As the Charter’97 press center was informed, the first secretary of the Belarusina Embassy in Riga has been announced a non grata person, and he is to leave Latvia within 24 hours. This decision has been passed by the Foreign Minisrty of Latvia in response to the search in the residence of Latvian diplomat in Minsk.

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The trial over activists of Partnerstva civil initiative of elections observation continues today. Evidence of witnesses for the defense and those for the prosecution who had not been giving evidence earlier has been heard. As the BelaPAN informs, some prosecution witnesses were taken to the court room forcibly.

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Today foreign diplomats have come to the building of the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk, where hearings in the case of civil initiative of elections observation Partnerstva continue. Among the diplomats were German Ambassador Martin Hecker, an acting US Ambassador Jonathan Moor, the OSCE representatives. They were not trying to get to the closed trial, but came to express support to family members of the defendants. As German Ambassador told, he had been sent an answer of the foreign Ministry of Belarus to his request to attend the trial. As said by him, in the answer it is explained that presence of diplomats at the closed trial is impossible.

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After a two-hour recess the hearings in the case of activists of the civil initiative of elections observation Partnerstva Tsimafei Dranchuk, Enira Branitskaya, Mikalay Astrejka and Alyaksandr Shalajka have resumed in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk. As the Charter’97 press center was told by a mother of one of the defendants, Yauheniya Astrejka, it had been reported that today not only statements of the defense and prosecution, but the final statement of the defendants are to be made.

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52 propaganda groups are working in Kastrychnitski District of Homel Region. The article "Proceeding from requirements of life" by the head of the Ideology Department of the District Executive Committee Volha Chumakova printed in the regional newspaper "Chyrvony Kastrychnik" (#58 of July 26, 2006) informs about it.

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The police have not found the people who intimidated journalists from "Intex-Press". "We have not managed to find the people who created leaflets containing threatening and door-plates with the inscription "CIA`s nest"... ", - is said in the letter dated July 24 and sent to the head of the "Intex-Press" publishing house Uladzimir Yanukevich. The letter was signed by the head of Baranavichy Department of the Interior A.Sakuta.

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Last week KGB officers detained Ekaterina Sadovskaya and later placed her into the republican mental health clinic Navinki. She represented Pskov regional social movement “Veche” engaged in human rights activities. In 2001 Sadovskaya was a leader of an initiative group of a former presidential candidate Nikalay Mekeka, “Narodnaya Volya” writes.

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The Internal Ministry and Administration of Poland, supervising the activities of national minorities, has considered that the Belarusian Society has misappropriated state money.

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The politically motivated trial over activists of the civil initiative of elections observation Partnerstva continues in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk for the fourth day. It’s a closed trial. Neither journalists nor foreign diplomats have been allowed to attend the court. Even family members have not been allowed to be present. Every day family members of defendants, journalists and citizens who want to express support to political prisoners, gather near the court.

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Justice Ministry of Belarus has demanded the Party of Communists Belarus (PCB) to provide personal data about the number of party structures in a week. However, leadership of the oppositional Communists refuses to provide this information, referring to the law “On Political Parties”.

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A trial over activists of the civil initiative Partnerstva continues in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk. Today defence witnesses were to be examined; however, as the Charter’97 has found out, two new witnesses for the prosecution had been summoned to the court unexpectedly.

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Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks (People’s Party) would not meet with the new Belarusian Ambassador in Latvia until an official explanation of the search in the apartment of a Latvian diplomat in Minsk would be received. As a reporter of the informational agency Regnum informs, this statement of the minister was distributed by the press service of the Foreign Ministry.

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