Belarus is still committed to the ideas of integration with the Russian Federation, but would never become a part of it, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said at the meeting with a governor of the Altai Territory Alexandr Karlin in Minsk on Thursday. “We do not need that, Belarus is a beautiful and self-reliant country,” the Belarusian ruler emphasized.
After 35 years of effective work the publishing house “Belaruskaya Entsyklapedyja” (“Belarusian Encyclopaedia”) the authorities decided to evict it from its premises. The order was signed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka personally. Now judges of the Economic court are to take the place of the publishing house.
The leader of the Party of Communists of Belarus Syarhei Kalyakin called the attempt to merge the two acting Communist parties, the Party of Communists of Belarus, and the Belarusian Communist Party, “another scheme of Belarusian secret services”.
Refinancing rate and the National Bank rate reduced by 0.5 per cent, from June 1, amounting to 10.5 per cent as for now. Judging by the unusual reduction of the interest rate, the National Bank attempts to act carefully not to scare off owners of huge ruble deposits, which is a reasonable measure, as the “Belgazeta” reports.
A new web-site on the case of murder of Belarusian journalist Veranika Charkasava appeared on the Internet: www.veronikacherkasova.org. The site informs about the investigation process, corresponding Belarusian and foreign mass media publications, statements by Belarusian and international organizations on this case etc.
Yesterday activists of the civil movement “Inititiva” held a rally “Ideal Citizens” in the square in front of Kamarouski market in Minsk. Participants of the protest put bandages over their eyes and mouths. They held a poster with the words: “We are ideal citizens. We see nothing, and we do not want to see anything. We do not hear, and we refuse to hear. We do not think, as others think for us. We do not have a will, feelings and intentions. We are slaves to the system. Look at us! Join us! It’s our time! We should provide for our rulers and in no circumstances oppose them. Only together we could offer them a better life!”
Asian Federation against Disappearances (AFAD) celebrates its 8th anniversary. The Belarusian civil initiative “We remember”, that unites the families of the people missed in Belarus, congratulated the AFAD in a letter, emphasizing the AFAD’s achievements in the scope of the rights of missed people and their families. Moreover, the Belarusian organization expressed solidarity with the Federation members’ struggle for the truth.
On June 8 a brother of the former candidate for presidency in Belarus, a political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin, marks his 47th birthday in the special detention center in Akrestsin Street, the UCP press service informs. Three days ago Uladzimir Kazulin was sent to serve the 5 days of arrest in Akrestsin Street. He was accused in March this year by the court of Maskouski district of Minsk in his absence. He was detained on March 2, 2006 by the building of Kastrychnitski district of Minsk.
Minsk has drawn up a list of officials of the EU and the USA for whom the entry to Belarus would be banned, told a spokesperson of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Andrei Papou at a press conference in Minsk on Thursday. These measures have been taken by the Belarusian side as an answer to the restriction for entry to the USA for the Belarusian officials to the EU and the USA and a based on the symmetry principle, told A. Papou. “The Belarusian side has prepared a list of persons for whom entry to Belarus is limited. It concerns officials of the EU, the USA and from other countries that officially joined the restrictions,” told the press-secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus.
The first session of the Belarusian Supreme Court on the suit brought by the Ministry of Justice against the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) is to be held on June 13. The Belarusian Ministry of Justice applied to the Supreme Court insisting on liquidation for the Belarusian Helsinki Committee by September 1, 2006.
“The final stage of the building of this “union state” is starting now. Referenda are to be held and the Constitutional act is to be adopted this year. Afterwards, in the end of 2006 or beginning of 2007, the “union” parliament is to be elected,” - Secretary of State of the so-called “union state” of Russia and Belarus Pavel Borodin said in the interview published today in the “Novye Izvestiya”.
“There is no such a cooperation as we have between Russia and Belarus, elsewhere,” - P.Borodin deems. - “We move forward, although not so fast as we expected. There are certain obstacles,” - he remarked.
The Board of the World Association of Newspapers has called on the government of Belarus to end the harassment of journalists and the repression of press freedom that exists in the country.
"The past year has been marked by severe repression of press freedom in Belarus, which culminated at the time of the presidential elections in March 2006 when over 30 journalists where arrested. Even though all of them have today been released, the effects of the onslaught continue to mark the media scene in Belarus," said the WAN Board in a resolution issued during the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum in Moscow, Russia.
Today a citizen of Ukraine, a 17-years-old Artsem Chistikov is to be deported, the Radio Svaboda informs. Riot policemen preventively detained Artsem on June 5 on October Square together with several other participants of the planned protest action. Opposition activists wanted to hold a picket against deporting of foreign citizens during the presidential campaign in Belarus.
The hunger strike started by Salihorsk Young Front members on May 29 continues for the 11th day. The protesters demand to stop criminal prosecution of the Young Front activists and release all political prisoners.
An American branch of the human rights organization Amnesty International has announced an action of international support of arrested activists of the election observation civil initiative Partnerstva. Amnesty International activists, are set to send postcards with words of support for Enira Brantskaya, Tsimafei Dranchuk, Mikalay Astrejka and Alyaksandr Shalajka, to Minsk, to the address of the KGB (State Security Committee). (AI worldwide is 75,000 strong). The aim of the so-called “postcards action” is to show the Belarusian authorities that people all over the world are concerned with the fate of Belarusian political prisoners. According to Amnesty International, there are 18 prisoners of conscience today in Belarus, which is too many, according to the organization.
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