The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, expressed regret today that the Belarus authorities had dismissed an appeal from Alexander Kozulin, an opposition candidate in last March`s presidential election, and left the severe sentence in force.
In Minsk, the embattled charismatic New Life Church has yet to receive the written verdict of a July court decision forcing it to sell the building where its thousand members worship. Neither was the church informed about another recent court hearing to consider its right to use the land beneath the building. Now, however, "we are relying on God, not the courts," the church`s lawyer told Forum 18. New Life has still not been given any explanation why a city Development Plan – offered, apparently against Belarusian law, as the reason why the church must sell its building to the state – may not be altered to include a Protestant church, except that this is "not envisaged". Once New Life receives what it believes is a greatly reduced price for its building, it has ten days in which to move out.
As the presidential elections in Russia are nearing, the question about speeding up creation of a union with Belarus is getting more and more observable. It’s a consistent pattern: Agreement on integration of the two countries was signed in the run-up to the second Yeltsin’s term. Agreement on creation of the “union state” had emerged before the first Putin’s election and signed after his inauguration… The year 2008 is coming soon. That is why the question of the two countries’ unity is brought up again. ON Thursday a state secretary of the “union state” Pavel Borodin informed that the referendum on creation of the union state could be held in December, the Moskovskiy Komsomolets reports.
In many countries of the world tortures are not recognized as a serious crime, which brings about the common use of this ignominious practice, told a UN Special Rapporteur on torture Manfred Novak at the second session of the UN Council on human rights, the UN News Center reports.
Today at 4 a.m. an opposition activist Vyachaslau Siuchyk was released from a remand prison in Arestsin St. in Minsk. He has served 10 days of arrest for participation in protest rallies against rigged up presidential elections results in March this year.
Today, on September 22 Vilnius district administrative court has recalled a decision of the Radio and TV Commission of Lithuania, which in March 2006 banned Belarusian TV airing on Lithuanian territory, REGNUM was told in Vilnius administrative court.
As the Belarusian Association of Journalists informs, Anton Taras together with his mother is to return home in a few days. Parents and relatives of our colleague together with BAJ express heartfelt gratitude to the law-enforcing agencies of Belarus and Ukraine, and first of all, Ukrainian border guards, Kyiv journalists and all who had been taking part in Anton’s search.
An spontaneous strike has been announced by workers of Baranavichy Knitting Factory «Baverti» on September 21. As informed by European Radio, a week ago an order was issued that the loss-making enterprise should be merged with a cotton production association, which is not in a good situation either. In fact this merger means firing for employees of the knitting factory. It means that they would have to make a fresh start.
On September 21 on Victory Square in Minsk young activists gathered with portraits of political prisoners and abducted opponents of the regime. About 30 persons were holding portraits of Alyaksandr Kazulin, Andrei Klimau, Mikalay Statkevich, Paval Sevyarynets, Artur Finkevich and other political prisoners, as well as abducted opponents of Lukashenka’s regime Yury Zakharanka, Dzmitry Zavadsky, Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski.
As we have informed, yesterday during a flash mob on International Day of Peace on October Square in Minsk 8 young activists were detained. Young people were strolling about the square and blowing soap bubbles. In the police department of the Tsentralny district of Minsk detained mobbers had spent tow hours. Policemen fingerprinted and videotaped them.
The chairman of the Belarusian branch of Pskov regional branch “Veche” Katsyaryna Sadouskaya is charged with insulting Alyaksandr Lukashenka. As a PAI reporter was told by a coordinator of the movement Venedikt Dostovalov, at the moment K. Sadouskaya is under arrest and studies the materials of the case. “Insult has been found in the letters about the president’s activities sent by her to different bodies,” V. Dostovalov supposes. “K. Sadouskaya used a conclusion of a psychiatrist published in Belarusian press, in which Lukashenka had been called mentally ill”.
While on September 18 Alyaksandr Lukashenka gave an interview to the BBC radio, the leader of the united democratic forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich addressed the administration of the radio station and called upon holding open debates with Lukashenka. “In an interview of Alyaksandr Lukashenka to the Russian BBC service on September 18 he presented his vision of the Belarusian political situation, mentioned political prisoners, elections and freedom of expression. To my mind, Lukashenka’s interview with its many inaccuracies is an persuasive example of how his propaganda machine manipulates facts and opinion of the Belarusians… In this connection, considering the reputation of the BBC as one of the most reputable world media, we propose you be promotive of democratic debates and give the floor to representatives of the democratic forces of Belarus,” Alyaksandr Milinkevich said.
The leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich has been presented an official accusation. The young activist is charged with violation of the Article 193 of the Criminal Code of Belarus – participation in an unregistered organization. The matter concerns “political amendments” to the Criminal Code made in the run-up to the presidential elections. Activists of the civil initiative of elections observation “Partnerstva” have been charged with violation of this article.
The Belarussian authorities have asked the international police agency Interpol to help find a girl at the centre of a diplomatic row with Italy. The 10-year-old girl should have returned to Belarus earlier this month after a holiday in Italy.
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