Four more persons joined the hunger strike of the deputies of the “Respublika” group. The members of the United Civil Party from Vitsebsk: Ella Setkouskaya, Tatsyana Zajkova and Fiodar Bakunou started their action today at 9 a.m.

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Human rights organization Amnesty International considers opposition activist Axana Novikava to be a prisoner of conscience. . She was sentenced to two and a half years at a corrective labour facility for libeling president. “The conviction of Axana Novikava for distributing leaflets critical of president Lukashenka is a further proof of Belarus`s total disregard for international human rights standards and legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression”, Amnesty International told.

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Officers of the KGB (State Security Committee) have visited the apartment of underage Zubr activist Syarhei Harelau today.

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Seventeen opposition activists in Belarus pledged Sunday to continue their hunger strike Sunday to protest the policies of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko despite the deteriorating health of at least one of them. The strike was begun on June 3 by three members of Respublika, the only opposition party in parliament, to protest a possible referendum on a third term for Lukashenko, to demand freedom for a jailed opposition leader and to push for changes in election laws. Fourteen opposition activists from six Belarusian cities later joined the protest.

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Russia is concerned about issues related to the creation of a common information space for Russia and Belarus, Russia`s ambassador to Minsk Alexander Blokhin told journalists.

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Despite of worsened state of health, deputy of the Chamber of Representatives General Valery Fralou is set to continue a hunger strike started on June 3. “The health condition is satisfactory, I am set to continue the protest,” told Valery Fralou in his interview to BelaPAN.

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Leader of the businessmen’s initiative “Perspektiva” Anatol Shumchanka was detained on June 11. First the unknown in mufti blocked his car, and then the policemen approached him and asked to show ID. Then the policemen took him to the office of the “Perspektiva”, where they found and confiscated 500 leaflets with the call for businessmen to participate in the nation-wide strike against arbitrariness of the authorities. As Shumchanka told to Radio Svaboda, the policemen have drawn up a report on violation of administrative code (illegal dissemination of leaflets).

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On June 10-11 policemen detained oppositionist from Vitsebsk Barys Khamajda for the period while Alyaxandar Lukashenka was taking part in the seminar for top officials in Vitsebsk. According to Khamajda, in the answer to the question “Why have you been taking me for so long in the police department?” the answer of the policemen was “Because you are not glad that Lukashenka is coming”. His apprehension was not justified by anything else. Policemen even have not drawn up a report for violation of public order, Radio Racyja informed.

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