A wife of the leader of the united democratic forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich, Ina Kulej, was interrogated in Pershamajski police department in Minsk yesterday. A criminal action was brought up against her son for alleged draft evasion. “I was told by policemen that the criminal action had been brought up as he had allegedly submitted a false medical certificate to Brest military enlistment office! It is simply ridiculous! What kind of medical certificate could he bring if there is a medical commission in the military enlistment office? Only a medical examining board can evaluate health of draftees, and no other medical certificates are considered in military enlistment offices. It is obvious that the case against my son is a fiction,” Ina Kulej told to the Charter’97 press center.

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Today Andzelika Borys was summoned the investigation subdivision of Lenin district police department of Hrodna. Andzelika Borys is the head of the Union of Poles in Belarus not recognized by the regime. The investigator was interested by the activities of the organization. However, Andzelika Borys refused to bear evidence.

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Alyaksandr Lukashenka has stated the necessity to widen interaction of security agencies and surveillance services of the CIS countries in their counteraction to existing challenges and threats. “In the situation when dynamic changes in the nature of threats to international security are taking place, the issue of joining efforts of our special services on a wide range of problems is as vital as never before,” Lukashenka stated at the meeting of the heads of delegations arrived to Minsk to participate in the 7th session of the Conference of the heads of security agencies and intelligence services of the CIS countries. Speaking of the role of security agencies of Belarus, A. Lukashenka noted: “No matter how we would be criticized, but we are set to reinforce the KGB (State Security Committee)”. “Without a powerful organization of state security it’s impossible to guarantee security of the state, even of a nuclear state,” the president noted.

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For three years, teachers at the Yakub Kolos lycee have been leading their pupils from one secret address to another. Moving mostly between private homes, the 90 pupils are defying the high school`s official closure in 2003 to try to encourage free thinking and foster Belarussian -- the language associated with the small opposition in the ex-Soviet state.

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Baptizing 70 people in a lake has led to the pastor of one of Belarus’ largest Pentecostal churches being fined over $2,000 (or 150 times the minimum wage), Forum 18 News Service has learnt. This is the first time that a congregation of a mainstream Protestant Union has had such a huge fine imposed for religious activity without state permission.

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Czech Foreign Minister Alexandr Vondra criticised Belarus, Cuba and Myanmar over violation of human rights in his address at the United Nations General Assembly today.

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On Tuesday, September 26 at 11.40 a.m. a member of the “Belarusian Popular Front Youth” Pavel Krauchanka got a phone call from an unknown person who presented himself a an officer of the State Security Committee. After a short conversation the officer offered Pavel to visit the KGB for a detailed talk.

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International organisations are to define where Belarus draws money from for “carrying out protectionist, paternalistic social policy”, told the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Belarus Adrian Severin. As said by him, “unreformed” economy of Belarus cannot provide such social program by its own resources.

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The Belarusian Association of Journalists sent an appeal to the Minister of Information Uladzimir Rusakevich in view of activity abeyance of the non-governmental literary, artistic and popular scientific magazine “ARCHE. The Beginning” for three months. The Belarusian Association of Journalists urged the Minister to reverse the order that suspended the magazine from publishing and to cancel the official notification to the periodical.

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Today the head of the Environmental protection department of Slonim District Executive Committee Mikhalai Dzehtsiarou has refused to give information to Anton Trafimovich, a reporter from an independent newspaper "Hazeta Slonimaskaja". The official claimed that he would not cooperate with the edition because he gave the information only to the state district newspaper. “No Law on Mass Media cannot be applied to me!”, — said Mikhalai Dzehtsiarou in his interview to the reporter from "Hazeta Slonimaskaja".

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The situation with human rights in Belarus has deteriorated over the last year. This opinion was expressed by Mr. Adrian Severin, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Belarus. In the report presented to the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday A. Severin paid special attention to the presidential elections held in March. The Special Rapporteur underlined that he cannot call elections fair and free. IN the report he also told about arrests of Belarusian oppositionists and journalists, about abductions and murders of Belarusian oppositionists and a journalist.

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