The new version of the law “On public associations” has passed at the second reading on June 29 by so-called “chamber of representatives” of the “national assembly”. The current law in force was amended; a number of new articles were added. In particular, the procedure of consideration of documents on state registration of public associations, their unions and their symbols, the order of state registration’s temporary suspension, and some other clauses, were added. The law stipulates that all public associations and unions should annually provide information to registering bodies about number of their members, branches and events carried out by them throughout a year. An article was added to the law that the suspension of organization’s activities up to six month by court decision is possible.
The court hearing of the suit of business reputation protection brought by the enterprise Belaruskaliy against the publishing house of “Narodnaya Volia”, that took place June 29 in the Minsk administrative court, resulted in the peaceful settlement, as lawyer of “Narodnaya Volia” Larysa Atamanchuuk told the public organization “Belarusian Association of Journalists”.
The American International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) claims the situation in the scope of freedom of speech in Belarus has deteriorated significantly within the year, as it is said in The Index of the Mass Media stability of 2004, published by this organization. The Index comprises an analysis of the Mass Media development in 20 Eurasian states. Such criteria as freedom of speech, pluralism of the Mass Media available for the public, standards of professional journalism, business stability of the Mass Media and effectiveness of the institutions upholding the independent Mass Media are estimated in the report.
The Slovak Supreme Court announced that the Slovak police did not act in line with the law when, in June 2004, it prevented 30 Amnesty International demonstrators from protesting in front of the Belarus embassy in Bratislava, the daily SME reported.
Boris Gryzlov, the speaker of the State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, recently publicly declared that the activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had to be spelled out in law, taking into account the role they had played during the presidential elections in Ukraine. "We have lost Ukraine and if we now lose Belarus, in a certain period the North Atlantic alliance will be standing along the full length of our western borders," Alexei Makarkin, the deputy director general of the Center for Political Technologies, said. "This is an issue of prestige and security."
The Supreme Administrative Court confirmed the warning passed to the “Narodnaya Volia” newspaper by the Ministry of Information. That was the second warning passed within this year. Under the legislature, the activity of the newspaper can be suspended for an indefinite interim, and the third warning passed, the newspaper will be suppressed.
The Minsk Municipal Executive Committee provided those veterans of the Great Patriotic War who live in Minsk with a free subscription for the second half-year to the paramount state-owned Mass Media.
According to the members of the “Young Front”, friends of Janis Chuchman, the motivation of speedy departure of the young political activist abroad was his persecution by police and court for participation in oppositional actions.
The unofficial issues of the newspaper “Glos Znad Niemna”, which were published without the sanction of the leadership of the Union of Poles of Belarus, were published with the financial support of the Hrodna executive committee. The editor-in-chief of the newspaper Andrzej Pisalnik has found out about it from the distributor of the newspaper, “Belsayuzdruk”.
The situation in Belarus was discussed in Warsaw during the meeting of the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland, members of the interregional European association Weimar Triangle.
The procurator`s office voiced some details of the crimes committed against the journalists. As regards the case of the ORT cameraman Zmitsier Zavadzki, they said that the investigators had been on a business trip abroad. As regards the murder of the Salidarnasts journalist Veranika Charkasava, the procurator`s office mentions "up to ten versions". Radio Liberty asked where the investigators for the case of Zmitsier Zavadzki might have gone, and what new versions appeared in the case of Veranika Charkasava.
A Belarusian opposition group protested the brutal murder of an ethnic Polish political activist, anti-government activists said Tuesday. The Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB), a group devoted to promoting the rights of ethnic Poles in the former Soviet republic, accused police of refusing to investigate the death of Jusefa Varaksa because she had spoken out against the government in the past.
Poles perceive the Czech and Slovak Republics as their best neighbours while Russia and Belarus are seen as unfriendly, according to a new opinion poll.
Arrested former deputy, leader of the group “Respublika” and opposition activist Syarhei Skrabets started to consume diluted juices, and in this way suspended his hunger strike. The head of the Brest remand prison Mikalay Sukhadolski and the lawyer of the political prisoner Mikhail Khomich told about it to Radio Svaboda. In total Mr.Skarbets was on hunger strike for more than 40 days. The lawyer of Skrabets told that his client is just making a pause in the hunger strike.
Although Gazprom pledges to supply gas to all CIS members at market prices, Belarus aspires persistently to reduced prices and even demands a credit from Russia. With its resolution “Of the preparation of the republican national economy for the work in the autumn-winter period of 2005-2006” the Government of Belarus obliged the Ministry of Power Engineering to conclude an agreement with Gazprom of the gas supplies for the year 2006 before July 1. There is one condition: the price must be at the same level as it has been this year - $ 46.68 per 1 thousand cubic metres. At the same time Minsk ignores the fact that Russia intends to join the WTO and that this spring Gazprom offered a program of gas supplies wholesale prices raise that provides for the 20-22 percent raise of price for this type of fuel to the Russian Government. The Belarusian officials reckon on the help of the Russian President who allegedly promised his assistance in this question during his April meeting with Aliaxandar Lukashenka in Sochi.
The Financial Investigation Department Administration of the State Control Committee on the Minsk Region and the city of Minsk brought the second suit against the former management of “AvtoDinamo”.
Internet censorship in Iran is amongst the most restrictive and sophisticated in the world, a technical study has revealed. And much of the filtering technology in use was developed by western companies.
From July 1 one-entry and transit double-entry Lithuanian visas for travelers from Belarus and Belarusian visas for Lithuanians will cost EUR 5 and multi-entry visas – EUR 25. As BelTA has been told in the press service of the foreign ministry, in the course of the Belarusian-Lithuanian ministerial consultations in Polotsk the sides exchanged the diplomatic notes on reducing visa costs on a parity basis.
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