March review of the human rights infringements in Belarus proves that the Soviet traditions of pressure on civil and political freedoms goes on. Belarusian master of ice hockey manages to disobey the rules with blessing from some arbiters close to the Moscow Kremlin.

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The OSCE Chairman-in-office voiced his reaction towards the speech of Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the “chamber of representatives”, in which Lukashenka declared that further work of the Advisory and Monitoring group in Minsk without changing its mandate is impossible. The chairman-in-office stated that the mandate would not be changed.

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A huge three-meter-high writing “Stop Luka” in white paint has appeared on the sidewalk in front of the Belarusian embassy in Warsaw last night. Its authors say that they have made it as a sign of solidarity with the people who were imprisoned for their part in the Protest March “Can’t Live Like That Anymore!”.

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Yuri Zaitsau, father of Homel activist of the Zubr movement Andrei Zaitsau, was informed by the regional court that the case of his son’s recruiting by KGB and of his mysterious death was returned for consideration to the Soviet district court of Homel, Radio Svaboda informs. Earlier Yuri Zaitsau appealed against unlawful actions of the prosecutor’s office, which refused to bring up an action and examine the reasons of Andrei’s death. The father believes that his son was forced to commit suicide by secret service men. Initially judge Makhamet did not consider the appeal, referring to the fact that the prosecutor’s office is beyond the jurisdiction of the court. Now another judge is to consider the case.

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Today in Basel the Swiss and French medics will hold an action of solidarity with the incarcerated Belarusian professor, doctor of medicine Yuri Bandazhevsky. The action will attract representatives of the international organizations’ network “Scientists against nuclear tests” and the staffers of the independent laboratory of radioactive research CRIRAD (France), which, ahead of the 16th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster, intend to urge the Belarusian authorities to set the professor free.

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You are invited to the press-conference, which will be held today, April 25, at 14.30 in he office of the Charter’97 press-center.
The participants of the Protest March “Can’t Live Like That Anymore!” released from jail yesterday: Dzmitser Barodka, Aleh Myatselitsa and Alyaxandra Andzhieuskaya, will be each given a word at the press-conference. Professor Heorgy Lepin, who was ill-treated at the Protest March, will take part in the press-conference as well.
The information about the event will be allocated on our site in no time after its termination.
Best regards,
Charter’97 Press center

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Belarusian Foreign ministry has issued official reprimand to the correspondent of the Russain company NTV Apvel Selin relating his reporting the events in Minsk on April 19, when a peaceful protest march “Can’t Live Like That Anymore!” was brutally dispersed, about a fire in the volunteers’ camp in Kurapaty, and about the great number of Belarusians, who had to emigrate because they undergo constant bullying by the authorities. These newscasts were on air at the NTV channel on April 14, 19, 20 and 21.

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Charter’97 press-center reported that the famous filmmaker Yuri Khaschevatsky, sentenced by the Sovietsky district court of Minsk to 10 days of arrest for organizing the Protest March “CAN’T LIVE LIKE THAT ANYMORE!” is currently suffering from poor health. In a stuffy, tiny cell of the confinement jail in the Okrestina str., a 54-year old Yuri Iosifovich suffers from blood pressure imbalance. Yesterday, they even had to place him under dropper. The prominent film producer was apprehended by police during their dispersal of the April 19 opposition rally. His term in custody will end by April 29 night.

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Graffiti “Free Political Prisoners!” and the names of the arrested for their part in the Protest March “Can’t Live Like That Anymore!” appear regularly on the fence of the holding-and-dispatch jail in the Aktestsina St and at the walls of the nearest buildings. In this way the ZUBR protests against imprisonment of the organizers and participants of the Protest March. The policemen struggle to eliminate denunciatory writings, painting them over day after day. However, every morning fresh graffiti emerge again.

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On Tuesday the Belarusian leader addressed the country’s parliament with the annual speech. Alexander Lukashenko’s two-hour long address abounded in political digressions, but contained no revelatory statements. As different from Vladimir Putin’s address, publicized last week, Alexander Lukashenko pointed out in his appeal both inside and outside foes. Those, who disagree with his policy were labeled “rag-tags”.

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On May 27-June 2 this year the Belarusian troops, led by the Minister of defense colonel-general Leonid Maltsev, will launch a military exercise, which will be the greatest of all in the country in 2002. IA Rosbalt reports from the Russian General Staff headquarters that the Russia’s strategic partners will examine the efficacy of the new North-Western grouping, set up in late 2001.

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The nuclear fuel, which is still preserved in the demolished Chernobyl sarcophagus, produces uncontrolled and unpredictable chain reactions. In particular, there’s a leak of ameritsy, which is by hundreds of times more dangerous than strontium, said in an interview to Izvestia the academician from the Academy of sciences Dmitry Grodzinsky, who has been working on Chernobyl for 16 years. “We’ve many times registered the increase of neutron flows. The fuel masses are heating up in the destroyed reactor. Irradiated anew, they turn into dust and the radioactive substances leak out of the sarcophagus,” – explained the scholar.

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