On Saturday, May 20 the leader of the United Democratic Forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich starts a series of meetings in the provinces of Belarus. On Saturday and Sunday he is to visit Homel, Mahilyou and Vitsebsk, where he is to meet activists of democratic movement of the above-mentioned regions.
A young activist Alyaksei Straltsou has been sentenced to 10 days of arrest by the court of Maskouski district of Minsk to 10 days of arrest. Straltsou was detained together with other youth activists on May 17 near the court of Maskouski district, where a trial over opposition activist Yury Radzivil was taking place. He had spent two days in Akrestsin Street detention centre two days before the trial.
A former deputy chairman of Alyaksandr Milinkevich’s campaign headquarters, a member of the Political Council of Democratic Forces Viktar Karneenka was detained in airport Minsk-2. Customs officers have been surveying the bags of the politician for an hour. “They were mostly interested in documents, but they have not found anything attractive for them,” the oppositionist said to the Charter’97.
On May 18 a Protestant pastor Illya Radkevich was found guilty of violation of the Article 193 of the Administrative Code and fined 150,000 BYR. Article 193 of the Administrative Code envisages accountability for infringement of “Law on Religious Freedom and Religious Organizations”. The verdict was passed by an administrative commission of the executive committee of Kobryn, Brest region, human rights center Viasna informs.
On May 18 in Washington the leader of the United Civil Party of Belarus Anatol Lyabedzka and a deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front Alyaksei Yanukevich a meeting in the office of US Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Advisors on Security and European region was held.
Babrujsk city executive committee has denied the supporters of former presidential candidate A. Kazulin, who is imprisoned now, a right to hold a picket in his support. The application has been submitted on April 10, and the organizers have received a denial again.
The Committee of Foreign Ministers from the 46 member states of the Council of Europe held its 116th session yesterday. The official part of the session will be held today. APA’s Europe bureau reports that at the invitation of Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis, the Ministers held an informal meeting and took traditional memory photos.
On May 17 UCP Chairman Anatolij Lebedko and BPF chair deputy Alaksej Yanukevich started the second part of their visit to Washington D.C. Belarusian democratic leaders took part in work of the Permanent Committee of the International Democratic Union. On May 17 and May 18 Belarusian representatives are having meetings with officials of USA administration – in State Department, Security Council, Office of US vice-president Dick Chaney and in Congress.
A youth activist Pavel Drazdou is sentenced to 15 days of arrest by the court of Maskouski district of Minsk. On May 17 Drazdou together with other activists was detained near the court of Maskouski district where the trial over Yury Radzivil was held. During the detention riot policemen broken the young man a finger.
Alesya Siuchykava was suspected of insult of honour and dignity of a journalist of the Belarusian TV Dzyanis Balshakou. Dzyanis charged Siuchykava with sending SMS if insulting nature to him.
The European Union has imposed economic sanctions against 36 officials from Belarus, including Alyaksandr Lukashenka. It is stated in the statement disseminated by the EU Council today. However, former Minister of Interior Yury Sivakou has disappeared from the black list of Belarusian officials. It is not informed why he had been eliminated from the list. Meanwhile, Yury Sivakou and the present Interior Minister Uladzimir Navumau, Security Council Secretary Viktar Shejman and SOBR commander Dzmitry Paulichenka are suspected by the world community of implications in abductions and assassinations of oppositionists and a journalist. These four men were the first against whom sanctions of the EU were imposed. They are banned from entry to the EU for several years already. At the moment Sivakou is the head of the Association of special task police veterans “Chests”.
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