The leader of the civil initiative “Freedom to political prisoners!”, member of the Council of Civil Initiatives “Free Belarus” Pavel Marynich has received an answer from the Prosecutor’s Office of Belarus. Pavel Marynich had sent an application about an inspection and bringing to account persons guilty of damaging health of his father Mikhail Marynich in the colony number 8 in Vorsha. Because of negligence of the administration of the colony on March 7 former minister of foreign economic relations, Extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador of Belarus Mikhail Marynich had a stroke.
“It is undoubtedly a politically motivated arrest. At present Lukashenka and his clique are literally quaking with fear. Recently the Belarusian officials have received two clear messages: firstly, that Lukashenka is not only a world’s outcast, but that he had been expelled from Moscow on May 9, and secondly – renaming streets give evidence of poor mental health of the dictator,” told the coordinator of the Charter’97, member of the Council of Civil initiatives “Free Belarus” Zmitser Bandarenka, commenting to the Chartyer’97 press center on the arrest of the Belarusian opposition activist, leader of the group “Respublika” Syarhei Skrabets.
The Brest Regional Prosecutor’s Office has instituted criminal proceedings against Sergei Skrebets, a former lawmaker and vocal critic of Aleksandr Lukashenko’s government. As Artyom Polonsky, spokesman for the regional police department, told BelaPAN, the case was opened under Part 1 of the Criminal Code’s Article 13 which penalizes the preparation for committing an offense and under Part 2 of Article 431 that carries punishment for giving a bribe.
Belarusian human rights advocates and analysts expressed certainty that the arrest of ex-MP Sergei Skrebets was linked to his political activities. Mr. Skrebets, who was one of the most vocal critics of Aleksandr Lukashenko in the previous House of Representatives, was arrested in Minsk on May 15 and taken to Brest later in the day. The politician is reportedly accused of giving a $30,000 bribe to an official in the city in southern Belarus.
Aleksandr Milinkevich, a pro-democracy activist without party affiliation, and Sergei Kalyakin, leader of Belarusian Party of Communists (BPC), were proposed for the opposition`s single presidential candidacy at a regional conference of opposition forces held in a forest outside Vitebsk on May 15.
On May 16-17 a Third summit of the Council of Europe is to take place in Warsaw. In the run-up to this summit the COE Secretary General Terry Davis was interviewed by Interfax agency. “I do not see any problem in so-called colour revolutions” until the standards of the Council of Europe in the sphere of democracy, human rights and rule of law are followed. The problems have emerged in many cases when the former governments of these countries ruled without respecting our standards. We know from the newest history that there are moments when the nations’ rush for democracy is so powerful that it finds alternative forms of expression, if the existing system is not recognized as legitimate, open and fair,” told COE Secretary General answering the questions about his attitude towards the revolution wave in the post-Soviet countries.
On May 23 in the court of the Central district of Minsk is to start consideration of the criminal case concerning mass street protests of citizens on October 18 and 19 against rigged voting results in referendum and election.
Belarusian young people are against renaming of the main streets of the capital. “Let’s return our avenues of Skaryna and Masherov!” Under this slogan another protest action was held on May 15 in Minsk.
“Rose revolution” in Georgia, is to have continuation, stated Georgian Parliament Speaker Nino Burdzhanadze on May 13 in her speech at the international conference “Cooperation of Latvian and Georgian parliaments – Latvian experience in integration the EU”. The delegation of Georgian MPs went to Latvia from 12 to14 of May on an official visit. Opening the conference, Mrs. Burdzhanadze stressed that “rose revolution” was not a local event, but influenced the whole post-Soviet territory. The changed have taken place in Ukraine, they are expected in Moldova and Belarus, and as said by her, in Russia has been called for democracy as well.
The United States Friday rejected as completely false a charge by Russia`s security chief that U.S. and other non-governmental groups (NGOs) are plotting revolution in Belarus. The State Department said work of the NGOs is transparent and peaceful. The State Department has rejected in unusually forceful terms a charge by the head of Russia`s FSB security service that U.S. non-governmental groups are part of a covert plot to unseat the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Belarus’ opposition politicians denied the allegation by Russia’s spy chief that Western powers pledged to finance the Belarusian opposition’s plot to unseat Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Andrei Klimau, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th Convocation, is kept in investigative isolator since 22 April. The investigation accuses him in organization of a street action on 25 March that allegedly led to mass riot.
Aliena Zalieskaia, chair of Vitsiebsk city organization of United Civil Party complained to the procurator of Vitsiebsk region. Representatives of other oppositional parties signed the complaint as well. Vitsiebsk opposition demanded from the procurator’s office of Vitsiebsk Kastrychnitski borough board of internal affairs to present the juridical documentation that prohibited standing in the street in white-red-white scarves and holding portraits, because on 7 May the police dispersed participants of “Chain of Concerned People” for it.
Sanitary, fire prevention and tax officers visited the office of Vremya, a private publishing company in Minsk, on May 12, sparking fears that the authorities are preparing to close down the company and its newspaper.
On 8 May the sale of Borisovskie Novosti newspaper stopped at Barysau supermarkets. On 1 May the state newsstands stopped accepting it. Besides, on 1 June the sale of the newspaper will be stopped at post offices of Barysau.
17-year Siarhiei Murashka was the second-year student of Zhodzina Technical College. On 12 May he came to the classes. He was invited by the deputy director on education, who informed him about the order to remand him for participation in the action of 26 April, at which he was detained.
The Soim (Council) of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) on May 14 adopted an appeal to the "partner parties, the governments of democratic countries and the international community" in view of what was called an impeding threat to the BPF`s existence.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk vowed that he would even appeal to the United Nations in an effort to ensure that the Belarusian authorities` five-year entry ban on five members of the National Alliance youth organization is annulled, the National Alliance press office told BelaPAN.
Vladimir Putin, in his effort to restore the Stalinist legacy in Moscow, exceeds himself as a defender of Russia`s totalitarian and genocidal past. In the wake of President George W. Bush`s tour of the new post-Soviet democracies, Putin has attempted to revise history.
Sergei Skrebets, a member of the opposition Respublika group in the 2000-2004 House of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly, was arrested in Minsk on the morning of May 15. Mr. Skrebets was picked up as he was exiting from his apartment building at about 10 a.m. by men who introduced themselves as officers of the organized crime prevention department, the wife, Aleksandra Skrebets, told BelaPAN.
About 40 pro-democracy youths carrying images of printing pioneer Francisak Skaryna and singing Belarusian-language songs marched through the center of Minsk on Sunday to protest the renaming of streets in the Belarusian capital.
At least four people were reported detained.
The daughter of Pyotr Masherov, Belarus` prominent statesman in the Soviet era, severely criticized Aleksandr Lukashenko for his move to rename Masherov Avenue in Minsk. By his May 7 presidential edict, the Belarusian leader directed that Francisak Skaryna Avenue, Minsk`s main thoroughfare, be renamed Independence Avenue, and that Pyotr Masherov Avenue, another major street in the capital city, should be renamed Victors Avenue (Prospekt Pobeditelei in Russian).
According to Uladzimir Labkovich, chair of the organization-legal commission of Belarusian People’s Front, the decree about renaming of three large streets in the center of Minsk that was signed by Aliaksandr Lukashenka, violates Belarusian legislation, according to which only local Deputy Soviets have the powers to rename streets.
The Israeli embassy in Minsk plans to send an inquiry to the Minsk City Executive Committee to find out which street will be given the name of Iyerusalimskaya (Jerusalem), Zeev Ben Arie, the Israeli embassy to Belarus, told BelaPAN on Friday.
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