BPF members held meeting in Minsk

Some party activists, including the former leaders of the BPF party didn't take part in the meeting.

The result of the meeting on May 29 was a decision to nominee party activist from Shklou Ryhor Kastusyou as a presidential candidate. 150 delegates voted in favour of Kastusyou, 13 voted against.

The former party leaders, Lyavon Barshcheuski, Vintsuk Vyachorka, and head of the BPF Minsk branch Viktar Ivashkevich didn't attend the event. They said composition formation for the special meeting violated the party's rules.

"The meeting was attended by those party members who sympathize the For Freedom movement and have double membership. They

Appeal against denial to register Young Front not granted

As said by the spokesperson of the youth association Young Front Stanislau Stesik, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Ministry to deny registration to the Young Front, BelaPAN informs.

The organisation had been denied registration by the ministry 6 times.

Source: Charter'97 :: News from Belarus

Appeal against denial to register Young Front not granted

As said by the spokesperson of the youth association Young Front Stanislau Stesik, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Ministry to deny registration to the Young Front, BelaPAN informs.

The organisation had been denied registration by the ministry 6 times.

Source: Charter'97 :: News from Belarus

Appeal against denial to register Young Front not granted

As said by the spokesperson of the youth association Young Front Stanislau Stesik, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Ministry to deny registration to the Young Front, BelaPAN informs.

The organisation had been denied registration by the ministry 6 times.

Source: Charter'97 :: News from Belarus

Sechin: Belarus will pay for gas under contract

Russian deputy prime minister Igor Sechin is convinced Belarus will fulfill its contract obligations on paying for Russian gas.

According to the pricing formula, provided for by the contract on Russian gas supplies to Belarus, gas costs $169 per 1,000 cubic meters, but Belarus pays only $150, Newsru.com informs.

"The price of $150 per 1,000 cubic meters has been set by themselves. Belarus must pay the contract price, which is now $169. The annual average price will be $180–186 per 1,000 cubic meters," he said.

According to Sechin, Russia will hardly reduce gas supplies.

"I think they will pay. The

Iryna Khalip: "It's high time to finish all this story"

A journalist Iryna Khalip was interrogated in the police department of Pershamajski district today.

First Puseu, interrogating officer from Homel, familiarized her with the results of the expert examination of the notebook sezied from her place during a search on March 16.

Police experts have found out that cryptographic software was installed at the computer, and the computer also had programs for communication. The expert could not have access to mailboxes of Khalip as "it is necessary to know passwords for that", as the expert wrote.

However, the notebook was found a physical exhibit, Puseu said, and it was

Alyaksandr Lukashenka: It's inadmissible when father is government official while children are involved in private business

At today's consultations with Minsk region administration executives the leader of the state has made several statements.

"Land distribution has become the most corrupted sphere in the operation of rural executive committees," Belta quotes president Alyaksandr Lukashenka. In his words, the fact clearly demonstrates that the new head of the regional administration should act fast to improve the situation.

"And Minsk region and other hot spots have been taken under most serious control by me. Illegal actions can take place there. And I ask all chief executive officers keep that in mind," Lukashenka underlined. "I am not against buidling good

What good can Bakiyev do to Belarus?

In his first interview the escaped dictator said that he would stay in our country.

"I think I can make myself useful here as well. I do not know in which capacity. But I am doing everything to do good," Bakiyev said in an interview to RIA Novosti. "Time will tell what I will do," Bakiyev sid, adding that over the five years of presidency he had recieved an experience of managerial work which cannot be recieved in any academies, any extension courses".

The ousted president does not plan to return to Kyrgyzstan not to aggravate the situation. The situation

Freedom for Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu!

Poet Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, the leader of "Say the Truth!" campaign, is detained as a suspect in a criminal case.

As BelaPAN learnt from lawyer Maryana Syameshka, her client hasn't been charged yet.

Nyaklyaeu was detained in the evening May 18 after his apartemtn and office of "Say the Truth!" campaign had been searched. The detainee was guarded to the Leninski district militia department where he spent the night.

In the morning May 19, Nyaklyaeu was questioned. The lawyer refused to tell details.

Nyaklyaeu's wife Volha said the questioning was carried out in connection with the case initiated under article 250

Barack Obama: Belarus authorities imprison journalists

The US President signed a law requiring the State Department to evaluate press freedom in countries around the world.

The Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act, named so in honor of the American journalist who was kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan by terrorists on February 1, 2002, obliges the State Department to highlight governments that condone and facilitate repression of the press.

The Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act, said President Obama, "sends a strong message from the United States government and from the State Department that we are paying attention to how other governments are operating

Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu: “I’m frightened by repressive machine of destruction”

Poet Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, the leader of "Say the Truth!" civil campaign, answered questions of charter97.org after his release from prison in Akrestsin Street.

"The events of May 18 are outrage. The mass searches in offices and apartments of activists of "Say the Truth!" campaign, arrests, questionings over a ridiculous far-fetched article, seizure of computers and printed materials. They were evidently looking for "enemy's money", but unable to find it, they seized everything related to the campaign. The militia and secret services were most interested in who our partners are and who organize the campaign," Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu said.

The poet

Latvian MP found dead in Minsk hotel

Aleksandrs Golubovs, a member of the Latvian Parliament (Harmony Center), died in Minsk Hotel in early hours of May 19.

The body was found in the morning May 19, BelaPAN learnt from the Embassy of Latvia in Belarus.

Golubovs arrived in Minsk on May 16 with a delegation of the Saeima's Foreign Affairs Committee. The delegation ended the visit on May 19. The dead body was found by the delegation members, MP Artis Pabriks said.

As BelaPAN informs, the Embassy is to receive forensic examination results in the evening. However, the radio MixFM has already reported he died of natural

Natallya Radzina: "Asinine ears stick out a mile from "hunter's case"

Police does not want to return computers sezied from them allegedly in the framework of the "hunters' case".

Today a journalist of charter97.org website Natallya Radzina, the editor-in-chief of "Narodnaya Volya" Svyatlana Kalinkina, the deputy editor of "Narodnaya Volya" Maryna Koktysh and a journalist of the Russian newspaper "Novaya gazeta" Iryna Khalip have been summoned to the police. A senior interrogating officer of Homel Interior Affairs department Alyaksandr Puseu familiarized the journalists with the results of the repeated computer and technical expert examination of the computers seized from them. According to the conclusions, experts of the Main Criminal Expertise

Wreaking havoc in oppositionists' flats all over Belarus (Updated, photo)

Mass searches have been held by policemen and KGB men in Minsk, Hrodna, Brest, Homen and Mahilyou at the places where democratic activists live .

Information about the reasons of searches is contradictory. It is said that the searches are held in the framework of the defamation criminal case opened by Leninski district of Minsk. Prosecutor of Leninski district of Minsk authorized teh searches.

At the same time, it is said that a criminal case initiated for activities on behalf of an unregsitered organisation, the civil campaign "Say the Truth!" According to other sources, the case has been initiated unde Article 250 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (dissemination of false information about goods and services).

The first search was held in Minsk in the headquarters of "Say the Truth!" civil campaign. It was held among others by policemen from the special brigade of Savetski police department who

Anatol Krasouski marks 58 today

Anatol Krasouski forcibly disappeared on September 16, 1999.

The Belarusian authorities have been carrying out a formal investigation ignoring calls of the family to check information about involvement of Belarusian high-ranking officials in the disappearance. The family doesn't know anything about the fate of Anatol Krasouski, the website of We Remember initiative reports.

On October 16, 2008, the claim of Anatol, Iryna and Valeria Krasouskis against Belarus was registered in the UN Human Rights Committee and its copy was sent to the defendant.

The Krasouskis' complaint was drawn up by a Dutch legal advice agency and is made up of

1.5 mln fine for national flag

Trials over Young Front activists Uladzimir Yaromenka and Yulian Misyukevich were held in the court of Leninski district.

As reminded by the European Radio for Belarus, the young activists were detained for hanging national flags in front of Lukashenka's administration on May 14 in the morning.

As told by the spokesperson of the Young Front Stanislau Stesik, the court fined Yaromenka Br 1 mln 50 thousand (30 basic units). Misyukevich was fined 15 basic units (Br 525,000).

Today the Young Front activists have lanched "The city is ours" campaign. In Kastrychnitskaya Square, as well as opposite to Lukashenka's Administration several

Bankrupt regime forces Belarus into debts

By his decree Alyaksandr Lukashenka has increased the limit of the external government debt from $9.6 mln to $11 mln.

Less than a month has passed since Alyaksandr Lukashenka in his address to the "parliament" and the nation smugly stated that the authorities would be able to restore the growth of the economy before the crisis without attraction of additional credits ("We'll do without IMF credits), and now nothing is left of the self-confidence and excessive optimism, AFN writes.

Deficite of the balance of foreign trade and budget is growing, there is no progress in privatisation, investments exist only in

"Deputies" believe they are not "schoolchildren"

It has been stated by representatives of the illegitimate "parliament" during their visit to France where the issue of death penalty abolition in Belarus was discussed.

At the meeting on May 13 with the delegation of the city of Pouilly-lès-Feurs (France) headed by a member of the Senate of France and vice president of the Council of Europe's Congress Jean-Claude Frécon, Deputy Chairman of the commission on international affairs and links with hte CIS of the "chamber of representtaives" Ihar Karpenka stated the PACE resolution on freezing contacts with Belarus deteriorates solving the issue with imposing a moratorium on capital

Belarsuian diplomats fled from Bishkek

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry states that diplomats have left Kyrgyzstan "purely for security reasons".

All Belarusian diplomats accredited in Kyrgyzstan have left its capital "purely for reasons of security", "Interfax" was told by the spokesperson of the FM Andrei Savinykh.

As said by him, Viktar Dzenisenka, Belarusian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, "has been recelled for consulations to Minsk, and the staff of our embassy are assigned to the Belarusian capital at disposal ofthe Foreign Ministry of the country". The diplomat noted that departure of the Belarusian diplomats from Kyrgyzstan "is a temporary measure connected exclusively with the physical threat to health

Fines for solidarity with political prisoners

Oppostionists who were detained after the trial over Mikalai Autukhovich, were seriously fined on May 12.

Today in the court of Leninski district of Minsk democratic activists detained after the process of Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka and Mikhail Kazou for a rally of solidarity with political prisoners stood trial.

The trial over Alyaksandr Kazulin was presided by judge Mikhail Khama. About 20 persons came to support the former presidential candidate and political prisoner.

As informed by "Radio Svaboda", Alyaksandr Kazulin was fined 700,000 Br (20 basic units).

During the session of the court policemen sergeant-major Dzmitry Chavushau and sergeant Viktar Lyashkevich who

Auful fire at Minsk plant: rescuers died (Photo)

A products warehouse of Minsk plant of IT-equipment in Prytytski Avenue, 62 took fire. 4 rescuers of the Ministry of Emergencies have died, 4 more are in a hospital.

"Interfax" agency has been informed about that by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Emergencies Alyaksandr Lapanik.

"Four rescuers perished dyuring fire extinguishing. Four more are in an Emergency Hospital," Lapanik said.

Report about the fire was recieved by the at 9.05 a.m., BelTA informs. The territory of the fire was about 200 square metres.

As "Salidarnasts" reported from the site, traffic policemen closed off the plant's outside perimeter, streets were

Belarusian dictator going on visit to Ahmadinejad

Alyaksandr Lukashenka plans to visit Iran in the second half of the year.

"It is a good meeting in the run-up to our meeting with the President of Iran in Tehran in the second half of the year," the Belarusian ruler noted at a meeting with Minister of Industry and Mines of Iran Ali Akbar Mehrabian.

Lukashenka positively appraised launching large-scale Belarus–Iran investment projects. "We can't say it is the beginning. This is the beginning of a good continuation of our cooperation," he said and expressed a hope that the parties would have more ambitious projects that would further bring the

Political order: Autukhovich sentenced to 5 years of prison (Photo,video)

Mikalai Autukhovich has been sentenced to 5.2 years of imprisonement in a maximum security penal colony, Uladizmir Asipenka to 3 years in a standard regime penal colony.

The have been freed from a number of charges -- in preparation of a terrorist attack against the former chairman of Grodna regional executive committee Uladzimir Sauchanka, in an attempt upon the former deputy Taxes and Charges Minister Vasil Kamenka. Only observation with the aim of finding damaging information was proved. The court admitted that the political prisoners haven't committed socially dangerous acts. The charges concerning arson of the former head of the Interior Affairs Directorate of Vaukavysk Syarhei Katsuba in 2004 have been dismissed as well.

The court has also decided that there are no proofs that Autukhovich had organised a criminal group and was its leader. There are also no proofs

Lawyer Pavel Sapelka: "Charges against Autukhovich absolutely cardboard"

Lawyers of the political prisoners sentenced to deprivation of liberty state that their clients must be released, and plan to struggle for justice.

After the Supreme Court pronounced sentences in the case of Mikalai Autukhovich and Uladzimir Asipenka, their lawyers made a statement.

As it is known, charges of a terrorist attack preparation and arson of officials' property against Autukhovich and Asipenka have been dissmised. Despite of that, Judge Alyaksei Tsyatsykhin found Mikalai Autukhovich guilty of illegal actions related to firearms, ammunition and explosives (Artcile 295 Part 3 of theCriminal Code). It is known that Autukhovich kept just

ACP burst into flames at parade rehearsal (Photo video)

Military vehicles cannot carry load and break down in Minsk center ahead of the army parade on May 9.

An armoured personnel carrier caught fire as the column of military vehicles was moving down Surganov Street in Minsk on Thursday. As Interfax reports, the incident took place near Riga supermarket at 6:35 p.m. May 6.

The ACP was noticed at Bangalore Square at 9 in the evening. Some witnesses say it was a MT-LBu, a multi-purpose fully-amphibious armoured carrier, developed in the 1960s in the Soviet Union.

Source: Charter'97 :: News from Belarus

A human rights activist detained for demands to examine Lukashenka psychiatrically

After detention Katsyaryna Sadouskaya was taken bad, an ambulance was called in to the police department for her.

As dozens of other human rights activists, politicians and public leaders, Katsyaryna Sadouskaya came to the court today when the verdict was top be announced to the political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich and Uladizmir Asipenka. The woman came near the Supreme Court with a little poster. It was written on ot: "I demand Alyaksandr Lukashenka's psychiatric examination".

As a human rights activist Raisa Mikhajlouskaya told to charter97.orgwebsite, Sadouskaya was detained and taken to the police department of Leninski district of Minsk. There the woman

Let's support Mikalai Autukhovich! (Photo)

Activists of "European Belarus" civil campaign have held a rally in Minsk with a demand to release political prisoners.

Several young people unfurled a poster with the words "Freedom to political prisoners!" in Independence Avenue in Minsk.

The rally was held on the eve of delivering the verdict by the Supreme Court in the case of Mikalai Autukhovich and Uladzimir Asipenka who were arrested more than a year ago.

Prosecutor Eldar Safarau demanded to sentence Mikalai Autukhovich to 20 years of a colony with a reinforced regime and confiscation of property, Asipenka and Laryn to 11 years of deprivation of

Political prisoner Ivan Mikhailau acquitted

Ivan Mikhailau was sentenced for his refusal to serve in the army due to religious views.

The political prisoner has been acquitted. The ruling was delivered by the Minsk district court on May 4, BelaPAN learnt from

Source: Charter'97 :: News from Belarus

Lukashenka put on predators of press freedom list

The Belarusian dictator is among 40 predators of press freedom.

Reporters Without Borders, an international human rights organization, has issued the appropriate list on May 3, the World Press Freedom Day.

Besides Lukashenka, the RSF's list includes Taliban leader Mullah Omar, Italian organized crime, China's Hu Jintao, Mexican drug trafficker, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Chechnya's President Ramzan Kadyrov, other people and organizations.

We remind that Reporters Without Borders has recently made a statement protesting against searches of Belarusian journalists and a decision of the authorities to allow access to their email and Skype accounts.

Reporters

Agitation in lordly ways

Pro-regime candidates for deputies use the administrative resources abundantly.

It was found out by a candidate for deputy of the district council of deputies, a representative of the Belarusian Popular Front in Khotsimsk constituency number 54 Valery Karankevich.

- On April 8, using his position, together with a driver of the official car, the candidate for deputy in Khotsimsk constituency number 54, Ivan Kazhamyaka who occupies a position of the head of the tax and duties inspection of Mahilyou region, held 5 meetings with voters, and after that he went to the district executive committee where he registered his "tour