Picket, dedicated to the 2nd anniversary since the abduction of former Interior Minister general Yuri Zakharenko took place in Minsk on the crossroads of Mogilevskaya and Slonimskaya streets - the approximate location from which they kidnapped the general two years ago. The picket was staged by the United Civil Party within the framework of the campaign "We want truth!". 10 activists walked into the most crowded place of the area, raising portraits of the missing politician.
Belarusian law-enforcers applied force against Lukashenko`s opponents on May 6. This time, reports NTV, the sides collided in a little district center Lepel. Police were so committed to persecute the protesters, that they even cracked down on journalists.
"Ultimate Diagnosis" action took place last weekend in three Belarusian towns. Mogilev ZUBRs were handing out videos and papers, dedicated to Alexander Lukashenko`s mental condition in a couple of spots throughout the town. In Zhodino they staged a picket, circulating the special issues. In Bobruisk the action took place in the park of recreation and culture.
ZUBR activists were arrested on May 6 in Slonim, while passing out "ZUBR" newspaper issues at the school campus. The principal manifested great watchfulness and reported to the local KGB. The security services agents immediately arrived at the place, detaining all activists. After a short conversation all of them were handed over to the regular police forces.
Minsk residents Sergei Popkov and Valery Buivol, who forwarded to the Minsk city council their petition to hold their assembly on May 18, were notified about possible negative follow-up. On May 4 both men were summoned to the police bureau for public relations, where police warned them that anyone, who would show up on May 18 on the Oktyabrskaya square will automatically be taken into custody. Provided the initiators of the action don`t give up their idea, they would both encounter legal proceedings on the actions, held April 26 in Skorina prospect.
In Alexander Lukashenko`s native village Alexandriya of the Shklov district both young and old went to the cemeteries on Radunitsa. But how about Mr.President? Will he commemorate his predecessors? Or may be someone from Alexandriya could tell us more about his genealogical tree? How about Alexander Grygorievich`s mother?
In an interview to the Latvian newspaper "Subbota" the country`s Defense Minister Girts Kristovskis mentioned Belarus as one of the possible Latvian military rivals. In the next couple of days Latvian ambassador will be summoned to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry for official clarifications.
Yugoslav president Voitslav Kostunica headed to New York, where he would be announced a politician of the year on May 8. RIA "Novosti" reports that the honorary title was awarded to him by the renowned East-West American institute.
"The man was forced into the rear seat of the vehicle and three civilians sat on top of him. Man`s legs stuck out of the car. "Lada" pulled along the motorway to the Zhukovskogo street," - such sensational testimony was voiced ahead of the somber anniversary by a witness of general Zakharenko`s abduction (Narodnaya Volya). Zakharenko was kidnapped off the street near his own house at night May 7, 1999. Since then his whereabouts remain unknown. Read the full text of the witness`s interview.
The picket, dedicated to the 2nd year since the disappearance of the former Interior Minister general Yuri Zakharenko, took place May 7 in Minsk opposite the Republic`s Palace. 5 Borisov activists: Ales Abramovich, Ales Borodulya, Tatyana Yasuk, Sergei Podsolka and Dmitry Fedorchenko stepped on the Oktyabrskaya square, raising banners "Where Are the Missing Ones? Dmitry Zavadsky, Anatoly Krasovsky, Yuri Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar?", "Who`s Next?" and "Hands Off Opposition!".
The "Ultimate Diagnosis" action was carried out in Mogilev on May 3. In mid-afternoon a man, wearing a popular mask with moustache, entered the pavilion of the town`s central market. He approached the meat store, grabbed a chopped swine head and started inquiring from the vendors how they feed their pigs and how come the meat is so costly. Dissatisfied with their answer the man got infuriated and promised to get everyone handcuffed right away.
Alexander Lukashenko exploded with harsh criticism of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus and particularly its chair Hans Georg Wieck. According to him, 14 thousand public observers, which would operate as election monitors are an "army of bandits and collaborationists". OSCE was exposed to such scrutiny owing to the recent statement by its head H.G. Wieck, who dared publicly denounce official Minsk`s monopoly on electronic media and its discrimination against independent press.
This year the State Committee for Press lost only one lawsuit - to the newspaper "Brestsky Courier". Over the last year there happened four such incidents. In total during the period, the country`s periodic editions received 68 reprimands from the Committee for alleged violations of the law on press. Mikhail Podgainy, the Committee chair, believes that from now on winning the trial proceedings against his institution will be more complex for papers and magazines. Under the new legislation the plaintiff (periodical) will have to prove the wrongs of the defendant (State Committee), not the other way round as it used to be the case previously.
Heads of the agricultural companies will be held personally responsible in case of failure to pay off their indebtedness for energy supplies by May 11.
The government of Ukraine adopted new order of entry into the country for the CIS nationals. From now on all the Commonwealth citizens, except Russians and Belarusians, will be required to have a foreign passport on them. Earlier the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Anatoly Zelenko recalled that Kiev signed concomitant accords with Minsk and Moscow, thanks to which the residents of these countries will enjoy passport-free travels to Ukraine.
In the first quarter of 2001 the shipment of food from Belarus to Moscow was on the uphill, reported the Minister of agriculture and food of Belarus Ivan Averchenko.
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