Officials in Minsk say Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad plans to make a two-day visit to Belarus starting on May 21.

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17 May former presidential candidate leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Gramada) Alyaksandr Kazulin serving his sentence in “Vitba-3” jail met with his relatives there. That was reported by the imprisoned policymaker’s daughter Yuliya Kazulina.

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Passions were riding high Jan. 8, as the hockey team of Russia`s state-run energy giant Gazprom locked horns with the Belarus national team in the final game of the annual Belarus President`s international hockey tournament in Minsk. In a desperate moment, a Belarusian tripped the Gazprom captain with his stick, but the Russian scrambled back to his feet to pass the puck in a lightning movement that led to a goal. Gazprom won the game 4-3, and the cup. And well it should, smiled the Gazprom captain Alexander Medvedev, 51, because Gazprom always wins.

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Russia`s Gazprom hopes to sign a contract for the purchase of a stake in the Beltranshaz gas pipeline network before June 1, the gas giant`s press office said.

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The court trial on the case of well-known rights’ defender and journalist Valery Schukin is to start 6 June at 14.30 in the Pervamaisky district court of Vitebsk.

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17 May Anatol Krasousky became 55. Krasousky completely disappeared 16 September 1999.His close friends and relations do not know anything about his lot.

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A trial in the case of organizer of the “Path of Chernobyl” (Charnobylski Shlyakh), an activist of the Belarusian Front party Yury Zyankovich wouldn’t take place today because of the politician’s health condition. The Charter’97 press-center has been informed about that by a human rights activist Uladzimir Labkovich. Today morning Yury Zyankovich was in poor health, and will be on home leave till Monday.

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Belarus hasn’t won enough votes to be elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Bosnia joined Belarus and Slovenia in contesting the two vacant East European council seats.

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As the human rights center Viasna informs, applicants for holding a rally against repeal of benefits Ales Kalita, Tatsyana Hatsura, Barys Haretski, Mikita Krasnou, Yauhen Ivaniuk have been invited to the Internal Affairs department of Minsk City executive committee. It is likely that a preventive conversation about accountability for possible violations of public order is to be carries out.

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Signing a packet of documents on creation a joint Belarusian Russian gas transportation organization based on joint stock company Beltrasngaz is postponed for a later period. As BelTA agency was told in the Council of Ministers, it is connected with a necessity of additional approval for one of the clauses of the agreement on Gazprom buying Beltransgaz shares. A delegation of Gazprom headed by the deputy CEO Valery Golubev is to arrive to Minsk on May 18 for that. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller won’t come to Minsk.

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