Oppositional leader Andrei Klimau does not take part in investigator actions and pleads not guilty as before. The prosecutor’s office of Minsk told to Radio Svaboda that the investigation of the case “goes to plan”.

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On the Day of Solidarity on April 16 in the centre of Tallinn, in Tammsaare Park, a 15-minute flash-mob was organized. During the action about 20 persons were silently reading newspapers with the caption on the front page: “An innocent pastime? You would be imprisoned in Belarus for that!” the goal of the rally organized by the Group in support of Belarus was to attract attention of the public to the fact that freedom of press and freedom of expression do not exist in our country.

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The lawsuit on the claim of member of the Soim of the BPF Party Valyantsina Svyatskaya against former minister for internal affairs Yuri Sivakou is to be continued. The lawsuit is to be heard at the Minsk city court next week the hearing is appointed 23 April at 11 a.m.

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The Minsk Regional Bar satisfied lawyer of Alyaksandr Kazulin Igar Rinkevich’s personal request of his dismissal. According to I. Rinkevich, late on Wednesday the Bar convened its extraordinary sitting where the above-mentioned decision was made. That day the lawyer himself was at the Regional Bar but nevertheless the sitting was held without his participation .

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The chairman of the Society of Monuments protection Zmitser Kaspyarovich comments on the decision of Culture Ministry on the project to turn the building of Bernardines monastery into a hotel complex.

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Alyaksandr Lukashenka considers cooperation of Belarus with the “Alfa Group” consortium in terms of attraction of foreign investments to the Belarusian economy. “It is the second time that I am raising the issue of your buying the controlling block of Mezhtorgbank shares”, declared A.Lukashenka when meeting with head of the supervisory board of directors of Alfa Group Mikhail Fridman.

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16 April over 30 activists of the “For Freedom!” campaign gathered in the center of Barisau at the Palace of Culture and lighted candles of solidarity with political prisoners and families of the disappeared Belarusian policymakers and journalist. Thus the Barisau youth marked the Day of Solidarity.

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As the press-service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry informs, on April 16 during the first day Uladzimir Syamashk’s visit to the People’s Republic of China the prime minister held negotiations with the chairman of the China National Nuclear Corporation and a chairman of the board of directors of a technology group company “Tung Yung”.

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Ambassador of Germany Martin Hecker paid Euro 1 thousand to the Minskovite who handed the stolen bronze memorial plaque to the diplomat. The memorial sign commemorates the Jews from Bremen perished in the Minsk ghetto.

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The Belarusian republican scientific and methodical council on questions of historic and cultural heritage by Culture Ministry of Belarus at its visiting session in Hrodna region approved the pre-project proposal on reconstruction and adaptation of buildings of the former Bernardines monastery in Minsk, a 17th century monument of architecture. The buildings are situated at the territory of the upper town in Cyril and Methodius Street.

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As we reported yesterday, the Chernobyl Way applicants refused to conduct the talks at the Minsk Executive Committee in the presence of state TV operators and mass media. The Radio Svaboda informs that when leaving they warned the deputy public prosecutor of the administrative responsibility in case of violation of Clause 6 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Belarus. The legislation prohibits changing the format and route of the action without prior arrangement with the action organizers.

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Profitability of the sold output of the fuel industry in January-February decreased 6 times from 34.6 % to 5.7% in comparison with January-February last year. That was reported by the ministry of statistics and analysis of Belarus. It is one of the lowest profitability indicators among the industries of the republic.

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Yesterday Secretary General of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) Grigorij Rapota stated that a packet of documents on forming the Customs union had been finalized for 90%. The legal base is planned to be finished by summer, when the summit of the presidents of the countries-members of the community is to take place. However, politicians and economists do not hide doubt: in the next 2-3 years the union wouldn’t appear, to their mind.

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