Today OSCE representative Fiona Freizer has visited the church “New Life”. The OSCE officials learnt about the hunger strike held by the Protestants, and Fiona Feizer arrived to the church to figure out more about the protest action of the “New Life” believers.

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As the newspaper Lietuvos zinios reports, the Brest public prosecutor’s office resolved not to initiate a criminal case on the death of Lithuanian Embassy official Vitautas Potunas. The data gathered indicate Potunas’ death was an accident. The investigation on the case is ceased, but the Belarusian Prosecutor’s office is to reconsider the materials.

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Aliaksandar Lukashenka said the deputies of the local councils to be elected in January 2007 should represent all social classes and keep away from politics.

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Lida region is shivering. Hardly had the corruption case toned down, when the town of Biarozauka (Lida region) appeared in the center of a new scandal. Last Tuesday the employees of the glass factory “Nioman” held a mass strike at their working places. From 300 to 500 morning shift employees ceased the work till noon.

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In December 2006, the UNO General Assembly is to discuss ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The Convention was adopted unanimously by the UN Council on human rights at its first session held in June 2006, in Geneva. The representatives from the world organizations of the families of the missing people are to take part in the conference on the Convention which is to be held by the UN French mission within the UNO 62nd General Assembly on October 17-19, 2006, in New York.

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The first application informs the powers on the hunger strike of protest held by more than 200 people and on their demands - to abolish the illegal resolution of the Minsk Executive Committee ordering the church to leave the building and the land, and to change the administrative purpose of the building to the religious one. “More and more Belarusians, believers from various churches join the hunger strike; we receive letters of support from other countries,” - the Protestants point out in the application.

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As the German diplomatic mission told BelaPAN, the German Embassy in Belarus still has not received an official reply to its request for a meeting of German Ambassador Martin Hekker with former candidate for the Presidential post, political prisoner Aliaksandar Kazulin, which has been made twice August 9 and September 22.

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As vice chairperson of the Minsk State Executive Committee Mikhal Tsitsiankou told Interfax on Thursday, the Minsk powers urge the religious community “New Life” to carry out their religious activity in compliance with the acting Belarusian legislation. “The city administration calls upon the Minsk religious community “New Life” to start an effective dialogue and obey the laws of the state,” - M.Tsitsiankou emphasized. He pointed out that “the administration of the community has been frequently warned that their religious activity infringes the law “On liberty of conscience and religious organizations in Belarus” and the legislation on mass actions.”

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Today US Embassy representatives Laura Jordan and Nathan Lein have visited the church “New Life” to see what is going on in the building and find out the state of health of the strikers. The Embassy officials talked to priest Viachaslau Gancharenka, wished him courage and firmness. 214 people are reported to assist the hunger strike today.

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An action of solidarity with the Belarusian people is to be held in Washington on the eve of the Solidarity day, on October 15. “It will be the anniversary action, - the initiator of the actions of solidarity with Belarus, civil organization “Pogliad” reports. - Washington has been hosting the actions of solidarity with the democratic Belarus for one year already. The desire of the Belarusians to become free, to protect their dignity and to be heard pierces all those numerous actions held all over the world. The world supports Belarus.”

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State Duma Deputy, member of the parliamentary commission of the “union state” on economy Anatoliy Lokots’ published the secret order of the Russian Ministry for Economic Development and Trade to limit the imports of Belarusian goods imposed to the Russian regional administrations. The order was stipulated by the discrimination of the Russian goods that is observed today on the Belarusian market. A.Lokots’ made a statement at the meeting of the acting seminar for the deputies of the Parliamentary session of the Russian-Belarusian “union state” held October 12, in the Russian city of Rostov-na-Donu. That was in summer when the Russian regional administrations received the order by Deputy Minister Sergey Sharonov, as the Deputy put it.

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