On November 17 the Economic Court of Minsk disallowed the claim of the “Narodnaya Volya” newspaper to the state-owned unitary enterprise Belsajuzdruk, the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists informs. The director of the Belsajuzdruk Mikhail Padhajny (Podgajny) stated that in January 2005 his enterprise made an additional agreement with the editorial office of the “Narodnaya Volya”, according to which violation of the law on press by a newspaper serves as a grounds for unilateral cancellation of the agreement. The representati8ves of the “Narodnaya Volya” stated that the editorial office had not received such a document.
On November 15 policemen and people is plainclothes carried out a “taking-out operation” of the copies of the unregistered youth magazine “Studentskaya Dumka” (“Students’ Thinking”) from a number of Minsk shops, where the periodical is distributed for free. The “Belarusian Association of Journalists” was informed about that by the “SD” representatives. As said by them, shop’s management representatives were to give a written pledge that they wouldn’t distribute these magazines in the future.
On November 16, despite of the bad weather, in Bratislava candles were lit up to mark the 16th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. A meeting and a concert “16 Years of Freedom” dedicated to this date were held in Slovak capital.
Today in Shchuchyn a stamp of travel permit that allows going to “all countries of the world” is cancelled in the passport of Wieslaw Kiewlak, a deputy chairman of the Union of Poles in Belarus, headed by Andzelika Borys. This UPB is not recognized by the regime.
The leaders of the current Union of Writers: its chairman Ales Pashkevich, deputy chairman Barys Pyatrovich and Eduard Akulin, and representatives of independent media were not let into the Trade Union Palace in Minsk where a constitutive meeting of the pro-governmental Union of Writers started. As the Charter’97 press-center was informed, a special police regiment is guarding the building. The officers of the special police force forces in a private conversation say that they have been called in to guard the building “for the event of attack”. What kind of “attack” are pro-Lukashenka writers afraid of?
On 16 day of every month parishioners of this church of Full Gospel are to hold prayer services as a sign of solidarity with political prisoners, disappeared oppositionists and their families, independent journalists. The leaders of the church “New Life”, which has experienced a serious pressure from the state, say that the authorities consciously push them to political activities. The statement of church in particular says: “There is no difference for the church what are the political commitments of a person. When a person is persecuted, we exist for such people!”
30 activists of opposition were arrested yesterday by police in Mahiliou. Majority of them are Zubr activists. Arrests were arbitrary. Police officers were just taking Zubr activists of their flats.
Addressing students of universities in Mahilyou on November 17, Alyaksandr Lukashenka stated that more than 90% of rural people are ready to support him, 84% of dwellers of regional centres and 67% of Minsk dwellers. This information is received in a “secret opinion poll”, according to him.
On the 13-th of November, on Sunday, MHSS-Young democrats’ activists have performed another action of protest. After going through all the city and carrying trash bags with signs – Lawlessness, Contract system, Assignment, Censure, Unemployment and other political trash components of Belarusian Republic, according to Young democrat’s view – guys have demonstratively thrown them away to the garbage can.
Political parties and social organizations’ work has been discussed in the House or Representatives. Today the Parliament Commission of the House of Representatives of National Belarus meeting dealing with Human Rights, national relations and Mass Media has viewed the situation, connected with the activities of political parties after the adoption of the new corresponding law’s edition.
The United States is deeply concerned about the latest development in the continuing repression of independent media in Belarus, and the latest in a long line of closures of the eastern European country’s nongovernmental organizations. Addressing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria, November 17, U.S. Ambassador Julie Finley said the United States calls on Belarus to ensure private media access to distribution through the state postal agency, which has declared it no longer will distribute several independent publications.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, accused in the West of crushing human rights, said on Thursday rivals hoping to vote him out of office next year enjoyed dwindling popular support. Entitled to run for a new term next year after a disputed referendum on constitutional change, Lukashenko said the liberal and nationalist opposition also had little hope of winning over young voters or businessmen.
The chairman of the Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Organizations and Communities, expressed anxiety on Thursday at "instances of anti-Semitism in Belarusian society." "There are instances of anti-Semitism in Belarusian society, but there is no anti-Semitism at the state level," Leonid Levin told a news conference in Minsk.
War-divided Cote d`Ivoire`s wealth of natural resources are being used to fund military activities, according to a report by a UN team of experts. It rests with the Security Council to decide whether the experts` findings, made public late Wednesday, contravene a year-old arms embargo.
The deputy of the European Parliament, former Foreign Minister of Poland Bronislaw Geremek has supported the Day of Belarusian Solidarityþ “With great satisfaction and joy I meet everything that serves the brotherly Belarusian nation, gives it a chance for freedom, and helps Belarus takes its appropriate position in the united Europe,” Bronislaw Geremek said to the Charter’97 press center. “I am confident that the Polish nation would never forget about its duty to promote democratic and European inspiration of Belarus. I also wish that the Day of Belarusian Solidarity would become a confirmation that Europe is not and would never be indifferent towards the fate of the Belarusians, and that hope remains that it is able to pave its way to liberty like Poland realized that 25 years ago by the force of movement and the Solidarity trade union. This is exactly what I wish the Belarusian nation”.
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