The leader of the united democratic forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich met Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, the leader of the state presiding in the EU. “I have heard the most important thing, that the attention of Europe towards Belarus is growing. Finnish side expressed support to the united democratic forces in their effort to carry out democratic changes in Belarus”.
A tragedy happened in Vitsebsk. On Saturday a police major Anatol P., while he was on duty, committed suicide in the building of the police department, in WC. He put pistol to his head. It was a government-issue weapon.
A former candidate for presidency in Belarus Alyaksandr Kazulin can be sent to the minimum security colony Vitsba-3 in Vitsebsk region, Radio Svaboda was told by lawyer Ihar Rynkevich. He refers to policemen from a remand prison where Kazulin was kept recently.
According to Radio Svaboda, at 10 a.m. police detained an activist of the United Civil Party Andrei Tolchyn on Davydauski market in Homel. He was handing out leaflets about problems of activities of private entrepreneurs and the current tax system.
Today at 5 p.m. young activist Syarzhuk Lisichonak is summoned to the Republican prosecutor’s office for interrogation in the case of the Young Front. As we have informed, a criminal case was filed against Syarzhuk for acting on behalf of the unregistered organization “Young Front”.
Belarusian foreign ministry delivered a note to US Charge d’Affaires in Belarus Jonathan Moore. It contains a protest on the American side’s failure to fulfil commitments in ensuring safety of Belarusian citizens which stay in the US.
Siarhei Alfer, chairperson of the executive committee of the United Civil Party, will not get his money back. On September 18 Minsk city court considered Alfer’s cassation complaint about the actions of the Minsk-2 airport customs officers. Judge Natalla Zhupikava upheld the verdict of Kastrychnitski borough court made on August 11.
Ales Dzierhachou, a democratic activist from the town of Smarhon, failed to find justice in Belarusian judicial system. He plans to file a complaint to the UN Committee for Human Rights.
Mahilou regional police claims detaining people for wearing T-shirts with “Enough!” slogan is legal. Mahilou regional police chief responded to collective complaint of the people, detained on July 27 on a pedestrian street. The reason for detention were T-shirts with the official symbols of UCP on the front and the slogan “enough!” on the back.
Babrujsk authorities refused to sanction a picket in support of the former candidate for presidency in Belarus, a political prisoner Alyakandr Kazulin.
On Sunday, September 17, Brest activists ran up a national white-red-white flag for two times in one place on Masherau Avenue near the bus stop “MOPR”.
On September 15 an assembly of a diocesan council headed by Metropolitan Filaret was held in Minsk diocesan administration. At the session questions of the Belarusian Orthodox church’s priests’ essays on the web and in printed media was considered.
On September 16 “Women in white”, an association of wives and mothers of political prisoners of the Communist regime of Cuba held a silent march along Havana streets to mark 42 months from the day of arrest of their relatives. In spring 2003 in Cuba 75 most active dissenters were arrested. At that time Alyaksandr Lukashenka was in Havana. On September 16 a Day of Belarusian Solidarity is marked in Belarus. It is an anniversary of the abduction of the regime’s active opponents Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski.
“Claims of Justice Ministry are incomprehensible and are not legally grounded. The warning of he Justice Ministry was received by us on August 30. According to the law, we have a right to challenge this decision within a month. Justice Ministry is notified that we are going to appeal against it in the Supreme Court. Now the complaint is being studied by lawyers. That is why the ministry cannot make any decisions now. These are blackmail and threats based at arbitrariness,” told the leader of the Communist Party of Belarus Syarhei Kalyakin, commenting on the reports that Justice Ministry of Belarus is considering suspension of activities of the Party of Communists of Belarus.
Justice Ministry of Belarus considers the question of suspending activities of the Party of Communists of Belarus (PCB), the BELTA correspondent was told by the press service of the ministry. The reason for possible sanctions against the PCB was its ignoring of the legal demands of Justice Ministry as a registering body, the press service said. In particular, the party had not allegedly submitted documents about the number of its members. As we have informed, the PCB had been officially warned for that earlier.
On September 12, the U.S. Embassy donated several boxes of household items to the International Organization for igration`s Medical Rehabilitation Shelter for Trafficking Victims in Minsk. These items were donated to help decorate the newly opened shelter and to make it a more comfortable place for victims while they receive assistance. This donation was made possible through contributions from the members of the U.S. Embassy community.
Despite tight restrictions on missionary activity in the highly restrictive Belarusian religion law - and approval for such activity hard to get – religious believers still have one unexpected way of sharing their faith in public: through popular music. Salvation – a Christian group from the western region of Brest – has often won top place each week on state television`s "Silver Marathon" pop music programme since the summer, while several Hare Krishna groups – among them rap artists – have performed at the prestigious annual Slavic Bazaar festival in the north-eastern city of Vitebsk in recent years. Asked by Forum 18 News Service whether the prevalence of religious themes in Belarusian popular music might be the consequence of extensive state restrictions on organised church activity, Aleksandr Patlis – lead singer of another Christian band New Generation - remarked "if they try to stop God one way, we`ll try another".
An Italian family that adopted a girl from Belarus has refused to return the child following negotiations between representatives of the Italian government and the family`s lawyers, Belarussian Ambassador to Italy Alexei Skripko told Interfax.
An old Jewish cemetery in the village of Sverzhan, Rahachou district, is not a functioning one for a long time. The last 250 graves appeared there during the Second World War. Probably that is why heartless vandals were attracted to it and smashed graves in the midnight.
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