19 February in Minsk at the Leninsky district court hearing of Kanstantin Lukashou, brother of a well-known public figure Vyachaslau Siuchik, lawsuit the prosecutor demanded for the defendant 2 years of imprisonment with a three years’ delay of the sentence’s coming into force.

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Belarus is considered Europe`s last dictatorship, but amid a crisis between former allies Minsk and Moscow, the EU said a door to new negotiations could be opening.

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Democracy is a cathedral in which freedom, opportunity and hope flourish. But by many measures democracy is in retreat around the world.

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16 February, on the Day of Solidarity, the presentation of the “Radasts” first album of the“Tov.Mauzer” group was held. Yanka Mauzer, the group’s vocalist, explained why the concert was held on 16 February and whether the date’s choice was purposeful.

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18 February the Belarusian youth movement of America organized Yuri Khaschevatsky’s “Ploscha” documentary presentation in the assembly hall of the St. Cyril Turov’s Cathedral in New York. The documentary dwells on the March 2006 events in Minsk, when thousands of people went out into the streets to protect their choice and their country form the fraud and total lies during the presidential election.

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Hundreds of the young activists went into the streets of Minsk on the Day of Solidarity 16 February. Candles of solidarity with political prisoners and families of the disappeared opposition members were lighted in different places in Minsk on that day: in Skarini avenue, near the “Kastrichnik” cinema, at the Yakub Kolas square and in the Yanka Kupala park.

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16 February the sixteenth action solidarity with the Belarusian political prisoners, families of the disappeared opposition members and all those fighting for freedom and democracy in Belarus was held in Washington at the Belarusian embassy. The action was organized by the “Poglyad” initiative activists. The ”We Remember” civil initiative representatives, Belarusian students studying in the USA, The Belarusan-American Association representatives took part in it together with 39 people from New York who came to Washington just to participate in the action.

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National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Tahir, arrived in Minsk on FA delegation of Sudanese lawmakers, led by February 18.

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There was an attempted break-in at the United Civic Party (UCP)`s regional office in Homyel in the early hours of January 18, Uladzimir Katsora, deputy head of the charter, told BelaPAN.

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The State Custom’s Committee (SCC) of Belarus declared that Russia’s claims on transit procedure of “Kaliningrad`s goods” were groundless. In the letter distributed by SCC the day before it is said s that it was Russia itself that in 2005 breached a prearranged procedure of the goods’ transit from Kaliningrad, thus discriminating the Belarusian receivers. The SCC declaration appeared only after the Mintrans of Russia had announced his intention not to allow the Belarusian transit from the third countries to and from Russia. According to the Nezavisimaya Gazeta 6.7thousand Belarusian vehicles participate in the transit between Western Europe and Russia. The annual proceeds of these deliveries total over USD 230 million.

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