Criminal case opened for a comment on charter97.org website

In the comments to articles at charter97.org website the Prosecutor-General's Office discovered "insults and defamation".

It has been stated today at a press-conference by a jouranlist of charter97.org website Natallya Radzina.

"Today a human rights activist Aleh Vouchak told me about initiation of a second criminal case for publications at charter97.org website. The criminal case had been initiated by the Prosecutor-General's Office in connection with... comments to the articles posted at the website. The matter concerns the article reproduced from the newspaper of Lukashenka's administration, "Sovetskaya Belorussia", which author was an Afghan war veteran Alyaksandr Ryzhankou, and which was

Hands off charter97.org website!

Computers seized from a journalist Natallya Radzina haven't been returned. Additional expert examination has been ordered to find out whether administering of charter97.org website was made on those computers.

Today a senior interrogating officer of the internal affairs department of Homel Alyaksandr Puseu summoned for interrogation in the police department of Pershamajski district of Minsk 4 journalists: Natalya Radzina, Iryna Khalip, Svyatlana Kalinkina and Maryna Koktysh. In the framework of the criminal case concerning defamation of the former head of the KGB directorate of Homel region Ivan Korzh searches were held at the places of the journalists and all computers confiscated.

The journalist of charter97.org Natallya Radzina website was familiarized with the materials of the computer and technical expert examination of the 8 system blocks seized in her office. The expert examination had been carried out by officers of the Chief expert criminalistic centre of the Interior Affairs Ministry of Belarus. According to the results of the expert examination, it had not been found that posting of materials discrediting honour, dignity and business

Shuvalov: Russia will join WTO on its own

The Russian Federation is determined to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) not waiting for its Customs Union partners, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Igor Shuvalov, Russian deputy prime minster, told this to journalists in Washington during his visit to the US.

"Russia will formalize its membership on its own," ITAR TASS quotes Shuvalov. "It would be good for everyone if Russia became a WTO member before we create a common market with Kazakhstan and Belarus."

The Russian governmental delegation headed by deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov is to hold negotiations on Russia's joining the WTO in Washington on Tuesday, April 27. The

Pensions to become even less

It has been decided by the Belarusian ruler: if we do not increase the penion age, we decrease size of penions. Senior scitizens are put on the verge of survival.

The Belarusian leader has done so many loud and scandalous statements during his address to the "parliament" and the nation on April 20, that one of them, as important, has been left unnoticed.

Thus, answering the question of a deputy of the "chamber of representatives" Anatoly Hlaz about a possibility of introducing a special pension system for top officials who had been working "conscientiously" in their positions for 10 and

"Süddeutsche Zeitung": "Lukashenka won't be able play a double game long"

Top Western newspapers continue to comment on the stay of the ousted Kyrgyz president Bakiyev in Belarus.

As the US based "Christian Science Monitor" writes, by offering the asylum to Bakiyev, Lukashenka showed "a case of dictator solidarity", reports "Radio Svaboda".

As "Christian Science Monitor" writes, Bakiyev had arrived to Minsk with his family as a personal guest of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, a person whose weird authoritarian regime near the Europe's centre confuses even its only ally, the Kremlin.

The leader of the provisional government of Kyrgyzstan, Roza Otunbayeva condemned the decision of Lukashenka to offer shelter "to this sadist".

Kyrgyz government: "Destructive activities are carried out from Belarusian territory"

The interim government of Kyrgyzstan is indignant at actions of the Belarusian authorities.

"Destructive activities against our country are carried out from the territory of friendly Belarus," stated the Chief of Staff of the provisional government of Kyrgyzstan Edil Baysalov (Baisalov), commenting statements by Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

"Bakiyev is a private individual, he has been ousted and not recognised a president either by the wolrd community or the people of Kyrgyzstan. We believe that the Belarusain government does not contribute to normalization of the situation in Kyrgyzstan. They should have reminded the private individual Bakiyev about the necessity to observe hospitality

Belarusian authorities break records in early voting

Early voting, which representatives of the EU called up to abandon, is still held in Belarus, and moreover, voters turn-out is higher than in previous years.

Voters turn-out to early voting can be even higher than before. In local elections in 2007 24.9% of voters took part in early voting, "Belarusskiye naviny" inform.

On the first day 3.6% of voters took part in the vote. Voters turn-out in two days was 8.7% of voters, 15% over the three days. At the previous local election in 2007 2.7% of voters took part in the vote on the first day of the

Prosecutors cover up militiamen, who beat a journalist

Natallya Radzina, a journalist of the website charter97.org, was denied instigating a criminal case against the militiamen, who hit her in the face during the search.

The ruling signed by assistant prosecutor of the Leninski district of Minsk Alyaksandr Svatko says that Natallya Radzina's request for a criminal case was denied "for lack of a socially dangerous act provided for by the criminal law".

The prosecutor's ruling contains a lot of contradictions. It is obvious that no check-up in connection with the journalist's complaint was carried out in due order. The document refers to the militiamen and says that the militiamen, who were searching the charter97.org office, behaved "in a polite manner". All militiamen questioned said they hadn't tried to enter the office by force. There's an outstanding phrase in the resolution: "The above mentioned men tried to take Radzina aside from the door holding her by her body. In such a way they tried to prevent Radzina from closing the door."

This is how the document describes an attack on the journalist by militiamen, who ran from upstairs,

Brother for brother

Brother of Vitsebsk activist Syarhei Kavalenka was arrested for six days for he held on to a white-red-white flag for some seconds.

BelaPAN learnt from Paval Sevyarynets, a co-chairman of the organizing committee on creating the party Belarusian Christian Democracy, that Vital Kavalenka, brother of Vitsebsk activist of the Conservative Christian Party BPF Syarhei Kavalenka, was arrested for six days.

He was detained on April 20 on a far-fetched accusation of disorderly conduct – he allegedly was urinating in not permitted places. In real fact, Vital Kavalenka was detained after a national flag had appeared over the militia department where

Bakiyev and his family are in Minsk

Such a confession has been made by Lukashenka today when he was answering questions of "deputies".

The former president of Kyrguzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev is in Minsk, said Alyaksandr Lukashenka, answering questions of deputies on April 20.

"Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev and his family are in Minsk under the protection of our state and me personally," Lukashenka noted.

"On Monday at night I ordered appropriate services of my administration to organize Bakiyev's transfer to Minsk," Lukashenka said.

After Bakiyev's arrival to Kazakhstan on April 16 after seizure of power by the opposition his whereabouts were unknown.

"At present I have

Syarhei Kavalenka, who hung out a flag on Christmas tree, to stand trial April 20

Syarhei Kavalenka, an activist of the Conservative Christian Party BPF, is to stand trial on April 20 April for hanging out a national white-red-white flag on a Christmas tree in Vitsebsk, addressed the witnesses of January 7 events.

Kavalenka called on the people living in the block of flats on the address 8 Maskouski Avenue in Vitsebsk, in front of which the Christmas tree was set up, to come to the Kastrychnitski district court at 10:30 a.m. to a trial, the newspaper "Nasha Niva" reports.

Syarhei Kavalenka is going to use the help of Vitsebsk dwellers to deny accusations of hooliganism

Maxim Vunyarski, "European Belarus" activist, to stand trial

After the detention the activist of "European Belarus" was given the summons to the court.

Maxim Vinyarski was detained yesterday by riot policemen near October Square. The activist was taken to the department of police of Lenin district in Lenin Street.

Vinyarski was released without a report being drawn up, but he was told that police has a decree of the court for participation in the rally on Solidarity Day on March 16.

Maxim Vinyarski states that he hadn't recieved any writ from the court. He also signed the summons that he would go to court of Leninski district of

Rallies in support of political prisoners held in Minsk and Vitsebsk (Photo)

Activists of "European Belarus" civil campaign held several rallies on the Day of Solidarity with a demand to release political prisoners.

Yesterday leaflets and graffiti with a logo "16" and information about political prisoners appeared in Minsk. In posters pasted in busy spots of the city information about the court over Mikalai Autukhovich and Uladzimir Asipenka which is under way at the moment.

Informational pickets were held in several parts of the city. Their participanst were holding slogans "Freedom to political prisoners", "Freedom to Autukhovich!", "Freedom to Autukhovich!", "Freedom to Dubski!", "No to political repressions", and also handed out leaflets

Belarusian riot militia defends Lukashenka and Hitler (Video)

Riot militia officers arrested the youth activists, who were trying to give BRSM members footage of Lukashenka praising Hitler.

A CD, the Young Front activists were going to leave in the office of the pro-governmental Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM), contained videos of Alyaksandr Lukashenka praising Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany of the 1930s. The statement that the Belarusian ruler made in an interview to German newspaper Handelsblatt in 1995, was later repeated by the Belarusian radio.

The BRSM has its headquarters near Alyaksandr Lukashenka's administration. Riot militiamen detained Young Front leaders Anastasia Palazhanka, Mikalai Dzemidzenka, Anastasia Loika, Uladzimir Yaromenka and Radio Svaboda photo correspondent

Bakiyev offered political asylum in Belarus

The overthrown president of Kyrgyzstan received this invitation from the Belarusian ruler.

Kurmanbek Bakiyev told journalists Belarus offered him political asylum. "I said no," Reuters quotes the ex-president of Kyrgyzstan, who escaped from Bishkek and hides in southern Kyrgyzstan.

The overthrown president of Kyrgyzstan thanked Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who yesterday called the events in Bishkek an "anticonstitutional coup".

As Radio Svabdoa informs, Kurmanbek Bakiyev is to hold a meeting with representatives of the Kyrgyz temporary government.

On April 14, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said the recent events in Kyrgyzstan were an "anticonstitutional coup". He said the policy of the US and Russia was

Belarusian dictator to blackmail the world with highly enriched uranium

Alyaksandr Lukashenka said Belarus had highly enriched uranium.

"I don't hide: we have highly-enriched uranium, hundreds of kilograms, weapons-grade and less enriched uranium," Lukashenka said on Wednesday during a working trip to the Homal region, Interfax reports.

"Some people tell me: remove this uranium, send it either to America or to Russia, we'll pay. I answer: why are you lecturing us? This is our goods, we keep it under control of the IAEA," he said.

He also added: "We are not going to make dirty bombsand sell them to anybody. We use this uranium for researches."

"I am nailed down,

Mikalai Autukhovich: “I’ll prove my innocence. If I am not killed”

The proceeding in the case of Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka, Mikhail Kazlou and Alyaksandr Laryn goes on in the Supreme Court of Belarus.

The court studied the materials of the case today. A letter that Mikalai Autukhovich had written before his hungry strike on September 20, 2005, was read out. As Radio Svaboda reports, Autukhovich wrote that offiicals from Vaukavysk and the Hrodna region had driven him into a corner, impeded him to conduct business, unlawfully imposed big fines on him allegedly for evasion of taxes, a criminal had groundlessly been instigated against him, so he had had to go

Brigadier general of Chavez arrived to Belarus

The Venezuelan delegation is interested by the system of military cadres training in Belarus.

The Venezuelan delegation headed by the head of the Military Academy, Brigadier General Alexis Lopes Ramires is to visit the Military Academy of Belarus on April 7-8, Interfax was informed by the press-service of the Defence Ministry.

The Venezuelan delegation is to be acquainted with the structure and system of military cadres training in the leading edcuational institution of the country, as well as with the educational and material base of the Military Academy," the press-service of the Defence Ministry of Belarus stated.

We remind that

Young activist threatened by criminal case

An activist of "Young Belarus" Andrei Kuzmitski says that a KGB man visited him at home.

He immediately enumerated all the cases of putting white-red-white flags in Minsk over the recent month and charged Andrei Kuzminski with being responsible for these cases, Radio Svaboda informs.

Andrei Kuzminski told that the KGB man demanded to him write a refusal from membership in "Young Belarus" and provided infromation about the leader Artur Finkevich and members of the organisation.

As said by the young activist, the talk lasted for about an hour. The KGB man threatened by a criminal case for participation in

Andrei Sannikov: “It is an awful tragedy for Poland, Belarus, Europe and the whole world”

Politicians who have died in the air crash, in their relations with Belarus were committed to principles of respect to human rights.

Having learnt about the plane crash with the President of Poland Lech Kaczynski and many Polish politicians, state and public leaders on board, the leader of "European Belarus" civil campaign Andrei Sannikov stated:

"It is an awful tragedy for Poland, for Belarus, for Europe and the whole world. First of all, we should express condolences to all the Poles, as it is a black date in Poland's history. They have lost their best representatives; they have lost their

German press: West has schizophrenic attitude toward dictator Lukashenka

The newspaper Märkische Oderzeitung criticizes the policy of Europe and the US towards post-Soviet dictatorial regimes.

"The attitude of the West towards the events in former Soviet republics can be called schizophrenic," the German Märkische Oderzeitung writes. The paper means that the West gets on well with such dubious regimes as Lukashenka in Belarus, Bakiev in Kyrgyzstan, Karimov in Uzbekistan, in spite of corruptive nature and dishonesty of these rulers.

According to the paper, the West is interested in this region and wants only stability there. "This is a possible explanation why the EU welcomed the regime change in Bishkek

Gold and currency reserves of Belarus decrease despite of IMF credits

In March gold and currency reserves of Belarus decreased by $170 mln.

As BelaPAN was told by the National Bank, the international reserve assets of Belarus calculated according to the IMF standards, have increased in March by $496.7 mln (8.9%) and were equal $ 6 billion 73.9 mln as of April 1.

A considerable growth of gold and currency reserves was possible thanks to the last tranche of the IMF loan, $670 mln, which was recieved by Belarus in late March. The money were added to gold and currency reserves of the country and when necessary would be used for

Stepashin: Russia has troubles with Belarus

The accounting committees of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia are to carry out joint "performance analysis" of the Customs union.

In summer-autumn of this year the accounting committees of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are set to carry out a number of measures of control with the aim to find out how the customs union functions. It was stated on April 7 behind the scenes of the session of the working group of the International organisation of the highest financial control authorities in Astana by the chairman of the Accounting Chamber of the Russian Federation, Sergey Stepashin.

As said by him, in

Mikalai Autukhovich: “I’ll prove my innocence. If I am not killed”

The proceeding in the case of Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka, Mikhail Kazlou and Alyaksandr Laryn goes on in the Supreme Court of Belarus.

The court studied the materials of the case today. A letter that Mikalai Autukhovich had written before his hungry strike on September 20, 2005, was read out. As Radio Svaboda reports, Autukhovich wrote that offiicals from Vaukavysk and the Hrodna region had driven him into a corner, impeded him to conduct business, unlawfully imposed big fines on him allegedly for evasion of taxes, a criminal had groundlessly been instigated against him, so he had had to go

Andrei Sannikov: Western loans do not reach people (Video)

The loans given to the Belarusian regime are spent on supplies of special services and police, for military parades, military exercises with Russia and on ideology.

It has been stated in the interview to "Forum" programme of "Belsat" TV channel of the leader of "European Belarus" civil campaign Andrei Sannikov. The TV programme was dedicated to idependence and sovereignty problem.

"Surely, Belarus has sovereignty today. It is an achievement of the democratic forces, our achievement. We all know what Lukashenka has been doing: he signed union agreements with Russia and traded in sovereignty. And we have always had and have

Minsk dweller underwent DNA testing for graffiti “Long live Belarus!”

Young Front activist Ruslan Matveeu was questioned in connection with a criminal case related to an inscription "Long live Belarus!" on the building of the Pershamaiski district court in Minsk.

BelaPAN learnt about this from press secretary of the organization Stanislau Stesik.

According to him, inscriptions of political character on fences near the Pershamaiski district court and the court building were drawn on the night March 11/12. Officers of the Pershamaiski district instigated a criminal case over that fact.

As Stesik told, investigator Smirnou asked Matveeu about his political views, activity in the organization, membership in other organizations and his

Militia confiscated magazines from Belarusian Poles

The militia of Shchuchyn confiscated about 450 copies of Magazyn Polski na uchodzstwie (Polish magazine in exile) from activists of the Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB).

Magazyn Polski na uchodzstwie is published by fellows of Andzelika Borys, the head of the unrecognized Union of Poles, Radio Svaboda reports.

As Mechyslau Yaskevich (Mieczyslaw Jaskiewicz), the UPB deputy head, said, they had been detained on the road. A militia car was waiting for them on the highway Hrodna–Minsk near the town of Shchuchyn. Mechyslau Yaskevich and Veranika Sebastsyanovich, the head of the veterans of Armia Krajova and WWII, were taken to

Russian generals receive Belarusian medals for Zapad-2009

Alyaksandr Lukashenka awarded top officers of the Russian Armed Forces with Order of People's Friendship.

As Interfax reports referring to Lukashenka's press service, the awards were given to Russian general officers.

"The award has been conferred on Valery Gerasimov, commander of the troops of the Moscow military district of the Armed Forces of Russia; Nikolai Makarov, head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia– First Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia; Sergei Surovikin, head of staff – first deputy commander of the troops of the Volga-Urals military district of the Armed Forces of Russia; Sergei Yudin, commander

Great interrogation: Belarusian authorities against journalists

Independent journalists Natallya Radzina, Svyatlana Kalinkina and Iryna Khalip have been summoned to the Interior Affairs Department of Pershamajski district of Minsk on April 2.

The tree journalists are called in for questioning by a senior interrogating officer of the Interior Affairs department of Homel Alyaksandr Puseu. The journalist of charter97.org website Natallya Radzina was told by the senior interrogating officer that she is called in as a witness in the framework of the so-called "hunters' case" and to be familiarized with the ruling about seizure of computer equipment from charter97.org news office.

The wife of the leader of "European Belarus" civil campaign Andrei Sannikov, a journalist of Russian "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper Iryna Khalip is also called