The day before the second reading of the scandalous bill, all the deputies of the chamber of representatives were given booklets written by the KGB officers. This booklet’s title is “Analytical review. Colour revolutions in the post-Soviet states. A possible scenario for Belarus”. As said by the KGB chairman Stsyapan Sukharenka, “parliamentarians” should share the information in the booklet with their voters. The newspaper “Narodnaya Volya” asked about the contents of this booklet.
Baranavichy regional postal communications center (RPCC) will not extend the contract for distribution and delivery of the independent newspapers “Intex-press” and “Myastsovy Chas” for the first half of the year 2006. The director of the “Intex-press” publishing house Uladzimir Yanukevich found that out from an official letter of November 30 signed by the head of Baranavichy regional postal communications center Stashynski.
In the evening of November 25 a coordinator of Hrodna initiative group of the civil initiative “Belarusian Association of Amnesty International” Andrei Myaleshka was taken to a police department of Kastrychnitski district of Hrodna. “Beside establishment of identity, my fingerprints were taken in the police department, and I was captured on videotape. Policemen asked about the activities of the civil initiative Belarusian Association of Amnesty International,” the activist said. As said by A. Myaleshka, at least 20 activists of different public associations and initiatives of Hrodna region had undergone the same procedure.
In Minsk the KGB officers threatened bodily harm to an activist of the “Zubr” movement Yuliya Liskouskaya. About an hour ago two men came to her place of work. They presented themselves as KGB (State Security Committee) officers. They asked her about the resistance movement “Zubr”, its activists, printed materials and sources of financing.
Representatives of the Belarusian opposition urge international community to react in a proper manner to adoption of amendments to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus by the so-called “chamber of representatives”. The international coordinator of the civil initiative Charter’97, former deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Andrei Sannikov said that these amendments, urgently proposed by the leader of Belarus and passed by the “chamber of representatives”, are criminal.
On the eve of the summit of the leaders of the Community of Democratic Choice states, held in Kyiv on December 1-2, in the capital of Ukraine, a Forum of civil society was held. At the Forum, in particular, an appeal to the leaders concerning the situation in Belarus was adopted. The representatives of civil society appealed the leaders the Community of Democratic Choice states “to consider immediate measures to stop the gross violations of human rights in Belarus”, and to “to condition their relations with Belarus on compliance with international law and on the conduct of free and fair elections”.
In connection with the new amendments to the Criminal Code, the newspaper “KP in Belarus” asked the deputy head of the presidential administration Natallya Pyatkevich to explain what “fraudulent representation of Belarus” means.
The West is expressing strong concerns about Belarus, a day after the country`s lower house of parliament, the Chamber of Representatives, passed legislation intended to curb attempts at popular protests against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
The European Union has expressed its concern about developments in Belarus after the parliament in Minsk passed a draft bill Friday aimed to stop mass anti-government protests. "The provisions of the bill seem to go entirely against many of Belarus` human rights commitments, notably the rights to freedom of association and freedom of expression," said the EU Presidency in a statement.
The Head of the OSCE Office in Minsk, Ambassador Ake Peterson, today said he was gravely concerned over the adoption by the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus of amendments that could deal a serious blow to civil society and individuals.
Parliament in Belarus, whose president is accused in the West of crushing all dissent, approved legislation on Friday intended to curb attempts at popular upheaval like Ukraine`s "Orange Revolution."
Belarus` lower house of parliament passed legislation Friday that would make it a crime to discredit the state, be a member of the political opposition or an advocate for human rights in the hard-line former Soviet republic.
The parliament of Belarus has passed a law intended to stop mass protests - ahead of 2006 presidential elections. The law will make it a criminal offence to "discredit" the Belarusian state both within Belarus and abroad - with a three year jail term for offenders. The new law was passed overwhelmingly by the lower house of the Belarusian parliament on Friday.
The Lukashenka government in Belarus has taken several steps to ensure that there are no unexpected setbacks in the 2006 presidential election campaign. On November 23, the president proposed several amendments to the Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure that, if accepted into law, will have a fundamental impact both on the election campaign and on activities of all residents of the republic.
Uladzimir Maliei, lawyer of HRC Viasna is again charged with libeling the head of the local vertical. In the morning of 1 December Uladzimir Maliei, deputy of Malaryta District Soviet, vice-chair of Brest regional organization of Belarusian People’s Front, received from the board of internal affairs of Brest Regional Executive Committee the note informing that the criminal case against him was resumed.
Procurator’s Office Takes Explanations from Director of Independent Institute for Socio-Economic and Political Research (IISEPS) Alieh Manaieu. The national procurator’s office of the Republic of Belarus conducts a check-up concerning the last interviews and publications of the scientist in Belarusian press, devoted to public polls.
In the memorial site Kurapaty another act of vandalism was performed. Unknown vandals painted red swastikas on the chapel-icon “Our Lady of Kurapaty of all innocently executed”, on a monument to executed Jews and Muslims and a Kurapaty stone. A memorial sign “To Belarusians from the American people” has been poured by the red paint.
”Now I know how authorities calculate average salary in Belarus, - told Anatolij Lebedko after the meeting with workers on strike. – Workers complained that their official salary after taxes was just 100 000 Belarusian rubles. However, factory administration delays salary payments anyways.”
Dear Colleagues. Remember, please, you are expected to refer to the Charter`97 Press Center when using the site materials. News export , javascript-informer
, javascript-informer
