On January 17 near Skidzel (Hrodna region) policemen stopped a car with one of the activists of the public association “Union of Poles in Belarus”, an editor of the magazine “Magazyn Polski” in exile” Andrzej Poczobutt. They were transporting a part of the magazine’s print run.
On January 16 at 8 p.m. at the central square of Salihorsk candles were burning again. This day really united many inhabitants of the town. One could see such representatives of such public organizations and movements as Zubr, Young Democrats, Young Front, the United Civil Party, the Belarusian Popular Front Party, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, the Third Way and other organizations and just interested people. Activists of the youth resistance movement Zubr handed out jeans ribbons to everybody.
Hundreds of Belarusians switched off the light and lit candles of Freedom in their windows at 8 p.m. on the Day of Solidarity, January 16. In Hrodna, Baranavichy and Vitsebsk people with candles went out to the streets.
Representatives of all political parties of Swedish parliament gathered at the central square of Stockholm yesterday to express solidarity with the Belarusian people. Speeches were delivered by Minister of Development Carin Jamtin, MPs Gunnar Andren and Henrik von Sydow, assistant of international secretary of Social Democratic Party Oscar Stenstrom, Chairman of Students’ association Magdalena Streifert, representative of Women organization Stina Berge, a member of Swedish International Liberal Center Tobias Ljungvall.
Today activists of the Union of Poles in Belarus were detained in Shchuchyn: the editor-in-chief of the “Magazy Polski” Andrzej Poczobutt and the driver Andrzej Lisowski. Poczobutt and Lisowski had come to a meeting with local activists of the Union of Poles in Belarus. The reason of detention is unknown.
In Warsaw convention of Polish organization “Union for Democracy Support in Belarus” was held. It is one of the most active organizations engaged in Belarusian affairs. Belarusian student from Warsaw Antos Tsialezhnikau was elected the head of the organization.
On January 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of Belarusian Embassy in Washington an action of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners, disappeared oppositionists, their families, independent journalists, with all who struggle for freedom and democracy in Belarus, was held. Participants came to the Belarusian diplomatic mission with white-red-white flags and slogans. Students from the organization “Students For Global Democracy” (www.sfgd.org), representatives of public initiative “Vzgliad”, civil initiative “We Remember”, students from Belarus, representatives of NED and Joint Baltic-American Committee, Belarusians living in Washington, Trenton and New York.
On January 16 the Prosecutor of Smarhon region summoned Ales Dzerhachou, who is the head of Alyaksandr Milinkevich’s campaign headquarters in Smarhon region. Prosecutor Mikalay Malinouski offered him to get acquainted with the official warning. He was warned that he cannot violate the law, as Ales Dzerhachou publishes a bulletin “Nash Smarhonski kraj”, where the issues of election campaign are covered, and which contains extracts from different newspapers and information sources.
Actions of solidarity with Belarus were held on January 16 throughout Ukraine. Dwellers of Kyiv, Lviv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi gathered in the streets of their cities with candles and portraits of Belarusian disappeared and political prisoners.
The Belarussian Central Election Commission threatened to reject the presidential candidacies of two opposition leaders, Alexander Milinkevich and Zenon Poznyak, should they continue violating election law, head of the Belarussian Central Election Commission Lydia Yermoshina said.
On January 16 in Homel an activist of opposition Syarhei Khastichenka was arrested for 15 days. This decision has been passed by the judge of the court of Tsentralny district M. Damnenka.
On January 16 the “Union of Belarusians In Sweden” organized and held a protest in the center of Stakholm, which was dedicated to the Day of Solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners, disappeared politicians and murdered journalists. There were 15 participants in the action, including members of the Liberal Party of Sweden. The picketers were holding flags and streamers in their hands. The chairman of the “Union of Belarusians In Sweden” Ales Litvinchyk addressed the meeting. He told the participants about the aims of the protest, the present situation in election campaign in Belarus, and attitude of the international community towards Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
On December 16 between 7 and 8 p.m. Minsk time nine Russian citizens and two Belarusians detained on January 14 for “writings of anti-presidential character”, were released.
As a sign of Solidarity with Belarusian opposition activists of Bonn branch of the human rights organization “Amnesty International” have decided to write to the Belarusian authorities the longest petition in the world.
On January 16 in Moscow in front of the Belarusian Embassy a picket of solidarity with oppositional movements of Belarus. Participants of the picket paid the tribute to the memory of disappeared and murdered politicians and journalists of Belarus. Besides, the protesters demanded release of young people detained in Minsk on January 14 for an anti-presidential graffiti.
In numerous cities of Poland meetings were held in the framework of the Day of Solidarity with Belarus. An appeal to Polish President Lech Kaczynski, the European Parliament and the European Parliament with a request to support a mission of international observers during the presidential elections in Belarus was submitted.
President Vladimir Putin is poised to give the Russian government the tools to exert even greater control over the country`s already beleaguered nongovernmental sector. The restrictive NGO law that awaits his signature broadens the grounds for denying registration to or closing Russian NGOs, setting the stage for greater government interference in their work. The draft law on his desk, however, represents only the most recent blow in what is a larger, systematic effort by the authorities to curb independent voices in Russia.
According to Siarhej Kaliakin, Milinkevich’s HQ chairman, “People see that the authorities act with meanness, this regime is getting more and more repugnant. By its actions, “the vertical” (note: thus Lukashenka terms his governmental system) greatly assists the political campaign of the sole contender of democratic forces – the authorities are feeding people an utterly negative image of the incumbent president.
A leader of a human rights group in Belarus has been named the winner of a Norwegian human rights prize, the Sakharov Freedom Prize. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee praised Alyaksandr Byalyatski, chairman of the Human Rights Center Vyasna, for the legal, political, and practical support that he has offered to victims of the authoritarian government led by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
The Day of Solidarity with political prisoners, disappeared oppositionists, their families, and independent journalists, with all who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus, was held on January 16 in Belarus. At 8 p.m. in the windows of hundreds of thousands of Belarusians, and candles of Solidarity were lit. Many supported call of youth resistance Zubr and came out to the streets in jeans clothes. Flash-mob took place in Minsk. During it 200 Minsk residents decorated center of the city with jeans bands. Street actions were also carried out in Vitsebsk, Baranavichi, Salihorsk and Hrodna. This was the fourth action of solidarity. It was supported by many Belarusian towns. Hrodna, Brest, Vitsebsk, Homel, Mahilyou, Baranavichy, Pinsk, Polatsk, Navapolatsk, Lida, Slonim, Kobryn, Maladechna, Vilejka, Barysau, Svetlahorsk, Asipovichy, Pastavy, Belaaziorsk, Salihorsk, Zhodzina, Vorsha, ZAslauje, Marjina Horka, Ivatsevichy, Byaroza, Babrujsk. And other towns and villages of Belarus. The candles were also lit in all districts of Minsk.
The Belarusian Defense Ministry denied reports Monday that a batch of S-300 missile air defense systems from Russia had arrived ahead of its spring due date. `So far, no systems have been delivered to Belarus,` a ministry source said. `This is quite an important and serious event which will be announced in advance.`
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