The trial over the leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada), coordinator of the European Coalition, Mikola Statkevich, has taken place today in the court of the Tsentralny district of Minsk. Mikola Statkevich was accused of participation in the unsanctioned meeting of individual entrepreneurs on October Square in Minsk on March 1. Judge Alyaksei Bychko fined the leader of Social Democrats 150 basic units for participation in the meeting, and 5 basic units for contempt of court (in total about 4, 000, 000 rubles, or 1, 830 USD).
“I think that reopened investigation in the case of Dzmitry is connected with the resolution on Belarus, which is to be considered at the session of the UN Commission on Human Rights. I have just come back from Geneva, and I could say that the UN Commission is seriously concerned by the question of politically motivated disappearances in Belarus. The official Belarusian delegation has nothing to say in their excuse, so they have decided to reopen investigation for some time,” in this way Dzmitry Zavadsy’s wife, Svyatlana Zavadskaya, the leader of the civil initiative “We Remember” commented on reopening of Zavadsky’s disappearance investigation. “Last time, - Svyatlana reminded, - the case was reopened on the eve of consideration of the report “Disappeared in Belarus” by Christos Pourgourides, Special Rapporteur of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly. I do not believe in such coincidences”.
An abrupt turn in the case of the disappeared journalist Dzmitry Zavadski has taken place. The case was reopened “in connection with new investigatory actions”, told Zavadsky’s mother, Volha Zavadskaya, to the human rights center “Viasna”.
A high-ranking official with the Swedish foreign ministry stressed that his country would continue its dialog with the Belarusian government and push for more attention to relations with Belarus within the European Union (EU). “We will make sure that the EU keeps and actually increases its engagement with Belarus, especially with the aim of contributing to opening up Belarusian society and promoting democracy here,” Olof Skoog, director general for political affairs at the Swedish foreign ministry, said in an interview with BelaPAN.
Belarus does not need help of Ukraine and the USA in “promotion of freedom”. “The Belarusian question will be solved by Belarus itself,” declared the head of Belarusian FM Syarhei Martynau, today, on April 6, commenting on the statement of the leaders of Ukraine and the USA in Washington, that they would “cooperate in support of reforms, democracy, and promotion of freedom in such countries as Cuba and Belarus,” RSN informs.
The leader of Social Democrats Mikola Statkevich was called to the Tsentralny police department of Minsk. He was told that this time the case is relating the events on March 1. On that day about 3,000 vendors gathered on October square protesting against a new VAT system. The head of the public association “Perspektyva” Anatol Shumchanka and the chairwoman of Minsk branch of the United Civil Party Maryna Bahdanovich.
On April 23 in Prague the International Forum of Left and Green Parties of Europe is to take place. The main topic of the forum is security in Europe. The Belarusian “deputy”, member of the Communist Party of Belarus Syarhei Kastyan (Sergey Kostyan). In the theses of his statement which were handed out to the “deputies”, the Communist asserts that the third world war has already started. The USA are opposing the whole civilized world, and the hawks of capitalism are set to unleash war in Belarus, the “KP in Belarus” informs.
The sitting of the court in case of former Supreme Soviet deputy and businessman Andrei Klimov was rescheduled for April 25. The prosecution had applied for rescheduling of the trial, because the time was needed to them for preparation to pleadings. The defendant Klimov is sure that the Prosecutor’s office is at a loss and does not know what to do.
Belarus is “among the next in line to make a positive step towards democracy,” says Bogdan Klich, a European Parliament (EP) member who chairs the EP-Belarus Delegation, in his article posted on the Tech Central Station website.
Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the United Civic Party (UCP), called “inadequate” and “illegal” the police’s operation on April 6 to disperse a demonstration in downtown Minsk in the memory of the late Gennady Karpenko, an opposition leader who died in mysterious circumstances in 1999.
Members of the Permanent Council of Pro-Democracy Forces agreed on Wednesday to clarify their rules for selecting a single opposition candidate for the 2006 presidential election. Groups involved in the selection process often misinterpret the rules because they are vague, Aleksandr Dobrovolsky, deputy chairman of the United Civic Party (UCP), told BelaPAN.
The UN Human Rights Commission’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention noted the efforts made by the Belarusian authorities to improve the judicial system inherited from the Soviet Union, but expressed concern about the excessive power given to the prosecutors and investigators during the pre-trial detention period.
Political prisoner Aliaksandr Vasilyeu was placed to a national prison hospital in Minsk. According to the lawyer Aliaksandr Birylau, the prisoner is to have complete medical check-up done. The administration of the colony had to agree to it, as Aliaksandr Vasilyeu refused to work because of his health condition. Aliaksandr Birylau says that the prisoner could spend a month ion the hospital. The lawyer plans to meet with Aliaksandr Vasilyeu next week, if allowed.
City authorities in Minsk granted the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BCDTU) a permit for demonstrations in two remote parks on April 13. BCDTU activists intend to protest utility rate hikes and a government directive that took effect on March 1 and indirectly limited wage increases in some industries.
The Ministry of Interior Affairs of Belarus has started mass inspections of foreign employment agencies and firms engaged in tourism business. These measures have followed the decree by Aliaksandr Lukashenka against human trafficking signed on March 9, 2005. By April 15 the Interior Ministry plans to take under control the trips abroad by Belarusian citizens for work and study. All contracts with foreign employees are to be examined by the interior ministry.
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