There can be no double standards in relations between Belarus and Germany, German Ambassador Martin Hecker said at Sunday’s Unity Day reception in Minsk. The reception, which also marked the opening of a new German consular office in the city, was held at the International Educational Center (IBB).

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Only two of six candidates for election in Hrodna, who published their election programs declared their desire to defend the freedom of speech in Belarus. This statement can be found in the candidates` statements, published in the Hrodna regional press this week. Both candidates, concerned with the freedom of speech were nominated by the BPF Party.

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One of leaders of “Zubr” movement Aliaksey Shidlousky fined on 570 000 rubles (about USD 300) for distributing newspapers “Zubr”.

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On October 1 at the railway station in Vitsebsk a famous human rights activist, member of the European coalition “Free Belarus” Valery Schukin was subject to illegal search. The human rights watchdog was detained by the policemen, though he had a ticket to Minsk. Valery Schukin was taken to the police office, searched. Policemen demanded to show the contents of his brief case. The policemen explained his actions by the necessity to check every suspicious person who might have an explosive assembly.

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The license for publishing a weekly “Rehianalnyia Vedamastsi” has been suspended for three month. This independent newspaper is published in the town of Horki of Mahilyou region, and has a circulation of 4 thousand copies.

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Several groups of the Zubr movement members in Mahilyou have handed out newspapers in the public transport of the city. Several thousands of copies of the new issue of the newspaper “Zubr” were handed out in buses and trolleybuses in different parts of the city. The authorities tried to prevent it, and conductors were ordered to stop this action. But they could not do so, especially as many passengers were willingly receiving the newspapers, and expressed thanks, the press service of the movement informs.

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Vitsebsk oppositionists Barys Khamajda was mulcted 380 thousands (more than 176 USD). Policemen detained him on October 1 in front of the Vitsebsk executive committee, where he was selling a newspaper “Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta”. On his chest he had a little placard “Let’s not go to the deceitful referendum and pseudo-elections”.

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Hrodna executive committee has not permitted the chairman of the local branch of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Paval Mazhejka to carry out a protest picket in the city park of Zhyliber on October 4. In the denial signed by the city executive committee chairman Valiantsin Lyavonaw it was said: “Hrodna city executive committee cannot agree to organizing a picket on October 4, 2004… because it violates Article 5 of the Belarusian Law On Mass Meetings in the Republic of Belarus”. It was not indicated what violation the journalist had made.

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Leaflets “Say “NO” at the Referendum” were confiscated from the head of Vitsebsk branch of the Lew Sapeha Foundation. The leaflets were held in the boot of the car, in which Chrystafor Zhaliapaw was driving from Vitsebsk to Lepel.

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Police in Minsk on October 2 conducted a raid on the office of the Belarusian Free Trade Union where there was a meeting of a group spearheading the establishment of an organization called Aychyna (Fatherland), said the Belarusian Service of RFE/RL. The police reportedly wrote down the name and address of each of more than 100 people in attendance.

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Police seized large quantities of campaign leaflets from registered parliamentary candidates Valentina Polevikova and Aleksandr Dobrovolsky, activists of the United Civic Party (UCP), as a result of a search of their campaign office on the night of October 1. More than 10 police officers led by a deputy chief of Minsk`s Leninsky district police office followed plumbers in the apartment used by the candidates as the campaign office and got down to searching it without producing any warrant, according to the Belarusian Service of RFE/RL.

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Uladzimir Vialichkin, head of Berascie regional branch of association “Human Rights Center “Spring” liquidated in 2003, was summoned to the police station (Berasie, vul Masherava, 27). At the beginning of the conversation the deputy of the district militia officer advised Uladzimir to change the address of the “office” because they have “too much headache because of it”. Than they drew up a statement of the case against Uladzimir about violation of part 1 of article 167/10 of Code on Administrative Humiliations “Activity on behalf of unregistered political parties, trade unions or other associations”.

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Belarus will strengthen joint military capabilities with Russia and to try to recreate the Soviet-time military-industrial complex, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday, the Itar-Tass news agency reported. Speaking at the military exercise named "Shchit Otechestva-2004" (Fatherland`s Shield), Lukashenko said it would be sensible to try, together with Russia, to "recreate the Soviet-time military-industrial complex".

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As many as 57 members of the outgoing 110-seat House of Representatives stand for reelection, Nikolai Lozovik, secretary of the central election commission, told BelaPAN.

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Nine students were injured as a result of an explosion, which rocked a school in Belarus yesterday, the Belarus` Emergency Ministry told RIA Novosti. According to the information from the ministry, the explosion took place at secondary school of the Pukhovichesky district. A six-grade student reportedly brought an identified bomb to his class room.

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