring the civil freedoms in this country, - told the minister. “Moscow and Brussels are to cooperate in support of democracy, rule of law and human right respect in Belarus,” he underlined, adding that it could become a new issue on the agenda of the Russian-European cooperation.

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