Mikalai Markevich, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper “Pahonya” that was shut down by the authorities, and a reporter of this newspaper Pavel Mazheika were accused of slandering the ‘president of the Republic of Belarus’. Let us remind that the criminal action against the newspaper “Pahonya” was brought up on charges relating the Article 367 Part 1 of the Criminal Code for the insult of the president on September 6, 2001. The criminal action was instituted by the deputy public prosecutor of the region Uladzimer Aniska. All the computers of the editorial board were confiscated, as well as 10,750 copies of the special issue of the newspaper, that was not printed completely by that time. The print run of the issue was to be equal to 88 thousand copies. The confiscated special issue was dedicated to the presidential election in Belarus.

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The controlling shares of the Belarusian enterprise “Krynitsa” would not be sold to the Russian brewery “Baltika”, as the company does not consent to the terms of agreement proposed by the Belarusian side. As the head of the standing committee on industry of the ‘chamber of representatives’ Syarhei Zabalotsets said at the press conference on February 13 in Minsk, among other requirements the Belarusian side obliged “Baltika” to build an Ice Palace and buy barley seeds for kolkhozes of the country.

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At the trail of Alyaxandar Chyhir, Anton Yashyn and Zmitser Yutskevich, who are accused of car stealing, the defense still insists on some examinations. The court does on declining these appeals. On February 13 the hearing started from denial of an entreaty about carrying pout an examination of the paint and lacquer covering of the body of the car, which was allegedly stolen by Chyhir and the two other accused. The appeal to repeat the examination of welding seams of this car was turned down as well.

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Belarusian PEN-Center has made everything possible that Vasil Bykau could stay in Germany, Karlos Sherman, an honorable vice-president of the Belarusian PEN-Center, said to BelaPAN. Recently a German newspaper “Frankfurter Rundschau" informed that on April 15 Vasil Bykau returns to native land as the term of his German visa expires. Bykau himself, commenting on this statement, said that the reporter has somewhat “simplified” his problem. “I would certainly like to return, but not now and not under present conditions, -- the writer said. – Naturally I think what to do in future. Some things depend not only on me… There are several possibilities that will become known in spring, when I make final decision. There are some organizations that support me, including the International Parliament of Writers and some other organizations. I think I would not have to return on April 15”.

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Iranian President Mohammad Hatami accepted invitation to visit Belarus in 2002, the “Interfax” agency informs. You must remember that Mikhail Khvastou, Foreign Minister, told about likelihood of the visit of the Iranian dictator during the reception in the Iranian Embassy on the occasion of the national holiday of Iran, the Revolution Day, on February 11. On the same occasion the head of the FM, and the Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Musa Golpaegani stated that the political cooperation of Belarus and Iran should be more dynamic this year.

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Officers of the Mozyr branch of the inter-regional Department of Financial Investigations of the Committeee of the State Control have brought up an action against “Arena Ltd.”. As the BELTA correspondent was informed by the Department, during an inspection of some issues of the financial policy of the company it was found that the company carried out a wholesale trade in oil products from January 15 to February 16, 2001. The company without a license for this kind of business, had sold 13 tons of petrol to different enterprises and had earned a “huge sum of money”.

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Homel region has received 23 black cars “Mercedes”. The cars were personally distributed to the chairmen of the regional and town executive committees, Radio Svaboda informs. Personal drivers of the members of the “vertical” were sent to Minsk to drive the cars to their regions. Regional and town leaders claim that they had not given money from local budgets for purchase of the foreign cars. The cars “Mercedes” were bought on special command of Lukashenka. The Homel region is to receive 4 more automobiles, as the complete number of the cars will be equal to 27.

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According to the sources of Radio Svaboda, the words “capital punishment” first were pronounced at the trial of the former “Almaz” officer Valery Ihnatovich and his three accomplices yesterday. These words were used by the public prosecutor Fiodar Shedau, who believes that the culpability of Ihnatovich and his group was completely proved in court. The episodes of the abduction of the ORT cameraman Zavadsky, assassination of the families of the Ahaeus and the Nasibaus in Minsk, Yasko in Barysau and Kotau in Marjina Horka, and other crimes including gangsterism and armed robbery, were called proved.

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A trial of five activists of the resistance movement ZUBR, Mikhail Kisialou, Maxim Patapchyk, Alyaxandar Paulovich, Dzianis Senakosau, and Zmitser Shalashkou started on February 13 in the Shklou regional court. On August 14, 2001 activists of the ZUBR wearing moustached masks were visiting shops in Shklou, where they carried out “pre-election agitation” among the customers: they promised to pay 100 USD salary to everybody, swore to imprison all swindlers, businessmen and others who would not vote for Lukashenka, native of Shklou. The performance was interrupted by the police officers, who recognized Alyaxandar Lukashenka in the people in moustached masks.

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On February 13 Alyaxandar Lukashenka listen to the Belarusian Public Prosecutor General Viktar Sheiman’s report on the state of the law and order and the results of the work of the public prosecutor’s office in the last two weeks. By the discussion of the issue of the effectiveness of the fight with criminality, Lukashenka demanded that the Public prosecutor’s office worked more ruthlessly and attackingly. The prosecutors are to take all the measures under law to guarantee the inevitableness of the punishment for every crime, underlined Lukashenka.

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The international organization “Reporters Without Borders” has found more than fifty states-enemies of the Internet. This information was exposed in the annual report of the organization. 53 countrie swere included to the enemies of the Internet. As is stated in the report, in the most radical twenty countries the citizens are prohibited to use Internet. Besides, such countries as the Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Vietnam have restrictions for the work in the Internet that are almost equivalent to complete prohibition. The governments of these states fight against dissenters in the virtual space. There are institutions that perform repressive measures, block sites that disagree with their interests, oblige all users to receive permission in specially organized registers.

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During his tree-day visit to Hanty-Mansijsky and Yamal-Nenetsky autonomous districts on February 11-13, 2002 Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has unintentionally demonstrated tesne relations between Moscow and Kyiv, the UralInformBuro agency informs. In particular, as the source informs, at the meeting in the “Surgutgazprom Ltd.” On February 12 the Ukrainian leader ascertained that Russia on a regular basis delivers oil to Belarus, covering 80% of its needs, and Ukraine is forgotten in this respect.

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