17:48 Yury Lyavonau set at liberty

Today the political prisoner and entrepreneur Yury Lyavonau has been released. He told his family about his discharge over the phone when he left the colony in Baranavichy. As the Charter’97 press-center has found out, at the moment friends are on the way to Baranavichy in order to meet the former prisoner and take him home.

17:13 Film “The Square” Won Alpe Adria Cinema Prize

“The Sqaure” (Ploshcha), a film by Belarusian director Yury Khashchavatski, has been awarded the first prize, Alpe Adria Cinema Award, for the best documentary film at the Trieste Film Festival (Italy).

22 people sentenced to 15 days of arrest for participation in the entrepreneurs’ protest action on 10 January, have been released today. As Anatol Lyabedzka, head of the United Civil Party, said the prosecutor’s office of Minsk initiated a case on “mass riot in Minsk” on 10 January and is carrying out investigation. “Mass riot” is a peaceful demonstration, dispersed brutally by the militia.

15:09 Belarus kills smuggled parrots over bird flu fears

Veterinarians fearing cases of bird flu have destroyed 275 parrots brought into ex-Soviet Belarus illegally by a smuggler on a bicycle, a newspaper reported on Friday.

14:41 Viktar Ivashkevich: Sense of participation in elections when victory is impossible (video)

“Only when it is possible to win the vote, one has a reason to participate. And in conditions of Belarus the only possible was to win is when the regime would fulfill the 12 conditions of the EU. That is why the “European Belarus” campaign is a preparation to the elections in terms of demanding sensible conditions for free elections and release of all political prisoners,” told one of the leaders of the Belarusian Popular Front party Viktar Ivashkevich, commenting on the attitude of the campaign “European Belarus” towards participation in parliamentary elections.

22 people sentenced to 15 days of arrest for participation in the entrepreneurs’ protest action on 10 January, have been released today. Among them are Anatol Shumchanka, leader of the republican public organisation “Perspektiva,” and Anatol Lyabedzka, head of the United Civil Party.

13:43 Radzkou: Education Ministry Officials are Illiterate

Education Minister Alyaksandr Radzkou has called upon teachers to pay special attention to formation of pupils’ culture of spoken language and writing. He has announced that at a summarizing panel of Education Ministry on January 24 in Minsk.

12:15 Expelled student detained on frame up

On January 24 in the evening an activist of youth democratic movement Dzmitry Zhaleznichenka was detained in Homel.

12:13 Polish customs strike hits Belarus, Ukraine border

Wildcat strikes by Polish customs workers brought to a halt international traffic at selected Belarusian and Ukrainian border check points, officials in Minsk and Kiev said Friday. Cars and lorries were stuck in lengthening queues in both directions at the Varshavsky Most and Domachevo crossing sites, a pair of heavily-used road transit points on the Polish-Belarusian border, said Belarus customs spokesman Aleksander Tishchenko, according to Belapan news agency report.

10:30 Customs workers strike paralysed Belarusian-Polish border

Strike of Polish customs workers has paralysed all border check points at the Belarusian-Polish border. “Passenger transport and lorries as well as physical persons cannot neither enter Belarus nor leave it. The situation is becoming critical,” Alyaksandr Tishchanka, spokesman of the State Border Committee, said.

10:20 PACE subcommittee set to organize conference on media situation in Belarus

The media subcommittee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), at its meeting in Strasbourg on January 24, decided to organize an international conference on the situation regarding Belarus’ independent media.

10:20 Minsk Dwellers Reminded about Political Prisoners (Photo)

A banner with the words “Free Political Prisoners!” was put up in microdistrict “Zyalyony Luh” in Minsk. Activists of the campaign “JEANS- For Freedom!” have attached it to the bridge of the Minsk ring road in a busy spot near Expobel market.

9:37 Belarusians don’t want peaceful atom

A group of public activists from Gomel organised an impromptu poll on Gomel streets on construction a nuclear power plant in Belarus on 24 January.

9:10 David Kramer: No concessions until all political prisoners are released

David Kramer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State welcomed the release of political prisoners Zmiter Dashkevich and Mikalai Autukhovich in Belarus and urged the Belarusian authorities to release all prisoners of conscience.