Free Belarus!

Head of the judicial system of Iran visited Minsk and called on Belarus to give a new definition to terms human rights, freedom of speech, racism, discrimination, and terrorism.

Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi said at a meeting with Barys Batura, head of the National Assembly of Belarus:

"The hegemonic countries and colonialist countries misuse these terms and have turned them into an instrument of enforcing their will and interests upon other peoples. We and you must do our best to help all freedom-minded peoples to live how they want!" he noted.

Batura said in turn that Belarus regarded Iran as the most important and powerful country's partner in the Middle East and the Islamic world. "I think this visit will confirm our future serious work over legal basis of our cooperation," the speaker of the lower house of the parliament said.

In the morning April 29, 2009 Head of the Supreme Court of Belarus Valyantsin Sukala received an official delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran leaded by Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, head of the judicial system.

"Our guest told about peculiarities of the judicial system of Iran and expressed his hopes for more active cooperation between the two agencies," Zlata Hurynovich, press secretary of the Supreme Court said. "The parties discussed cooperation in the legal sector and set task for the future during the meeting."

After the negotiations in the Supreme Court a motorcade of six black Mercedeses drove to the Administration of Lukashenko. The Irani delegation plans to have meetings with the leadership of the Ministry of Justice and the Belarusian ruler.

According to the Russian Institute of Israel and Middle East Studies, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi occupies an honourable place in the old guard of the power class. He has a title Seyyed meaning he refers to descendants of the prophet Muhammad. Shahroudi has been actively engaged in the public politics since 1999, when he became the head of the judicial system of Iran (one of the three branches of the government).

Shahroudi belongs to the so called Iraqi clan of the ruling Shia class of Iran.

It should be noted that Iran is second only after China in the number of capital punishments: in 2008, 226 people were executed. Public executions are very popular in the country, among them previously used stoning. In January 2008, Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi imposed a ban on public executions, expect for those approved by him "in case of social need".

Shahroudi holds a strong position on the Iran's nuclear program. He supports mastering the complete nuclear fuel cycle at any cost. According to the head of the judicial system, the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran should use all possible political and economic measures to achieve secure access to peaceful nuclear power.

Thousands of armed soldiers of the interior troops were brought to Minsk on March 25th, 2009. On the day when the country was celebrating the anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic proclamation, the authorities in fact imposed a state of emergency in the capital. How ironic and sad it is.

Belarus marked the 91st anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic on March 25th, the event that gave the beginning to establishment of independent Belarus. Organizers of the action, the BPF party, applied for holding a rally from the Academy of Sciences to October square. The Minsk authorities permitted the participants to gather in front of the Academy of Sciences and traditionally permitted a rally not to the city center, but to Banhalor square, a bedroom district. The action organizers said a decision by the authorities on prohibition of a peaceful demonstration dedicated to the national holiday was unlawful and the people who would come to the Academy of Sciences would choose where they should go.

Oppositionists were preventively arrested ahead of the action. Militia and traffic militia officers in regions detained youth activists, going to Minsk for the demonstration on March 25. Apartments of activist of the civil campaign "European Belarus" and "Young Front" were searched ahead and on the demonstration. Young people were seized national flags, banners, and printed materials. Youth activists were detained an hour before the rally, militiamen were catching them in streets, beating, taking away banners and leaflets.

Nevertheless, some thousands people gathered near the Academy of Sciences at 6.00 p.m. A large number of national and EU flags created an atmosphere of a holiday. Besides flags, Minsk dwellers brought red and white balloons and flowers. Many people came with their families and children.

Leader of the civil campaign "European Belarus" Andrei Sannikov, former chairman of the Supreme Council of Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich, BPF party leaders Lyavon Barshcheuski, Viktar Ivashkevich, and Vintsuk Vyachorka, coordinator of Charter'97 Zmitser Bandarenka, leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, leader of the Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich, activists of the civil campaign "European Belarus" Zmitser Barodka, Yauhen Afnahel, Paval Yukhnevich, co-head of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Paval Sevyarynets, leader of the "Young Front" Zmitser Dashkevich, leader of the "Young Belarus" Artur Finkevich, People's Artist of Belarus Zinaida Bandarenka, deputy head of the United Civil Party Lyudmila Hraznova, People's Poet of Belarus Henadz Buraukin, popular playwright Uladzimir Khalip, and other famous people took part in the demonstration.

Demonstrators were holding huge white-red-white breadths of cloth, streamers "European Belarus!", "Freedom to political prisoners", "Belarus to Europe!" Slogans "Long live Belarus!" and "Independence!" were heard all the time.

A short meeting was held in front of the Academy of Sciences. Speakers (opposition leaders, intellectuals, youth leaders) congratulated Belarusians on Freedom Day, expressing confidence that sooner or later the day would be celebrated as a state holiday.

The Belarusian Popular Front Party leader asked those participants of the rally who support Lukashenko's regime raise their hands. In a silence no one raised a hand. Lyavon Barshcheuski stated that on March 24th applicants sent a letter to Minsk city executive committee stating that Surhanau Street is not adjusted for marching of great quantities of people, that is why demonstrators won't be ale to go to Bangalore Square where the meeting was sanctioned by city authorities.

The chairman of the organizing committee for creation of the Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich stated that nobody is going to go "to the swamp, to a ground for walking dogs". "It is impossible to stand there with the holy white-red-white flag and our sacred symbols," the politician stated.

At last BPF deputy head Viktar Ivashkevich called on the participants of the action to from a human chain along Independence Avenue holding flags and banners and stand there for an hour, reminding people about freedom Day, political prisoners.

A part of people formed a human chain on advice of Viktar Ivashkevich. But a column of youth of 500 people moved to October square shouting "Independence!", "No to Union with Imperial Russia!", "Freedom to Political Prisoners!" the column consisted of activists of the civil campaign "European Belarus", "Young Front", and "Young Belarus".

The young oppositionists managed to walk only 100 meters and their way was blocked by hundreds of riot militiamen armed with batons at intersection of Independence Avenue and Brouka Street. A hundred of riot militiamen formed columns on both sides of the avenue.

Then youth leaders Yauhen Afnagel and Artur Finkevich called upon demonstrators to refuse to be drawn in authorities' provocations. As said by them, actions of law enforcers against peaceful demonstrators showed the real face of "liberalization" declared by the Belarusian regime.

A column of young people went back to the Academy of Sciences. Young people tried to walk into the traffic area of Independence Avenue, but they were forced away from the avenue. This time they were pushed back by traffic policemen.

The rally lasted for about an hour more. People were standing on the avenue's border with flags and streamers, chanting "Long live Belarus!", the cars passing by honked in support, some people joined the chain.

When the rally finished in about an hour, buses and trucks with internal troops soldiers started to arrive from the streets near Independence Avenue. Only from Hikala street, near Yakub Kolas square, 44 buses and trucks with people in uniform appeared! There were even more buses and trucks near the Academy of Science where the rally was held.

A few thousands of soldiers were sent against Belarusians celebrating the national holiday just to confirm that the dictatorship in Belarus will die sooner or later.

Long Live Free Democratic European BELARUS!

Street actions against Lukashenko's dictatorship are to take place in many cities around the world on March 18, 2009

The events are timed to the anniversary of Lukashenko's election victory in 2006 which is not recognized by the international community. The protest is organized by Brussels-based international political non-governmental organisation the JEF-Europe (Young European Federalists) and their partners.

Organisers of the actions explain that it is dedicated specifically to Belarus, the last dictatorship in Europe. In more than 100 cities people are to protest against the unjust regime and demand the struggle against dictatorships to become one of the priorities in the foreign policy of the European Union.

"On 18 March 2009 European youth will remind our leaders and civil society that Europe is not a dictatorship-free continent," the JEF-Europe stresses.

They underline that the Belarusian dictatorship exists for 15 years, but the EU hasn't had clear policy towards the situation in Belarus. EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels confirmed their decision NOT TO IMPOSE (?!) visa bans on Belarusian officials. And it sounds real strange. Why did they do that? So the authorities can rig the results of the elections and nobody gets punished for
doing that? Do they do the same it in other European countries? Why only
people in Belarus need to suffer from unwise EU decisions?

The EU imposed travel sanctions on Lukashenko and 41 Belarusian officials after the presidential elections 2006. In October 2008, the EU foreign ministers suspended visa ban on Belarusian officials, including Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The EU ministers agreed to discuss the situation in six month to decide whether to reimpose the ban depending on the human rights situation in Belarus.

None of the positive changes happened in Belarus during those six month! Political repressions in the country have gone wild. New political prisoners have appeared. Leaders of entrepreneurs Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were arrested in Vaukavysk in February. "Young Front" activist Artsyom Dubski, participant of the Case of 14, was arrested in February, too. Forceful draft into the army can be observed in Belarus. In spite of medical condition, Franak Vyachorka, Ivan Shyla, and Zmitser Khvedaruk were call up for military service. Human rights activist Yana Palyakova, pressed by the Belarusian authorities, committed suicide. So authorities can kill people in Belarus and then go to Europe on vacations???

Rights of opposition activists Alyaksei Bondar, Mikhail Kryvau, Mikhail Pashkevich, Alyaksandr Straltsou, Alyaksandr Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tsishkevich, Mikhail Subach, Paval Vinahradau, Maksim Dashuk, and Alyaksandr Barazenka, sentenced to restraint of liberty for participation in protest rallies of entrepreneurs, remain restricted.

Not only opposition activists but most of the Belarusian people stand for tightening sanctions against the Belarusian authorities. "Brussels must make it clear that freedom of the press and NGOs and above all respect for human rights, especially with regard to the opposition, are prerequisites for any EU gains and EU entry for Belarus officials", Toni Giugliano, Action Co-ordinator wrote.

The cities where the action will take place include not only European ones (Brussels, Prague, Copenhagen, Paris, Helsinki, Berlin, Warsaw, Geneva, Stockholm, London, Kyiv, Petersburg, Riga) but also Dubai, New York, Pretoria and so on. As for Belarus, it is said in the statement that the action will take place in the country also, but its place is not disclosed because of security reasons.

Recently among the people mentioned in the oppositional discourse, the ideas like "we should talk with the regime, help them receive loans form the West" are propagandized more and more insistently, Lyavon Barshcheuski writes at the website of the Belarusian Popular Front party:
http://www.pbnf.org

Why such things should be done? They say that otherwise:

- "the regime would surrender Belarus' independence",

- "our citizens would suffer from the economical crisis",

- "our people won't understand the opposition," and so on and so forth.

It means that such politicians offer to RESCUE - no, not the country's sovereignty, not the interests of our citizens, but the REGIME.

Do not worry, dear sirs; the regime knows how to rescue itself better than we do. It in the same regime that once rescued itself when banned publishing anti-corruption report by Syarhei Antonchyk in most popular newspapers; when the legally elected parliament was deprived of "Narodnaya gazeta" by force.

It was rescuing itself when on April 12, 1995 overnight an order was made to brutally beat up deputies of the Belarusian Popular Front in the Supreme Soviet.

The regime was rescuing itself when wheeling-dealing referendums were held in 1995, 1996 and in 2004.

Hangmen in the government agencies were rescuing themselves, leaving the families of Yury Zakharanka, Henadz Karpenka, Viktar Hanchar, Zmitser Zavadski without breadwinners, and seizing freedom of Mikola Markevich, Viktar Ivashkevich, Paval Mazhejka, Paval Sevyarynets, Mikola Statkevich, Andrei Klimau, Mikola Astrejka, Alyaksandr Kazulin, Andrei Kim, Zmitser Dashkevich, Anton Kishkurna, for a long time.

The regime was rescuing itself adopting unconstitutional repressive acts against freedom of meetings, demonstrations, pickets, against freedom of expression.

The regime counted upon its immortality and indestructibility, when they forcibly changed school and university programs on history, literature, social science, expelled children and teachers of the Belarusian Humanities Lyceum, squeezed the European Humanities University into emigration.

It was rescuing itself, signing commitments to mass media in Minsk and Istanbul declaration with commitments to the world community.

It was rescuing itself selling oil, gas and raw materials to our enterprises at speculative prices, and gagged our intellectuals by millions of rubles from them not to take part in protest rallies in such a deceitful way.

The regime was looking for a way to rescue itself by expelling from educational institutions, firing and blacklisting hundreds and thousands of people only for daring to say aloud what they think.

It was rescuing itself by public sneering at the independent Union of Belarusian Writers, having reduced many of its members to indigence; by illegal imprisonment of Yury Khadyka, Alyaksei Marachkin, Valyantsin Holubeu, Yazep Yanushkevich, Ales Zhlutka; by malicious beating up of Radzim Haretski, Valery Mazynski, Adam Maldzis, Uladzimir Markhel.

Lickspittles who can exist only near the trough were rescuing this regime, hitting on the face of Svyatlana Zavadskaya by a "brave man's hand", compelling young people to join the army though they are not able to serve because of their state of health.

And now it means that we should lend our shoulders to the regime and rescue THEM?!.. Now inept politicians in short trousers are asking: give these people money for them not to perish. Help them, they are poor things, as Belarus won't be able to exist without them: they are leaders of the state, and they allow us to sleep in our house - under the bench.

And maybe someday some of us would be kindly given a position with high salary in their "chamber" or at least invited for a soulful conversation and a cup of coffee with the editor-in-chief of the "correct" newspaper.

There is an old proverb: "While a fatty loses weight, a thin one starves to death". A conclusion could be made: let us not allow the "fatty" (that is, the current regime) become attenuated by hunger, otherwise we all will kick the bucket. It is improper conclusion. "The fat boy" won't lose weight anyway. And what about us? And we can accidentally kick the bucket, if we would listen to such advisers, certainly.

Lyavon Barshcheuski,
the Belarusian Popular Front Party Leader
---
http://www.pbnf.org
---

Minsk, December 6, 2008

The office the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations informed Iryna and Valerya Krasouskaya that their claim had been registered in the UN Commission on Human Rights on November 16.

As the press service of CIWR.ORG reports, Krasouskayas' claim was prepared by a Dutch law firm and it consists of 100 items, 25 documents of total more than 1000 pages is attached to it. In the own name and in the name of Anatol Krasouski, forcefully disappeared on September 16, 1999, Iryna and Valerya Krasouskayas urges the Belarusian authorities to:

1) interrogate suspects in involving in forceful disappearance of Anatol Krasouski, named in a special Memorandum of member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Christos Pourgourides;

2) satisfy numerous requests of members of Anatol Krasouski's family and the international society on conducting a careful open investigation of Anatol Krasouski's disappearance;

3) identify and point a grave site of Anatol Krasouski;

4) compensate victims of Anatol Krasouski's forceful disappearance for moral and material damage.

According to the claim of Krasouskayas, the Belarusian authorities violated articles 6, 7, 9, and 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The claim was filed in accordance with requirements of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the last international document signed by Belarus, obliging it to carry responsibility for crimes against its citizens.

The Belarusian authorities have 6 months to respond the claim of Iryna and Valerya Krasouskayas. After this term, it will have to enter plea to all items of the claim and/or admit its guilt and thus answer the claim of the victims.

Viktar Hanchar, vice speaker of the 13th Supreme Council of Belarus, and public figure Anatol Krasouski were kidnapped on September 16, 1999. The law enforcement bodies started an investigation, but all proofs known for the time being, have been cumulated by volunteers. Among them are glass fragments of a car, belonged to Anatol Krasouski, and blood, identified as blood of Viktar Hanchar, were found at the site of kidnapping in Fabrychnaya Street. These facts explain details of the kidnapping to the wide public and prove it was organised by the secret services, "Narodnaya Volya" notes.

In June 2001, the world community was presented evidence of KGB investigators Petrushkevich and Sluchak, who told the details of a system of neutralization of uncomfortable people in Belarus formed during the rule of Lukashenka and controlled by him.

In 2004, member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Christos Pourgourides, presented a memorandum where he said Belarusian high ranking officials were involved in forceful disappearances in Belarus. The PACE adopted a resolution urging Belarus to interrogate the mentioned in the report suspects and conduct a transparent investigation of disappearances. Belarus continues to ignore demands of the PACE. Nothing is known about destinies of forcefully disappeared Yury Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasouski, and Zmitser Zavadski.

MINSK, 29 September 2008 - Despite some minor improvements, the 28 September parliamentary elections in Belarus ultimately fell short of OSCE commitments for democratic elections, international observers from the OSCE concluded in a preliminary statement issued today.

The election took place in a strictly controlled environment with a barely visible campaign, said the observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA).

Voting was generally well conducted, but the process deteriorated considerably during the vote count. Promises to ensure transparency of the vote count were not implemented. The count was assessed as bad or very bad in 48 per cent of polling stations visited. Where access was possible, several cases of deliberate falsification of results were observed.

OSCE monitors were prevented or hindered from observing the vote count in 35 per cent of cases. This compromised the transparency of this fundamental element of the election process.

"The clear signals to improve the election process were not implemented and substantial improvements are required if Belarus is to conduct genuinely democratic elections in line with our common OSCE commitments. Unfortunately the repeated signals of good will did not seem to have been correctly given or received. Consequently the significant progress we hoped for in the democratic development of Belarus did not materialize," said Anne-Marie Lizin, Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Special Co-ordinator of the OSCE short-term observers.

"I'm hopeful and disappointed at the same time. Hopeful because when we came here it seemed that there was some wind of change in the election environment; disappointed because we were unable to see a problem solved that has been with election observation in this country for a long time, and that is the non-transparency of the vote count. But we hope that the improved co-operation we have experienced during this election can be the basis for a genuine dialogue on implementing our recommendations", said Ambassador Geert Ahrens, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission.

Positive developments included the slightly increased access of opposition representatives to election commissions, the decision to rebroadcast once the five-minute candidate spots during prime time, and the recommendation to seal ballot box slots overnight during the five-day early voting period. Some opposition candidates noted progress in their ability to conduct meetings in authorized locations without interference.

The legislative framework continues to present obstacles for elections in line with OSCE commitments. The media coverage of the campaign did not provide meaningful information for voters to be able to make an informed choice. Political parties played a minor role, and restrictions imposed by the state authorities did not allow for a vibrant campaign with real competition.

The OSCE deployed some 450 international observers from 43 countries, including more than 320 short-term observers and 58 experts and long-term observers fielded by ODIHR, as well as 66 parliamentarians and staff from the OSCE PA.

The OSCE/ODIHR monitoring mission didn't recognise the "parliamentary elections" in Belarus free and democratic. The heads of the mission of international observers noted that considerable violations had been found at all stages of the election campaign. The elections fell short of OSCE standards.

OSCE recommendations weren't fulfilled. Observers note that votes counting was held behind the closed doors. Observers had no access to votes counting, process of monitoring the "elections" was complicated, facts of rigging the voting results were noticed. We have all grounds to think strict administrative control was exercised over the electoral process. A subjective of an electoral campaign is offering choice for voters. However, electoral freedom was restricted by the Belarusian authorities. The Belarusian authorities need changes in order for the country to set a course of democratisation and progress, said Anne-Marie Lizin, Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Special Co-coordinator of the OSCE short-term observers.

Geert Ahrens, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission said he was disappointed in the running and results of the "parliamentary elections" in Belarus. According to him, "we were unable to see a problem solved that has been with election observation in this country for a long time, and that is the non-transparency of the vote count". Mr Ahrens noted that OSCE observers had recorded violations at all stages of the electoral campaign.

Results of the "elections" in Belarus have become a subject of top level politicians' comments.

Lech Kaczy%u0144ski, the President of the Republic of Poland, has made several statements on the subject on air of Radio Bialystok on September 29.

Polish president has stated that he does not believe transparency and democratic nature of the "parliamentary elections" in Belarus.

L. Kaczy%u0144ski noted that the "election" was a step in a right direction for Belarus, however, "A ballot is democratic only when the regime has no possibilities to control the process [of voting]. "When there are possibilities for control, it always signalize about danger, and means that there is no democracy," the Polish president said.

To his mind, a process of changing ruling elites should take place in Belarus. "In other words, Lukashenko should be a person who understands that loss of power is not a failure, but it is normal," L. Kaczy%u0144ski said. "But there are no signs that Lukashenko finds loss of power a normal process".

The results of the "election" in 110 constituencies show none of the opposition figures has got to the "house of representatives".

Head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna said it at a press conference in Minsk today.

The "election" ended in the first voting. According to the official data, turnout was 75.3 per cent.

This election was the most non-alternative in the history of modern Belarus. Only 2.4 candidates contested for a seat in the "house of representatives". Election was non-alternative in 15 constituencies, with one representative of the authorities. The number of constituencies without democratic candidates was 40.

There were no democratic candidates in 9 out of 20 constituencies in Minsk. 263 candidates run in the "election". 365 people applied for registration. About 80 applicants weren't registered, more than 20 withdrew their candidatures.

An extremely low rate of representatives of the opposition political parties in polling station election commissions - only 47 people out of 69.865 (0.07 per cent) demonstrates that there was no fair votes counting and the results were rigged again, the opposition thinks.

Belarus will conduct a Parliamentary Election on September 28, 2008. And Belarus "President" Lukashenko promises his country's upcoming election will be open and democratic. So, let's talk about democracy (and regular dictatorship in between the lines).

Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by people under a free and fair electoral system. What happens if there is no free and fair electoral system? And what happens if the whole electoral system is controlled by the government. Who is controlling the government? Nobody! The main thing is when there is no democracy - there is no control by the people over the government's actions. Ask the people of Zimbabwe do they want to live with no food, no water and 2000000% inflation. Probably, they don't. And, probably, that's what can happen when people loose control over their government.

So, when there is no control, there is no balance of power, there is no law, there is no opposition, no freedoms, no human rights, because two main principles of democracy are purposely destroyed by the government. The first principle is: all members of the society have equal access to power. And the second one is: all members of the society enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties. So, when people are separated from voting, or when they can vote for the government's candidates only, they are abused by the "tyranny" of the undemocratic dictatorial government. They are misinformed by the government's mass media and are not able to vote in their own personal interests. So, the dictatorial government does not care about people, and their votes, and their personal interests. The dictatorial government is pursuing their own personal interests and can easily falsify the results of any elections in the interests of so called president, his pocket ministers and bureaucratic representatives (in short, president's gang members).

As we know, Belarus is a presidential republic, governed (or plundered) by an illegitimate president and the National Assembly consisting of the 110-member House of Representatives, the lower house, and 64-member Council of the Republic, the upper house. Therefore, the President, Prime Minister, National Assembly, Council of Ministers, the Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Court, basically couple of hundreds of elite people in charge have ALL THE POWER what they need to do anything (stealing, killing, selling Belarus to Russia) without the rest about 10 million Belarusian people's concern.

Since the first president's election in July 1994, he consolidated all the power in his hands and dominated all branches of the government. He used a non-democratic November 1996 Referendum to amend the 1994 Constitution in order to broaden his powers and illegally extend his term in the office. This was the first time when he stole votes from the people of Belarus. After that he learned fast how to falsify any elections. Then he stole some terms in power for his personal use and began to count his 5-year term not from July 1994 but November 1996, taking illegally two more years of power. After his re-election in 2001 Lukashenko fell in love with massive vote-counting fraud forgetting forever any common standards of fairness. In 2004 he did it again fraudulently removing presidential term limits. No wander that March 2003 local elections and October 2004 parliamentary elections failed to meet any international standards. In March 2006 he re-elected himself again disregarding rights and freedoms of all Belarusian people.
What a shame!

Going back to a Parliamentary Election of October 12, 2008 there are 6523 polling stations with 110 district commissions and only 0,05% of the opposition control. How the parliament elected through not-open to voters' control polling stations can be legal? What kind of open and democratic election is that?

What Belarusian people and the opposition can not understand is that nobody is going to help them, not the US, not the EU, they have to help themselves. Every Belarus should finally admit that any election with the present "president" and his gang will be fraud and farce, and people's vote will be rigged as usual leaving then powerless to change anything again and again (for centuries?). For how long they can suffer because of the unworthy, corrupt, ignorant, illegal government obstructing any progress in Belarus. There is no better life, no progress without democracy, without legitimate elections. Did you travel to North Korea, Zimbabwe or Cuba lately? Do you want to see how people can live without any control over their government? The answer is simple; most of the people are hungry, oppressed and living in fear in very poor conditions after tens of years of rigged elections.

This time every person in Belarus should boycott the government's "election" and demand a new open, free and fair real election for all the people of Belarus. People should demand of the present government to return to the Constitution of 1994, reconsider all amendments and get dismissed. New democratic government should be elected. What the EU and US can not understand is that Belarus is not a "vassal" of Russia, the present government is. Most of Belarusian people are pro-European and pro-democratic but they never had a chance their voice to be heard during the last 14 years of Lukashenko's dictatorship. The Council of the Republic has the right to launch an investigation into charges of treason or other major crime brought by the lower chamber against the president and to dismiss the president by a two-thirds majority. All new members of the National Assembly should be elected democratically this time. Only Belarusian people themselves should fight for their rights. The real opposition is more than 9 million of people, just help them to make an informative decision, and just tell people the truth one on one.

So called president of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko called actions of Russia during the war in Georgia quiet and accurate. "Everything has been done perfect, in a very calm, wise and beautiful manner," Lukashenka said in Sochi at the meeting with so called Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev. "Russia has done everything very accurately," the Belarusian ruler obligingly added, that actions of the West in the same situation would be such that "the whole world would be stirred".

Lukashenko noted that actions of the Russian Federation for settlement the conflict are to contribute to peace in the region "for long times".
He believes that the events "nudge us to some not simple actions in the framework of the Union State". Lukashenko underlined that "never called that [Russia's actions in Georgia] a war". He noted once again that everything was done by Russia in a calm manner.

Today (August 19th, 2008) Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Russian "president" Dmitriy Medvedev in Sochi. As informed by Russian officials, during the meeting the "heads" of the states were to discuss issues of transition to market formation of prices, preparation to the CIS summit, as well as Russia's war with Georgia and the stance of Belarus towards it.

The Ambassador of Russia to Belarus Alexandr Surikov criticized the Belarusian authorities for "keeping timid silence" in the situation in South Ossetia.
To his mind, Moscow expected humanitarian aid and "words of support". Next day Lukashenko expressed condolences to victims, and yesterday evening 63 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered to Vladikavkaz from Belarus.

On August 13 at the meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorski tried to achieve lower price for gas in 2009 (Gazprom plans to raise it to $200 per 1,000 cubic metres), and a long-time loan of $2 bn. But talks on economic topics were postponed till the beginning of autumn.

The position of Belarus towards the conflict in South Ossetia caused the proposal to Aleksandr Lukashenko to find agreement with Russian president Dmitriy Medvedev first. Dmitriy Medvedev and Aleksandr Lukashenko have agreed upon holding another session of the Supreme State Council of the "Union State". Also leaders of the states "agreed to carry to completion the work on the intergovernmental agreement on creation a single air defence system, which is to be signed during this session".

During the meeting of the "presidents" the schedule of the upcoming political contacts till the end of the year was discussed. An agreement on holding another session of the Supreme state council of the "Union State" in Moscow this autumn has been reached.

Aleksandr Kozulin, who has challenged the authoritarian "president" of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko in presidential elections of 2006, was released from jail on August 16, 2008 after being over there for 875 days.

A former candidate for presidency in the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Kozulin was hurled into prison for staging protest rallies against rigging of presidential elections on Freedom day March 25, 2006. On July 12th, 2006 Minsk city court sentenced Aleksandr Kozulin to 5.5 years of imprisonment. In prison Aleksandr Kozulin announced a hunger strike, demanding to consider the Belarusian problem in the UN Security Council. The political prisoner was on hunger strike for 53 days and lost more than 40 kilograms of his weight. His health has been irreparably damaged.

"I welcome the release of Alexander Kozulin. He and his family have shown incredible resilience, defending their rights and views on life", - said the leader of the civil campaign "European Belarus" Andrei Sannikov.

"It is now necessary to release all political prisoners in Belarus. Next on the agenda is ending the repression against the opposition and the holding of genuinely free and democratic elections. It may be necessary to talk about postponement of the parliamentary elections at a later date. Because after mass non-inclusion of opposition representatives in the precinct commission, September 28, 2008 could be held only electoral farce ", - said the leader of the civil campaign "European Belarus".

Also, I would like to remind the readers that on November 21, 2006 European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner presented a document setting out what the EU could bring to Belarus, if Belarus would engage in democratization and respect for human rights and rule of law. The document was being transmitted to the Belarus authorities both in Minsk and Brussels.

The paper made clear that "the people of Belarus are the first victims of the isolation imposed by the country's authorities, and willl be the first to reap the benefits on offer to a democratic Belarus".

Commissioner Ferrero Waldner said: "The people of Belarus have a right to know what they are missing. Our message is that as soon as the country indicates a willingness to move towards true democracy, human rights and rule of law, we will be ready to enter into a full partnership with Belarus within the framework of the ENP.

The ENP is a special relationship between the EU and its neighbours, which supports political, economic and social reform in partner countries, and seeks to share the prosperity and stability enjoyed by EU member states with those on the EU's borders. The EU would like to build such a relationship with Belarus."

If Belarus respected human rights, democracy and rule of law, respecting its commitments as a member of the UN and of the OSCE, Belarus could become a full participant in the ENP. The EU and Belarus would work together to achieve improvements in people's lives including:

---new trade opportunities to boost the Belarusian economy and create more and better job opportunities;
---improve provision of healthcare and education and support for the most vulnerable in society;
---improved transport and energy networks, and management of environmental issues;
---reform of the legal and judicial system to ensure equal rights for all;
---greater cross-border co operation.
What can the Belarusian government do to open up these opportunities?

For these possibilities to be open to the Belarusian people, the Belarusian authorities
need to respect the right of the people of Belarus:
---to elect their leaders democratically;
---express themselves freely, and have access to independent information;
---to set-up associations,
---to fair and transparent treatment by the judicial system.

No one should be imprisoned for having expressed their opinion and no one should be denied the right to participate in the determination of their countries' future.

No more electoral farce in Belarus 2008!

After the explosion in Minsk (on July 3rd, 2008), the regime uses this tragedy for arrests of activists of the democratic movement of Belarus instead of searching for criminals.

An unprecedented campaign on pressing the opposition and the civil society is carried out today. Organising pressing by the financial police of the State Control Committee, the authorities try to discredit the leaders of the democratic forces, human rights activists, journalists, regional opposition activists.

One of the leaders of the "European Belarus" civil campaign Zmitser Bandarenka, leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, deputy head of the Belarusian Popular Front Vintsuk Vyachorka, leader of the Party of Communists of Belarus Syarhei Kalyakin, human rights activists Ales Byalyatski, Valyantsin Stefanovich, Uladzimir Labkovich, Vera Stramkouskaya, head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak, BHC members Tatsyana Protska, Harry Pahanyaila, Zmitser Markusheuski, journalist Iryna Khalip, as well as democratic candidates for the autumn "parliamentary elections" and candidates for members of electoral commissions were called to the Department of Financial Investigation and tax offices.

Hundreds of democratic activists in the country suffer from pressure of the financial police. The authorities act in a very cynical way by firing people at first and asking them to account for their financial status after that. Lukashenko has closed down dozens of independent newspapers, liquidated hundreds of non-governmental organisations, shut most of regional offices of opposition parties over the years of his rule. In fact, people who have democratic and pro-European views are banned from their profession. People are dismissed, their business is destroyed, employers are harassed for any activity, different from the ideology of Lukashenko.

The current events in Belarus look liked a carefully rehearsed performance, staged for the people and the international community by the authorities. As soon as Lukashenko begins to speak the elections will be fair and democratic, there comes a new wave of repressions against the opposition and the civil society. The more Lukashenko promises, the stricter actions of the secret services, riot militia, the whole administrative machine become. A list of repression measures that are already in use, namely unlawful arrests, beatings, tortures, trials, fines, prison sentences, firing and expulsion from universities, has been enlarged with tight financial persecution of the democrats and their family members. THE MAIN
PURPOSE IS REAL ELIMINATION OF THE OPPOSITION AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY IN BELARUS.

It is played to take attention off secret and unlawful large-scale privatisation, carried out by Lukashenko's "family" and his inner circle. That is why legitimating the regime by means of the coming elections is vital for Lukashenko. The dictator understands his regime doesn't have international legitimacy, neither he nor his "parliament" is recognised nowhere in the democratic world. But without this recognition it is impossible to attract investors for saving the regime from economic collapse. He counts to hold an uncontrolled privatisation with the help of cynical businessmen from the West and the East. Moreover, the Belarusian state property is sold "on the cheap", because Lukashenko needs money right now to pay back foreign loans and credits, he took over the last time in large quantities.

A possible scenario of recognition of dictatorship is known: presence of two or three opposition figures in the "house of representatives" and making the most odious persons from Lukashenko's circle efface. According to the existing information, it is these conditions that are used by business groups to lobby Lukashenko's interests in Europe. It is used to cover up shameless robbing of the Belarusian people. Lukashenko purposefully removes the last areas of civil control: in fact, there are no printed papers in the country, the authorities are trying to destroy the Internet community in Belarus. Absence of freedom of press, flagrant restrictions on activity of opposition parties, factual prohibition on activity of democratic non-governmental organisations, absence of independent legal system are used by the authorities for secret privatisation, saving of the regime and personal gain. One may just recollect the extra-budgetary fund of Lukashenko, look at villas of officials in Drazdy, extra class cars, belonging to them and their family members, to understand who profits from the privatisation.

Even such a sell-out of the Belarusian state property will make the representatives of the authorities and businessmen close to them richer by billions dollars. The people will receive nothing from it. The opposition has always stood against this kind of privatisation. Any machinations with state property will have no legal force without public control. New government of the democratic Belarus won't recognise the results of such privatisation.

Lukashenko had all chances to accept the offers of the opposition and begin phased democratic reforms in the country. He didn't use them and launched a war to destroy the opposition by using his usual methods.

Only restoration of democracy and law in the country will allow to attract really serious foreign investors to our country, improve life conditions of the majority of the Belarusians, make them be shareholders of leading enterprises. That is why the Belarusian democratic opposition, defending interests of the people, has a key to privatisation now.

Andrei Sannikov, civil campaign "European Belarus"

"The regime has given up on dialogue and democratization by unleashing a real terror against political opposition and the civil society. That is why the democratic forces are to start realization of a different strategy," believes the coordinator of the Charter'97 Zmitser Bandarenka.

- You were one of the initiators of the dialogue of the opposition with the regime. Did this initiative make sense, while the political prisoners are still in prisons, peaceful rallies are brutally disbanded, and Lukashenka publicly insults opposition members on TV?

- It did make sense, but you are right: today is the time for the opposition to abandon the dialogue too. I must remind that in the beginning of the 2007 Belarus was on the edge of an economic catastrophe after the decision of Russia to hike prices of oil and gas imported to our country. There was a threat of losing independence. In this situation the opposition intentionally extended a helping hand to the Belarusian government. No matter what Lukashenka would say today, offering a dialogue by the democratic forces helped to realize a number of investment projects in Belarus, considerably reinforced positions of the country in its talks with Russia, allowed to open credit lines in Europe. One thing is to deal with the last dictatorship in Europe, and the other with the government that have stated their beginning of democratization, readiness to conduct a dialogue with their opposition, and the beginning of a dialogue with the West. And the fact that the leader of the state publicly uses such words as "lousy", "scabby", "hell-raisers", he is just attaching these words to himself, demonstrating his own aggressiveness and lack of good manners.

- Does opposition completely give up on the dialogue with the regime?

- The dialogue opened absolutely new opportunities for the country. During their visits abroad opposition representatives said: in case all political prisoners are released, the US and European countries would have to take steps to meet the Belarusian regime. Recently in Washington we with high-ranking representatives of the US Department of the State discussed a possibility of a visit of Belarusian Foreign Minister and a representative of Lukashenka's administration to the US. America was really ready for a real breakthrough in the relations with our country. Readiness to grant a considerable assistance in solving energy problems of Belarus was mentioned.
If the Belarusian regime released Aleksandr Kazulin before the end of February, as the US and European politicians had been promised, since March 1,2008 we could live in a new Belarus. However, Aleksandr Lukashenko has chosen the side of those his associates who in no way imagine themselves in a democratic, European Belarus.
The opposition would be ready for a dialogue again only in case of real steps of the regime for democratization of the country.
So far the regime has given up on the dialogue and democratization, and unleashed a real terror against political opposition and the civil society. That is why the democratic forces are to start realization of a different strategy.

- How does a new strategy of the opposition could look like?

- The new strategy today is a severe resistance to dictatorship in all directions. In the situation when no liberalization is taking place, we cannot hope that the upcoming election to the "parliament" would be democratic and free, that is why slogans "Boycott to electoral farce!", "Boycott to Lukashenko's regime!", "Boycott to dictatorship!" are appearing on the agenda. The regime itself has pushed the opposition to change the approaches.

- What could the boycott of the election bring? Parties are stating that the electoral campaign gives democrats an additional opportunity to inform the population of Belarus on the situation in the country.

- There are cases in history when boycotts which had been carried out successfully, forced authorities to make considerable concessions at the imminent elections. An unprepared boycott is much worse. For instance, Belarusian opposition used partial boycott at the local elections in 1999 and 2007. It is not effective to announce a boycott of the election in a few days before voting. Such campaigns really result in depression of the society and withdrawal of activists. The boycott of the election in 2000 to a great degree consolidated democratic forces, allowed youth movements to emerge (Zubr, the Young Front). I think nobody would disagree that the defeat in the presidential election in 2001 was connected to the weakness and passiveness of the candidate nominated by the opposition. All the strong candidates either didn't have a right to take part in the election because of imprisonment, or had been murdered.

Boycott-2008 is also to become an obstacle to the intentions to combine the election with a referendum once again, for instance, with a referendum on a Constitutional Act of a Union with Russia.

- But nevertheless, people would be herded to take part in an early voting. How a boycott could be carried out in such conditions?

- The answer is contained in the question. Everybody knows that an early voting is used by dictatorships for mass rigging of election results. In normal conditions, including the elections in the 1990s in Belarus, 3-5% of voters take part in the early voting. That is why it is necessary to organize a control over the number of those who had voted namely on the major day of election. I think, foreign and Belarusian democratic observers are fully able to do that. I would like to remind that in 2000 right after the so-called election the Belarusian TV announced that the election haven't taken place in any regional capital and in Minsk because of a low turnout. And only in a few hours the regime changed the result. However, they had to hold repeat election in one third of city constituencies. Even in Mahilyou a second round was held. After the boycott campaign soldierly spirit of opposition was really strong.

- That is to say, you do not hope that the regime would resort to holding democratic elections, after the chair of the central Election Commission Lidiya Yarmoshyna stated that proposals of the opposition on control over vote count by independent observes are "unworkable", do you?

- I think the situation is to become clear in the middle of June. And starting from this time a boycott campaign by the forces of civil society could be started. At the initial stage parties would try to use opportunities of the election campaign for promotion of their ideas, but facing one more sheer lawlessness, they are to join the boycott. It is possible that not all would support the boycott at once, but finally the majority of democratic structures are to join it.

- Does it mean that after the boycott would be announced, repressions would be stepped up?

- Boycott is a response to repressions. Besides, a considerable enhancement of a solidarity campaign both inside the country and abroad is to become a response to the crackdown by the regime.

- When opposition offered a dialogue to the authorities, it was said that the message was intended for officials primarily. What should the officials who wanted a dialogue do?

- I think that winding up a dialogue with opposition, and especially with the West, shocked many officials. During numerous contacts of Belarusian democrats with state officials, both sanctioned "from above" or informal, we have become convinced again that an absolute majority of these people want positive changes and place their interests on a new democratic Belarus, and Europe. Now officials are to hear about detection of "a new group of corruptionists" from TV screens again. But I think that a new "turn of the screw" won't be long. The dictatorship simply doesn't have resources for that. A form of boycott to dictatorship could be chosen by anyone. It would guarantee actual uniting of all sound people both in opposition and in the government. It is obvious to everyone already that a very little group of people hinders changes in the country. And if they responded a dialogue with new arrests and pushed away an extended hand, we have nothing else to do but to rise to challenge. They, not us, have started the confrontation.

On June 20, 2008 the Moskovskiy District Court of Minsk dismissed a complaint of Svetlana Zavadskaya (one of the founders of the Civil Initiative "We Remember") against an unjust act of Mikhail Titsenkov, Deputy Head of the Minsk City Executive Committee, who banned holding a picket on 7 May, 2008 at the anniversary of disappearance of former Minister of Internal Affaires of Belarus Yuriy Zakharenko.

The aim of the picket was to attract public attention to the demand of the real investigation of disappeared public figures in Belarus, and demands to adopt and ratify The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance by the Republic of Belarus.

- I was not surprised by this decision, I was ready for it, - Svetlana Zavadskaya said. - Belarusian authorities fear the issue of enforced disappearance. They have done and do their best to ban holding of peaceful actions by all means because they do not want portraits of missing people to be shown near buildings of state institutions, the National Assembly building, Presidential Administration. Moreover, they shamelessly violate human rights, formally (only on paper) guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus.

- I'm not going to stop here and I will appeal against the decision of judge Alena Charnyak in the Higher Court. Moreover, I have filed another application to the Minsk City Executive Committee for holding a picket at the anniversary of disappearance of Dmitry Zavadsky on 7 July, 2008 near the City Hall on the Freedom Square.

Civil Initiative «We Remember» is non-governmental organization uniting family members of the involuntary disappeared persons in Belarus during 1999-2000: Yury Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Dmitry Zavadsky and died under unclear circumstances Gennady Karpenko.

On the photo: Civil Initiative "We Remember" founders: Irina Krasovskaya, wife of disappeared in September 1999 businessman Anatoly Krasovsky, and Svetlana Zavadskaya, wife of disappeared in June 2000 cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky.

A political prisoner Aleksandr Kazulin answered questions of Austrian newspaper "Der Standard" during a meeting with his family on May 3-5 in Vitsebsk colony. However the interview was shortened for publication in the newspaper. A daughter of the political prisoner Olga Kazulina gave the Charter'97 press-center the full answers of Aleksandr Kazulin to Austrian journalists.

- To start with, dear Mr. Kazulin, let us express our condolences to you for the loss of your wife. So we have the first question for you: how do you get through this terrible loss, especially considering the fact that you are imprisoned?
What gives you power?

- Faith, moral courage, knowing of the future. The two months after my wife's death was very hard time of my life.

- How do you feel in prison? What are conditions in the colony? What do you miss the most?

- Whenever I go, I feel myself a free person. Many people who are imprisoned are far from being free, even if they do not realize it. They are in a spiritual confinement. The conditions are usual for a Belarusian prison. Citizens of Western countries can hardly understand that. If they appeared here, they would be petrified with horror. I miss active way of living the most.

- Why haven't you accepted the offer of Lukashenko to go to Germany and treat your wife there? In fact, that offer was permission for you to leave the country with the aim of receiving a political asylum in the West%u2026

- One shouldn't judge superficially, but the real meaning of that offer should be considered and its prehistory. In a few months before this proposal German Ambassador to Belarus Mr. Weiss insistently recommended my family to persuade me to write a petition for pardon. I do not exclude his intention was noble, and he believed my release at any cost was the most important thing. But he was mistaken in that. It would be an insult of me and my family, my nation and my struggle. I stated that before, and I state that openly now. It would have meant kneeling to a tyrant; it would have been open treading on morals and ethics, which are the basic things a person and a society have, and which are feared most by Lukashenko, as he doesn't have such things at all.

Later I was offered to go to Germany. Instead of an unconditional release I was in fact offered a secret escape from the country or a deportation in a beautiful disguise. Playing upon heartstrings and the most sacred feelings, using the health of my dearly loved wife as a smokescreen, the regime tried to trample the most valuable and sacred things a person has, and to show once again that everything could be sold and bought in this world.

But neither I nor my family could fall as low as that. I am saying that aloud, as enough time has passed, but Germany does not reveal its position as before, thought it is one of the pillars of the EU. It is very interesting to me what would prevail, morals, fundamental human values, or hard pragmatism.

The future of Europe depends on that to a large extent, as in such critical moments a true identity is unveiled. German government should be asked about the motivation of such a proposal, and about whom they wanted to help, me or somebody else? By the way, Mr. Weiss came up to me during my wife's funeral and told that things will be "all right".
I wonder, what he meant by saying "right", and for whom things will come "all right"?

I hope that as me, he meant unconditional release of all political prisoners (there are three of us again), and democratization of Belarus.

So it has happened that I have been deprived of freedom, and of the dearest people, my wife and mother. As you understand, firstly my wife didn't need treatment in Germany at that period, and her quick death confirmed that. Secondly, all worldly goods and the moon were promised to me in Germany, in exchange for not returning back to my country.

But when I chose the path of struggle, I didn't excluded imprisonment. If my desire would be to go somewhere and not get into trouble, I would have done that beforehand (as I had been warned about the arrest). I am a son of my Belarusian Nation, and I will go the way with my people, no matter how difficult it may be. I will do that for the sake of my country and people's future. I do not need anything personally for myself.

- Why after the events of 2006 in Belarus Lukashenko got enraged with you in particular?

- Lukashenko can be mad only with those who pose a real threat to him. He knows well what I am capable of. He realizes perfectly well that he won't beat me in any open confrontation.

- What gives Lukashenko's regime a possibility to survive after that events and after the direct assistance of Moscow to Minsk finished?

- But isn't it obvious that the direct assistance continues? 1.5 billion of non-repayable credit, a gas price which is 2.5 times lower than in Europe, interests of Russian business in Belarus are the things that are on the surface. Besides, Europeans with their pragmatism are helping Lukashenko.

- Is it true that life of people in Belarus ruled by Lukashenko is so bad? In some countries of the former USSR, in Russia and Ukraine for instance, there is an opinion that after the collapse of the Soviet Union Belarus is the only oasis of well-being and prosperity. Who lives really well in today's Belarus?

- Life in Belarus is not so bad, but it is much worse than it could be (we are not comparing our life with Lithuania and Poland, as we have a gap between us in terms of standards of living). Life in Belarus is already worse than in Ukraine and Russia. And from the point of view of freedoms, rule of law and human rights, it is really as awful as you can imagine. The current regime in fact is practically implementing genocide against its own nation. That's why there is a proverb: "If you want to end up in prison, go to Belarus; and if you want to get in prison quick, go to Minsk". If you watch Belarusian TV, read state-run newspapers, Belarus is a haven of prosperity. But in reality Belarus
is a sanctuary of worm-eaten past in a bright propaganda's wrapping.

Whose life is good here? For some period it is good for some high-ranking officials, especially those who are close to Lukashenko; to high-ranking law-enforcers. Permissiveness and impunity are corrupting; they create an illusion of prosperity and well-being. But none of these people has future, and they understand that perfectly. So they are trying to live like there is no future, and enjoy life to the full, grabbing everything they get their hands on. None of them could be sure for a moment he won't be imprisoned tomorrow.

- Is there an active and efficient and opposition in Belarus now? What does the opposition offer as an alternative to Lukashenko?

- Self-consciousness of the nation is developing in Belarus. Lukashenko is given to us exactly for a breakthrough in conscience. Opposition is to transfigure very soon. There are all the preconditions for that. Unlike the today's regime we offer the society not conservation of the past, but a mighty spurt and ascension to the future.

- Do you and your associates feel support of the West? Does the world community remember you? What could be done to support democracy in Belarus?

- I feel support. I receive letters from almost all countries of the world. And there are even more such letters than from Belarusians. As for the support from the West, they should find their position and understand that Lukashenko is a challenge to the European civilization, that Lukashenko is an example of a modernized fascist ideology, Hitler's order, which had been mentioned by him as an ideal of a presidential republic for Belarus in one of his first interviews to a German newspaper. In fact he is realized that in practice.

An ideology of "Lukashism" is very dangerous. Europe cannot understand that still and cannot stop flirting with Lukashenko, as it was in the 1930ies with the ominous person we all know. As soon as Lukashenko is viewed as a challenge to the entire civilization and to all fundamental principles of human society, only then Europeans would be able to find a solution. Americans understood that much earlier, and now they are following an absolutely right policy towards Lukashenko. It is possible to talk to Lukashenko only from a position of strength. The most important thing is that the Europeans should be consolidated, be united and not to flirt with Lukashenko. Otherwise he will fool them finally.

Besides, my criminal case has been submitted to the Council of Europe. Mr. Van der Linden promised to carry out an independent experts' examination. My case was submitted in November 2007, and there is no result still (in May 2008).

In his address to the "parliament" of Belarus Lukashenko defined what America and Europe should do. He is panicked that the EU and the US would consolidate. That is why imposing of economic sanctions would disarm Lukashenko completely.
He has stated directly that Europe won't impose sanctions at the expense of their own interests (that Europeans' pragmatism would prevail). Europe should show the Belarusians and the world that there are more important things than economy. The humankind is rested on them. These are fundamental values which cannot be trampled by anybody; morality, spirituality, humanity, compassion, mercy.

On April 4th, 2008 the United States Ambassador to the OSCE Julie Finley has reported to representatives of member countries of that organization about the US position relating recent events in Belarus.

In a special statement addressed to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna recent events in Belarus are recalled, including a brutal crackdown on participants of a peaceful rally on March 25, 2008 and a mass attack on independent journalists on March 27.

"We call upon Belarusian authorities," the statement reads, "to fulfill their commitments to the OSCE concerning human rights and basic freedoms, and to release Aleksandr Kazulin immediately, as well as peaceful demonstrators and journalists who were detained and imprisoned".

Nevertheless on April 16 (Wednesday) at 10 a.m. proceedings in the political "case of the 14" will start in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk (Kirau Street, 21). M. Pashkevich, A. Bondar, A. Barazenka, P. Vinagradau, U. Syarheeu, A. Dubski,
A. Straltsou, A. Charnyshou, A. Kim, A. Kojpisj, M. Kryvau, M. Subach, T. Tsishkevich, M. Dashuk are charged in the case of a protest rally of entrepreneurs which tool place on January 10, 2008 in Minsk.

As always young people are charged with violation of Article 342-1 of the Criminal Code: "Staging and preparation of actions grossly violating public order, or active participation in them". They could face up to 3 years of imprisonment under this article.

Is Belarus becoming a new European Zimbabwe? Sure, it does. Dictatorships are all the same on any planet and any dictator is never the people's servant but their Ruler. Any dictator is not living in a vacuum, he is always surrounded by his close "friends" (or gang members, if you wish). Any dictatorship has a typical mafia structure and is based on fear of getting rejected (or killed) by other members. Any dictator is a dead-walking man. As soon as he's loosing his power he is loosing everything very often including his life. There are no exceptions to the rule.

That's why any dictator is constantly hypocritical to his people. He just must lie in order to survive any longer. He just must throw to jail anyone who is telling him the truth that he is a pathological Liar. Any dictatorship is based on lies. Lies are everywhere - on TV, in the newspapers, on the radio, in the government, in economics, in politics, in the movies, in books, in schools, universities and kindergartens, in supermarkets and grocery-stores. And people must live inside those lies. They must believe that they can also survive with a $250 salary a month and dreaming about buying $150000 two-bedroom apartment. What people do not understand is that they can not survive without changing the system, without legitimately throwing away the illegitimate dictator and his gang. If nobody in the Belarusian government was elected by the people of Belarus why they do not have all the human rights to reelect a new parliament and a new real President?

Yes, they do have all the rights to do just that or Belarus will become a new European Zimbabwe with a record 85% unemployment rate (now in Belarus this rate is about 15%, and for sure, this is not an official but true number), 8000% inflation and so called president holding the power for 28 years (it's only 14 years for Belarus).

Yes, they do have all the rights to replace the illegitimate government before it led Belarus to economic collapse being criticized around the world for corruption, suppression of political opposition, economic mismanagement, and deterioration of human rights.

As always, there is an easy way out for the Belarusian authorities. Instead of fearing in expectation, if the European Union will join the U.S. sanctions, and making war with America, they need to release political prisoners, stop persecuting of the dissenters in the country, and hold free elections. But Lukashenko seems not to like this way out because it is a dead end for him and his gang. Just a reminder: Belarus expelled the United States ambassador and recalled its own envoy to Washington on in retaliation for U.S. economic sanctions which blacklisted Belneftekhim (supposedly the main source for Lukashenko's personal income), freezing the accounts of its U.S. representative office.

The president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, has urged the Belarusian government to immediately release the people arrested during a police crackdown on a demonstration staged in Minsk on March 25 on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic.

"The use of violence by the Belarusian authorities against peaceful demonstrators and the harassment of independent journalists are in contradiction to the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression and is not compatible with democratic fundamental rights," Mr. Poettering says in a statement issued on March 27, 2008.

"I strongly condemn the politically motivated detentions and the intervention against Belarusian citizens who are peacefully demonstrating their commitment to the values of freedom, democracy and human rights," Mr. Poettering says. "The European Parliament expresses its solidarity with all those who defend freedom and democracy."

Aleksandr Kazulin has been released from the prison at night on Feb. 26, 2008 for three days to take part in the funeral of his wife, who had died on the 23rd of February.

The 48-year-old woman suffered from an oncological disease. Due to the fact that the authorities at first didn't release the political prisoner for the funeral, Aleksandr Kazulin went on hunger strike. The daughters of the political prisoner joined the hunger strike on February 25. An action in memory of Irina Kazulina took place yesterday in the Minsk center, with demand to release political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin.

The European Union and the US demand to release Aleksandr Kazulin. The official Minsk won't improve relations with Europe without release of all political prisoners. The European Commission, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the PACE, the European Parliament, the embassies of the US, France and Slovakia spoke in favour of Kazulin's release yesterday.

The High Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the EU Javier Solana urged the Belarusian authorities to release Aleksandr Kazulin immediately. Javier Solana noted that he met the news about the untimely death of Irina Kazulina with great sorrow, and expressed his condolences to her husband and daughters. As said by Javier Solana, release of A. Kazulin would mean release of all political prisoners, five of which have been already released. The United States and European Union demanded in the days leading up to and after Kozulin's wife's death that he be set free.

The mourning ceremony for Irina Kazulina is to take place tonight in Minsk.

Aleksandr Lukashenko admitted on 2/15/2008 that he knew well about bad health of political prisoner Aleksandr Kazulin's wife and tried to use that situation for bargaining with the West and European Union. Irina Kazulina is seriously ill, while her husband has been kept in prison for 2 years on political motives. Release of all political prisoners is the main requirement of the EU and the USA.

The Charter'97 Press Center asked Kazulin's daughter Olga to comment on Lukashenka's statements. "Our mother is dying and Aleksandr Lukashenko knows it perfectly. Saying that he is ready to release our father for mother's treatment is height of cynicism. Let him not hide behind our mother. It's shameless and inhuman," Olga Kazulina said.

Visiting Vitsebsk region the same day, Aleksandr Lukashenko said there is no more question about political prisoners. "Question concerning the so called political prisoners is closed," he said, giving interview to Interfax. According to Lukashenko, the so called political prisoners "were punished in accordance with the Criminal Code, for particular crimes."

Yep, sure they are, Mr. Big Liar! Aleksandr Kazulin, for example, was punished with 5,5 years sentence just because he wanted to be a new president of Belarus. Andrey Klimov was punished with an absurd 2 year sentence for his article on the internet (luckily he was released on 2/16/2008!), Andrey Kim was arrested for taking part in the entrepreneurs rally and can stay in prison cell for up to 6 years, Aleksandr Zdvizhkov was convicted for 3 years for reprinted Prophet Mohammed caricature. Cases of political prisoners in Belarus are made up with all those absurd groundless "criminal" convictions and all those cases are endless just because the judicial system is so corrupt and dishonest.

As Pavel Severinets, founder of the Christian Democratic Party, admits the human rights situation in Belarus is getting worse lately:
"There are more dissent criminal cases, political criminal cases in Belarus today than in the 1970ies. In other words, today's repressions have exceeded the level of repressions in the period of stagnation. One more alarming signal is when people over high-profiled and famous cases can be released via Europe's pressure or bargaining with it, but the awful dynamics of administrative arrests, expelling from university and dismissals is growing. The human rights situation in the country is becoming worse and worse day after day."

After the Rally of Entrepreneurs in Minsk on January 10, 2008 more than 40 people were detained. 23 people were sentenced to 15 days of arrest on the next day after the action. About 20 people were arrested during the week after the rally. Many of the detained were guarded to the special prison facility on Okrestina Street beaten by riot militiamen.

Most participants of the rally of entrepreneurs were judged by the article "participation in unauthorised event." The people, who were detained next days, were accused of "using of foul language." Notably, the authorities used a new technique: they arrested people in the courts, where people came to support their friends, who had trials for the rally of entrepreneurs. Youth leader Dmitriy Hvedaruk was arrested in such a way in the court of the Central district. He was beaten when being detained, and got 15 days of arrest.

Here is a list of the arrested activists as of January18, 2008: Roman Bogdanovich, Aleksandr Borozenko, Pavel Vinogradov, Arseniy Pahomov, Sergei Klyuev, Polina Kuryanovich, Anatoliy Lebed'ko, Yan Michailov, Michail Pashkevich, Michail Krivov, Aleksandr Stepanenko, Tatyana Tishkevich, Vladimir Shilo, Anatoliy Shumchenko, Yuriy Barkun, Artem Dubovskiy, Andrey Radionov, Igor Zhaborovskiy, Aleksandr Vozhakov, Aleksandra Lyndova, Zorka A.Y., Yuriy Kuksyuk, Ales' Chernyshov, Aleksandr Makaev, Sergey Parsyukevich, Ales' Tolstyko, Katerina Krasnova, Kasya Galitskaya, Yuriy Stankevich, Vladimir Sergeev, Franak Vyachorka, Lyudmila Atakulova, Maksim Vinyarskiy, Anton Kalinovskiy, Pavel Kuryanovich, Karen Akopov, Oleg Lysko, Dmitriy Fedoruk, Yuriy Istomin, Vladimir Larin, Volodar Tsurpanov, Vitaliy Stozharov, Aleksandr Rubchenya.

The sentences were given by judges of the Moskovskij district Gusakova O. A., Rudnitskaya Y. B., Avdeenko V. A., Kuznetsova N. A., Shestkov Y. V., Kazak V. V., Frolova Y. G., Shil'ko Y. N., and judges of the Central district Tatyana Pavlyuchuk and Aleksey Bychko, judge Dmitriy Metseyuk (Grodno).

A new Rally of Entrepreneurs in Minsk is scheduled for Monday, January 21, 2008. Long Live Free Belarus!

$1.5 billion? $2.0 billion? $3.5 billion? Going once. Going twice. Sold to a gentleman in the front raw - "Time" magazine Person of the Year 2007 - Future Czar of Russia & Belarus, Mr. Putin.

On December 20th, 2007 in Moscow, Belarus and Russia has signed an agreement on granting Belarus a state credit of 1.5 billion dollars. The document has been signed by Belarusian Finance Minister Nikolai Korbut and Russian vice Prime Minister, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin. Also Russia is considering a possibility to lend 2 billion dollars more in the year 2008.

In spite of the Deputy Economy Minister of Belarus Oleg Melnikov's statements (he is in charge of privatization issues) at a press-conference in Minsk that "Russia's decision to grant Belarus a $1.5 billion stabilization loan is not subject to Russians' claims to Belarusian public property and any large-scale, massive sales of property to Russian investors are not expected.",-- there is a strong (100%?) probability that the most profitable Belarusian enterprises will be sold to Russian owners in the near future.
As always everything will be done under the table and totally uninformed Belarusian public would not even notice that the owners have been changed and the whole country of more than 10 million people is sold to new Russian oligarchs. Why is that?

Simple. The president of Russia was never elected by the people of Russia, he was appointed by Boris Eltsin (former president). The president of Belarus was elected democratically by the people of Belarus 13 years ago, but he re-elected himself twice in 1999 and 2006 by killing the other opposition candidates (former Interior Minister general Yury Zakharenko and the other candidate for Belarusian presidency Viktor Gonchar, 1999) or putting a new presidential candidate to jail (Aleksandr Kozulin, 2006) and falsifying the results. According to western democratic standards basically both of the presidents are illegitimate and they do not care about their people. Both of them care only about two things: power & money for their clans.

Nobody knows about what both presidents were talking for seven hours behind closed doors till 5:30 am on December 14, 2007 in Minsk during the official visit of the president of Russia to Belarus (Dec. 13-14, 2007). Probably, they were both discussing how to keep power forever? Probably, they were both exchanging ideas how to keep opposition in jail during the presidential elections in Russia 2008? Probably, they were both talking over how to sell Air Defense Systems C-400 all over the world? Or, probably, they were tossing around the idea to make Belarus a nuclear state again?

Anyway, probably, sleeping Belarusians one day will wake up in Russia. Because the country is sold in secret for $3.5 billion already and nobody even knows about it. Good night, Belarus. Happy dreams to you.

In 1994 one of the basic items of an electoral program of Alexandr Lukashenko was "indemnification of the lost monetary contributions of the population at the rate of Rouble-Dollar for 1985" (that is when 1 Soviet Rouble was 1 US dollar). Back in 1998 when Lukashenko already became the President of Belarus, a Special President's Decree has been published according to which all indemnifications should be paid by January, 1st 2008. And here we are, 14 years later Belarusians started to get invitations from Belarusbank to get back their contributions what they have lost back in January1992. Let's say you had 10,000 roubles on your account. For 10,000 Roubles on your bank account in 1989 you could buy a nice two-bedroom apartment in Minsk or a good new car. Today in November 2007 Belarusbank (and Mr. "President" personally) is offering you just $10 in exchange of, basically, $10,000. So, what you can buy in Belarus today for 10 bucks? A cup of coffee? Thank you, thank you, Mr. "President". And, by the way, what kind of mockery is that? What's going on in the Kingdom of Belarus under the rule of the"Great Performer" & Mr. MisManager?

Some post Soviet Republic's experience in this matter prompts: it's possible to return to people their lost contributions. And it's possible to do so that the people could be satisfied, and the state was not ruined. For example, in Lithuania the government returned to people all real estate properties (including land) what they have owned before. Also the government returned bank contributions to people - in the ratio 1:4. For lost 10,000 Soviet Roubles it gave 2,500 dollars back.

Is Belarus becoming a new European Zimbabwe? Sure, it does. Dictatorships are all the same on any planet and any dictator is never the people's servant but their Ruler. Any dictator is not living in a vacuum, he is always surrounded by his close "friends" (or gang members, if you wish). Any dictatorship has a typical mafia structure and is based on fear of getting rejected (or killed) by other members. Any dictator is a dead-walking man. As soon as he's loosing his power he is loosing everything very often including his life. There are no exceptions to the rule.

That's why any dictator is constantly hypocritical to his people. He just must lie in order to survive any longer. He just must throw to jail anyone who is telling him the truth that he is a pathological Lier. Any dictatorship is based on lies. Lies are everywhere - on TV, in the newspapers, on the radio, in the government, in economics, in politics, in the movies, in books, in schools, universities and kindergardens, in supermarkets and grocery-stores. And people must live inside those lies. They must believe that they can also survive with a $250 salary a month and dreaming about $150000 two-bedroom appartment. What people do not understand is that they can not survive without changing the system, without throwing away the dictator and his gang.

Mr. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe has been the head of government since 1980. He likes the power so much that he re-elected himself again and again, not so long ago in 2007. Let's look at his dictatorial achievements more closely.

The Mugabe administration has been criticised around the world for corruption, suppression of political opposition, mishandling of land reform, economic mismanagement, and deteriorating human rights. According to most analysts his administration's policies have led to economic collapse and massive starvation over the course of the last ten years. Zimbabwe has the highest inflation rate in the world predicted to hit 1.5 million % by the end of 2007, and is, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Africa's worst economic performer. With a record 85 % unemployment and ~8000 % inflation rates, Zimbabwe is in its worst economic crisis since Mugabe took power.

What a nice guy! This is what 27 years of power can do to people. Must this nice guy to face an international tribunal for crimes against humanity and his own people just like the other dictators of the 21st century do? Sure they must be punished sooner or later by their own people. There is no escape from universal justice. Never. And it's coming.

The memorial rally and meeting dedicated to Dziady - the day of commemoration the ancestors - took place in Minsk on October 28, 2007. From 1.500 to 2.000 people participated in this rally. The column of demonstrants under the white-red-white national flags went along Nezalezhnasti Avenue and commemorated the memory of the Belarusians repressed in 1920-1930-th in Kurapaty - the place where tens of thousands victims of the Stalin's terror were killed and buried. The memorial rally participants demanded to release the today's political prisoners - Aliaksandr Kazulin, Zmiter Dashkevich, Artur Finkevich, Andrey Klimov and other prisoners of conscience.

Mass execution of the Belarusian intellectuals took place in Minsk on October 29, 1937. About 100 people, among them 22 writers were killed in inner prison of People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs. Events of those bloody days were documentary restored in the book "Only One Night" by the writer-researcher Leonid Moryakov.

The writers shot in that night were, certainly, best and talented people of that time: the favourite pupil of the great belarussian poet Yanka Kupala - Valeriy Moryakov, the founder of literature group "Youth" Mikhas' Charot, poet Ales' Dudar', prose writer Mikhas' Zaretsky, the honored painter of Belarus Anatol' Volniy, critic Makar Shalaj, journalist Pavel Shestakov and many many others.

Destiny of people which were tragically united with this terrible night, very different. Ananiy Dyakov was the Pro-Rector, and then Rector of the Belarussian State University. Together with him was Alexey Kuchinsky who acted as Rector at the moment of arrest Hatskel Dunets was just a factory worker. Ivan Zhivutsky taught the Belarus and Russian languages in Zaslavl. Zakhar Kovalchuk at the moment of arrest was a director of a fish-canning factory. Solomon Kantor - director of BelPromTorg.

The most widespread charges - "a member of the anti-soviet terrorist-espionage organization", "a member of the national-fascist organization", "the figure of the anti-soviet organization". By the way, for you (the reader) to know, all those organizations were not real and existed only on paper.

Practically right after arrests and execution of these people their wives and children have been arrested. With an identical verdict ("a member of family of the traitor of the native land") all of them have sent in Kazakhstan, to the notorious Algeria (the name of the camp) - or Akmolinsk Camp Branch of Wives of Traitors of the Native Land.(The city of Akmolinsk since 1997 refers to as Astana.)

Here are just some numbers from those terrible times:

- 200 - 230 persons were killed on the average in a day by Belarusian KGB during from August 1937 to November 1938.

- About 10 thousand people have been shot in the internal prison of People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs in Minsk, USSR during so called "socialism".

- More than 600 thousands of Belarusians have been subjected to repressions for all time of Stalin cleanings.

- The average court time was 10 - 12 minutes by commissioners of People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs who were sent to Minsk from Moscow.

On 70-th anniversary of the tragedy, public members attended the grave sites of communisns' terror victims in Minsk. Without any doubt the authorities did not permit a meeting-requiem in Kurapaty.

"Certainly, every Belarusian should visit the places in Minsk, where the communism's martyrs are buried. Because we can feel the breath of communism even today. Stalin's Line, veneration of Lenin by the authorities in 2007 (21st century!) show that the struggle in Belarus has not finished", - Pavel Severinets said.

On the eve of the European March organized by the civil society in support of 12 EU proposals the EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy (12 EU Proposals were submitted to the Belarus government on November 21, 2006), Benita Ferrero-Waldner appealed to Belarusians and noted that the European Union supports their courage and calls on them to use the opportunities offered, which could lead to a better life. The Belarusian people will gather to support the EU idea of having a closer relationship within the ENP framework, Benita Ferrero-Waldner said.

In her interview to the Europea by Satellite (EbS) Benita Ferrero-Waldner presented her view on the prospectives of the relations between the EU and Belarus.

Commissioner stated that the EU hopes Belarus will become a full-fledged democracy and part of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). There are all possibilities for productive cooperation. The Belarusian leadership know the US recommendations, but in Ferrero-Waldner's view none of the recommendations was fulfilled: detentions, lack of free media and freedom of assembly in today's Belarus are unacceptable.

If Belarus respected human rights, democracy and rule of law, respecting its commitments as a member of the UN and of the OSCE, Belarus could become a full participant in the ENP. The EU and Belarus would work together to achieve improvements in people's lives including:

---new trade opportunities to boost the Belarusian economy and create more and better job opportunities;
---improve provision of healthcare and education and support for the most vulnerable in society;
---improved transport and energy networks, and management of environmental issues;
---reform of the legal and judicial system to ensure equal rights for all;
---greater cross-border co operation.
What can the Belarusian government do to open up these opportunities?

For these possibilities to be open to the Belarusian people, the Belarusian authorities
need to respect the right of the people of Belarus:
---to elect their leaders democratically;
---express themselves freely, and have access to independent information;
---to set-up associations,
---to fair and transparent treatment by the judicial system.

What concerns the prospectives of the relations between the EU and Belarus, Commissioner stressed the EU has offered the ENP participation to Belarus. The EU leadership wants to see Belarusians as partners within the ENP, Commissioner noted. The EU supports the courage of Belarusians and has great solidarity with their opinion.

On August 22nd, 2007 at about 22:30 pm in Minsk, Belarus, belarussian militia have rushed into the private house in area of Bangalor where a premier performance of Edward Bonda's play "11 shirts" by "Free Theater" was taking place. More than 50 people were taken to the Soviet District Militia Station for a pure interrogation (probably, under duress, as always). After 3 hours 30 of them including a French director Christian Benedetti (Art-Manager of French Theatre-Studio "Artfoville") and two professors of one of the Dutch theatrical schools were released.

Nevertheless, there are more than 10 people, including the Art-Director of "Free Theater" Nikolay Khalezin, his spouse Natalia Kolyada, youth leader Paul Yukhnevich and other actors and simple spectators are still in the station.

" The author of the play Edward Bond allows to play performance only in informal places for a youth audience. The Bonda's play "11 shirts" shows in details how the violence destroys young individuality. To us it became clear, that theatre today is the opponent of the authority, and by quantity of employees of law enforcement bodies which have rushed now to us on performance, problems with freedom in the state will be solved only when our theatre would not be touched ", - has said Nikolay Khalezin before he was taken to the station.

"Free Theatre" - the independent theatrical project which today plays the performances on prestigious platforms of Europe, however and for sure, it is forbidden in Belarus. Also "Free Theatre" became a member of the European Theatrical Convention (ETC) and has been nominated for reception of the most prestigious European theatrical award - "Premiums of Europe". On August 4th, 2007 Belarus "Free Theatre" delegation had a chance to meet a world-famous politician and playwright, and ex-President Vaclav Havel in Czech Republic.

More information about Belarus "Free Theatre"
you can find here:
http://dramaturg.org/index.php?lang=en

Long live Free Theatre in Free Belarus!

On June 30th, 2007 Aleksandr Lukashenko has met with the leader of Venezuela Hugo Chavez who was on his way to Minsk from Russia. As it is stated officially the presidents are to discuss the issues of bilateral cooperation, including trade and economic relations and cooperation in energy sphere and some issues of military and technical cooperation.

As stated by Chavez, he plans to view the "final details" of the contract which would allow Venezuela get "complex air defense systems" with a range of 200-300 km.

On June 28th, 2007 in the evening Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was received by the Russian president Vladimir Putin in his residence Novo-Ogarevo. The guest was on a first-name basis with his Russian colleague, and even called him a brother.

"Thank you, president, thank you, brother, thank you for your invitation," Chavez addressed Putin. He exchanged impressions on the meeting with the mayor of Moscow, Yuriy Luzhkov. They both opened Bolivar centre in Moscow. "We talked about major trends in history, and that geopolitical ideas should be returned," Chavez said.

During the talks of Hugo Chavez with Lukashenko he complained that external opponents (USA and EU) interfere with the development of Venezuela-Belarus-Russia warm relationships.

"We have a lot of obstacles and opponents, first of all this is an empire which names us dictators", - has declared Hugo Chaves. "We have brought with ourselves our heat and solidarity with Belarus, it is a part of our own advantage".

Hugo Chaves ascertained successes in realization of two-way deals. In this connection he has told: "If we managed to make so much for a year how much it will be possible to make for twenty years which we shall be at authority " On what Lukashenko has declared, addressing to Chaves: "Please, do not frighten Americans".

US president George W. Bush has extended sanctions against Aleksandr Lukashenko and a number of Belarusian officials. Assets of the leader of Belarus and other top officials responsible for rigging presidential election results and disbanding protest rallies in 2006, were frozen last year. A son of the Belarusian president, Viktor Lukashenko (he is on the photo with his father), was blacklisted too.

As the press service of the White House informs, on Thursday (6/14/2007) George Bush signed a document stating that "blocking of assets" of those persons which come within the jurisdiction of the US, to be prolonged for a year, Radio Svaboda informs.

On June 19, 2006 the US President signed a decree on financial sanctions against 10 Belarusian officials, "responsible for undermining democratic developments and institutions, violations of human rights, for state corruption". These officials are a "threat to the US National Security". First a list of 10 officials was attached to the decree:

1. Aleksandr Lukashenko;

2. Viktor Lukashenko, a member of the Security Council, a Presidential aide;

3. Viktor Golovanov, Justice Minister;

4. Aleksandr Zimouski, the chairman of the Belarusian State TV and Radio Company;

5. Vladimir Naumov, Interior Minister;

6. Dmitriy Pavlichenko, SOBR commander;

7. Natalya Petkevich, a deputy head of the Presidential Administration;

8. Stepan Sukharenko, the KGB chairman;

9. Viktor Sheyman, the Security Council secretary;

10. Ludmila Yarmoshyna, the chairperson of the Central Elections Committee.

On February 27, 2007 the U.S. Treasury Department imposed financial sanctions against 6 more high-ranking Belarusian officials:

1. Petr Miklashevich, Prosecutor General;

2. Yuriy Padabed, Lieutenant Colonel of the Special Riot Police in Minsk;

3. Aleksandr Radkov, Minister of Education;

4. Vladimir Rusakevich, Minister of Information;

5. Yuriy Sivakov, former minister of the interior and former minister of sport and tourism;

6. Oleg Slizhevskiy, head of the Public Associations Department of Justice Ministry.

Sanctions against these six persons could be prolonged after February 2008.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived to Minsk with official two days visit on May 21, 2007. As expected a number of bilateral cooperation topics will be discussed and some trade agreements will be signed.

Belarus expects to conclude contracts for exporting metal products, agricultural equipment, equipment for oil and energy spheres. Deliveries to Iran are extremely important for Belarus, which has negative balance of foreign trade and problems with sales of its products. Also two countries will discuss a project of construction in a free economic zone "Minsk" of a trade and logistics complex Prylesye which cost is about
100 million dollars. In addition, new stages of the Belarusian-Iranian project for assembling Iranian cars Samand are to be developed further. Finally, Teheran is set to help Belarus in solving the most essential problem for today, diversification of oils deliveries.

Besides the talks, International exhibition of arms and military equipment "Milex-2007" has opened in Minsk on Tuesday, May 22, 2007. The exhibition took place in Minsk on May 22-25 in the National exhibition center "Belexpo". 135 exhibitors from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Sweden took part in the event. For sure, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took a chance to visit the exhibition during his two-day stay in Minsk.

Defense Ministers of Sudan, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, are expected to arrive to the exhibition. Visits of the commanding officer of the General Staff of the United Arab Emirates and a deputy commanding officer of the General Staff of Syria are to arrive. Official delegations of about 50 countries worldwide were invited to attend the 4th international exhibition of arms and military equipment MILEX 2007, including regional of South Eastern Asia, Africa and Latin America. According to experts, Ahmadinejad could be interested primarily by air defense facilities. Though Iran announce many times about not expecting air threat from the US.

A deputy director of Russian Federal service on military-industrial cooperation Vladimir Poleschuk has confirmed his participation in the exhibition. Delegations of enterprises from Azerbaijan, China, Russia, Poland and Ukraine and other countries have confirmed participation as well. Besides, the exhibition is to be visited by military attaché accredited in Belarus.

Almost 21 years have passed since a tragic date for Belarus - 26 April, 1986. The largest anthropogenic catastrophe in the history of humanity has inflicted an irretrievable harm to this country. About 2/3 of the radioactive wastes landed on the territory of Belarus and polluted about 1/5 of it, where 20% of the population lived. Almost all Belarus was covered by the first wave of short-term radio nuclides, a part of which was forcibly brought down on the territory of Belarus to save Moscow and Europe. All it was done under the cover of criminal secrecy and people could not defend themselves from this blow.

In February 1991 the Supreme Soviet adopted the law On Social Defense of Victims of the Catastrophe at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. However, with the suppression of democracy the country's government changed its attitude to the national grief. The main disorganization of all systems of people's defense and rehabilitation took place under the present government.

By decrees of Lukashenko and his pocket government a large part of the law was abolished, thus depriving the innocent victims of any support. The specialized medical institutions were liquidated and a politically motivated bureaucratic control of the humanitarian aid was introduced, resulting in cessation of such aid. The activity of the charity funds for getting humanitarian aid from abroad and rehabilitation of children in Europe, USA and Canada was stopped as well, as the children could see other political systems and life standards.

In May 2006 the Ministry of Health Care ruled to exclude the persons with all diseases called by the consequences of Chernobyl catastrophe from the list of those who are to be sent to health resorts. Thus the liquidators of the catastrophe's consequences and 2nd group disabled were deprived of their legal rights. Similar "care" was demonstrated by the Fund for Rehabilitation and Treatment at health resorts. This list can be continued infinitely.

According to the UN experts, by 2020 in Belarus loss of people dying from Chernobyl and criminal indifference of the Lukashenko's government will reach 1 million persons and by 2050 the population will decrease by 28% or more. The main reasons are not only atomic Chernobyl, but also "political Chernobyl" that results in "social and economical Chernobyl".

Such a policy can be called genocide of the Belarusian nation and sooner or later Belarus government officials will be punished for it...

More than 10,000 Belarusians have taken part in celebration of Freedom Day in Minsk on March 25, 2007. The 89th anniversary of the Belarusian People's Republic has been marked by mass rallies and meetings. Europe which was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the European Union foundation, was following the opposition rally in Minsk. A vice president of the European parliament Janusz Onyszkiewicz, deputies of the European Parliament, of parliaments of Poland, Slovakia, Germany, the leader of the Union of the Right Forces (Russia) Nikita Belykh, a deputy of the State Duma (Russia) Vladimir Ryzhkov, ambassadors of the EU countries and the USA took part in the meeting.

The authorities haven't allowed people to celebrate the national holiday in the center of the city, having gathered together policemen and riot policemen to October Square, and having arrested preventively more than a hundred of oppositionists.

Near the Academy of Science a mass meeting was held. Alyaksandr Milinkevich congratulated everybody on the holiday, Freedom Day, and told that the Belarusians have showed that they want to live in a free and independence state. The Belarusians who have gathered in the center of Minsk greeted Angela Merkel's words: "Today [Belarusians] are celebrating their independence day. Our thoughts are also with them today and our message to them is: human rights are indivisible! Europe is with you!"

The leaders of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, the United Civil party, vice president of the European parliament Janusz Onyszkiewicz, deputies of Polish Sejm, leaders of the Union of Right Forces (Russia) and "Mussavat" (Azerbaijan) were present at the meeting. In his address vice president of the European parliament Janusz Onyszkiewicz answered to declarations of the Belarusian regime about their readiness to cooperate with Europe. He stated that by personal experience he has learnt today that Belarus is not a free country, and is ruled by a dictator.

For the first time in the last 13 years the regime has recognized the holiday on March 25, which is a victory of the opposition.

On March 25, 2007 on the anniversary of proclamation of the Belarusian People's Republic, more than 40 activists were detained in Belarus. According to human rights activists, detentions have taken place in Minsk, Hrodna, Brest, Vitsebsk, Rahachou, Rechytsa. According to inofficial information, about 20 detainees were taken to the police department of Pershamajski district, some of them were beaten up.

The human rights center Viasna offers lists of detained on March 25:

1. Raman Yurhel, a human rights activist, Hrodna
2. Ales Astrouski, BPF, Hrodna
3. Nikalay Voran, Hrodna
4. Viktar Zhylinski, UCP, Rahachou
5. Uladzimir Tamkovich, UCP, Rahachou
6. Dzmitry Shymanski, a chairman of a city branch of the Belarusian People's party, Brest
7. Valery Putsitsky, BPF, Rechytsa
8. Anton Stasiuk, Brest
9. Svyatlana Khanenka, underage
10. Alena Padvojskaya, underage
11. Syarhei Kavalenka
12. Ana Litvinava
13. Alena Zaleskaya
14. Jan Taldyha
15. Ivan Burykin
16. Jan Dzyarzhautsau
17. Dzmitry Baradulya
18. Uladz Tokarau
19. Dzmitry Kalantaeu
20. Yuliya Kalantaeva
21. Volha Kalantaeva
22. Yuras Styapanau, a journalist of Radio Polonia
23. Dzmitry Karatkevich
24. Syarhei Straltsou
25. Ales Paznyak, Vitsebsk
26. Barys Khamajda, Vitsebsk
27. Uladzimir Rusakevich, Minsk
28. Ryhor Nezhnikau
29. Pavel Batueu, Minsk
30. Raman Patsalueu, Hrodna
31. Maxim Rudkouski, Hrodna
32. Yury Zhydovich, BPF, Hrodna
33. Maryna Najdzits, Minsk
34. Jan Lahvinovich
35. Yury Khadvinski, placed to a police department of Pershamajski district of Minsk
36. Tsikhanovich, placed to a police department of Pershamajski district of Minsk
37. Dzyanis Holakhau, beaten during detention in a police department of Pershamajski district of Minsk
38. Syarhei Halyshka, a police department of Pershamajski district of Minsk
39. Alyaksandr Atroschankau, a police department of Frunzenski district
40. Tatsyana Tsishkevich, a police department of Tsentralny district
41. Yauhen Tarasevich, a police department of Partyzanski district
42. Vitaly Tsikhanovich, a police department of Tsentralny district

As we have informed, more than 60 activists more were detained in Belarus on the eve of Freedom Day. Among them are youth leaders Alyaksei Shydlouski, Alyaksandr Atroschankau, Ales Kalita, Barys Haretski, Zmitser Fedaruk and others. People were charged with petty hooliganism and arrested fro 5-15 days. As always policemen were witnesses in courts. What a nice legal system!

Celebration of the Day of Freedom is to be held in Kalinousky (Kastrichnitskaya) Square in Minsk on March 25th at 12.00 pm. This was announced at the press-conference by members of the organization committee on celebration of the Day of Freedom: leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Aleksandr Milinkevich, chairman of the BNF Party Vintsuk Vyachorka, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Socio-Democratic Party (Gramada) Ales Streltsov and deputy chairman of the United Civil Party Igor Shinkarik. "25 March the Belarusian people are going to support the independence of Belarus and declare the necessity of democratic changes in our country. We support the propositions of the European Union to the authorities and the people and repeat that they are to become reality in case the steps towards democracy are made. Among these steps is the official permission for celebration of the Day of Freedom in the center of the capital. We hope that the authorities will not prevent people from gathering in the square", this is how the declaration of the organization committee runs.

"March 25 we will come to the Kalinousky Square because we ought to be there. I am sure, the Day of Freedom will become the state holiday, and so, we offered the authorities to celebrate it together. The Belarusian authorities have to understand today that in the situation of evident crises in the country we have to look for mutual understanding for preserving the independence of the country. I call everybody to come to the Kalinousky Square. It is going to be an exclusively peaceful action, a celebration of the Day of Freedom", leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Aleksandr Milinkevich declared at the press-conference.

Deputy chairman of the United Civil Party Igor Shinkarik mentioned the general conditions put forward by the European Union for implementation in Belarus as the basis for receiving the European economic assistance. Among those are the release of political prisoners, provision of freedom of speech and meetings.

"It is our common standpoint to come to the Kalinousky Square on March 25. Nowadays the country can get substantial assistance from the European Union but in return the authorities have to make certain and evident steps towards democracy. The Belarusian society ought to get united by such values as freedom and independence. And 25 March is giving such possibility", leader of the BNF party Vintsuk Vyachorka declared.

Free Belarus!

3/19/2007, Minsk, Belarus

On March 19, 2006 voters in Belarus went to the polls to vote for a "new" president. The Election Day came following a rigged Referendum in October 2004 which cancelled the Constitution's two-term limit for Belarusian presidents. Four candidates took part in the elections: present pseudo-president Lukashenko, main opposition candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich, United Social Democratic Party leader Aleksandr Kazulin (who is now in prison for 5,5 years), and Belarusian Liberal Democratic Party leader Sergey Gaidukevich.

The trick with the manipulation of election commissions results was very simple: 98% of votes for Lukashenko were received in the "special" early voting scheme which was not controlled and monitored by observers at all, so Lukashenko could collect as many votes as he had wanted to collect even before the day of the elections.

So it was not a surprise to anybody to hear the announcement that Lukashenko won with about 83% of votes with just 6% voting for Milinkevich. When in reality Lukashenko has got only about 42% of votes and Milinkevich - 38%. In normal democratic election campaign it was supposed to be a second round of elections because pseudo-president Lukashenko did not get 50% of votes.

Thousands of protesters throng the main square of the Belarusian capital of Minsk, refusing to recognize a presidential vote that appears all but certain to give "president" Lukashenko a third term. Dozens thousands of Belarusians rallied on Kalinouski Square protesting against rigged presidential election results and stayed on the square till March 25 when they were thrown away by the police in the middle of the night.

That's why on March 19, 2007 a rally on the anniversary of mass protests against the rigged results of the presidential election in Belarus took place on October Square in Minsk. Several dozens of young activists, as well as the leader of the United Civil Party Anatoliy Lebedzko have taken part in the action. The event has been called by its participants "a signal" of the start of spring demonstrations in Minsk. People wanted to lay flowers on the square venerating the deed of thousands of protesters. Participants of the action have called upon Belarusians to come to Kalinouski Square in Minsk on March 25 to celebrate the 89th anniversary of proclamation of the Belarusian People's Republic Freedom Day together.

Participants have managed to stay on the square for about 15 minutes.

Today (3/16/2007) the Day of Solidarity with Belarus is traditionally celebrated in Belarus and all over the world. Actions are to be held in Europe and the USA with a call to the authorities of Belarus to release Belarusian political prisoners and start democratic reforms.

Street rallies of solidarity, conferences, exhibitions, screenings of films dedicated to Belarus are to take place on March 16 in Brussels, Washington, Amsterdam, London, Warsaw, Krakow, Kyiv, Poznan, Lublin, Prague and many other cities and countries.

Street actions in support of Belarus are to take place in 10 cities of Poland. In Kyiv a picket in front of the Belarusian embassy will take place. An action with a demand to release political prisoners in Belarus is planned for March 16 in Washington. A play of the Free Theatre "Generation Jeans" will be presented in Brussels. A conference dedicated to the situation in Belarus, screening of "A Lesson of Belarusian" and "Can I Have a Right?" will take place in Amsterdam.

Days of Solidarity with Belarus are held on the 16th day of every month as a sign of solidarity with families of oppositionists abducted in Belarus, with political prisoners, the repressed and all those who are fighting for freedom and democracy in Belarus.

Long Live Free Belarus!

2007 New Year oil and gas conflict with Russia could cost Aleksandr Lukashenko more than simply a budget deficit. Belarusian Economy Ministry has prepared a vast program of state enterprises privatization. Belarus is getting ready for considerable foreign loans. So why foreign investors should be cautious?

Belarusian Economy Ministry is going to hold contests on selling large oil refineries and chemical enterprises in 2007, including "Naftan" oil refinery, Mozyr oil refinery "Polimir", "Belshyna", Grodno "Azot", Mogilev "Khimvolokno".

Also a possibility of converting enterprises into joint-stock companies with the further aim of selling to strategic investors largest Belarusian unitary enterprises, like Minsk Automobile Plant, Beltelekom (monopolist on communications and Internet market), Belarusian cement plant,
Grodno tobacco factory "Nyoman" is offered for consideration.

But analysts believe that in reality the development of such a vast privatization program was rather "a panic reaction" of Economy Ministry to the consequences of energy resources prices. Belarus remains a country which is very inhospitable for foreign investments. According to the national law, government can get control over earlier privatized enterprises back any time. That is why any "hard-driving" privatization campaign would be impossible without Belarusian legislation alteration first.

Under Aleksandr Lukashenko, who holds office since 1994, privatization has a pinpoint character in Belarus. All large enterprises are owned by the state. If implemented, the program of Economy Ministry would mean a radical change of economical policy of Belarus in general. Is it possible to invest in the country with no future profit guaranties? Where the main economic policy is: "You invest - But I (Lukashenko) and my pocket government, we'll pocket all your profits!"

As was mentioned once by the former Minister for External Economic Relations Mikhail Marinich: "To attract foreign investors, to make the domestic output competitive and to realize the country's economic potential, radical modernization of industry, new system of management, training of new managers, property rights guarantees are required. These ideas seem revolutionary to the present Belarusian authorities and I doubt that they are able to implement them. The issues of investment in Belarus economy have no perspective if the present power system and legislation remain untouched."

Artist Aleksei Marochkin finished painting his picture "For Freedom! Kalinousky Square".

Marochkin was going to make first sketches for his picture last year during the protests in Kastrichnitskaya Square but failed because the tent camp was terminated. He started painting the picture after 25 March 2006.

In his interview with Radio Svaboda member of the Union of Artists of Belarus Aleksei Marochkin remarked that the picture would be ambiguously perceived because it has multiple planes and a lot of allusions, which are not easy for explanation.

"The most explicit event in the picture is its positive outlook. In the forefront there is a guy with the flag of the European Union and a girl with the white-read-white flag thus symbolizing today's youth. But there is also a negative attitude in the picture but in the background. Our ancestors with spears and flags of those times are depicted in the background. Suddenly the woodpecker or "informer" or a sort of it has flown up on the column.

Killers, may be not exactly, the killers but those who watched the people in the square through their optical sights are there on the roofs of the Palace of Republic", the artist tells.

Aleksei Marochkin says that the picture differs from his previous pieces. This picture looks like a poster. Many of its characters are very realistic.

"Absolutely everything is painted in a realistic manner. Even the photo is realistic. You can see the priest Akalovich who prayed for the youth in the square. You can also recognize other familiar faces - for example, Milinkevich and Kazulin and a well-known large poster "Kastus Kalinousky Square", tells Marochkin.

There are also negative characters in the picture: "A bold man with mustache is coming from the hatch. We can also see a red beret of the commander of a special regiment. Mr. Marochkin stresses that these are only images and each can have his own comprehension of these characters.

"The picture may arouse different associations, which can be differently explicated. And there is one character in the picture that hasn't been explicated yet. An old woman sitting and peeling potatoes. It is the image of old Belarus, which supported the "president"..."

Presentation of this picture (almost 2X2 meters) and some other pictures is to be held in the headquaters of the BNF party at the "Belarusian resistance" exhibition.

2/07/2007

Dear Alexander Grigorievich,

It's not easy for me to address you but I do understand that I have no right not to use all chances for the future of our Belarus. I do agree with your view that the situation in economy may become catastrophic. This must not be allowed.

You always stress that the main goal of your policy is to ensure the sovereignty of the country and prosperity for the people. For democratic forces it is also the main goal.

Today the question of the future of the country is the most important one. The challenges of the modern world - energy, demography, ecology and humanitarian issues - directly affect Belarus. The adequate answer to these challenges can be provided only by a united nation responsible for the future generations.

The Belarusian opposition is in general constructive. It does not have radical groups planning to use force to get rid of the authorities. Despite all the efforts of the secret services to use the threat of so called Belarusian terrorists the latter have never been found. People do not believe in imaginary armed conspiracies of the opposition. On the contrary, all can see that the force is used only by the authorities against peaceful demonstrations, against the youth, women, and the elderly. Such methods could be used to maintain the power but they will never gain the respect of power itself.

The last events around Belarus cause a serious concern for the people. They worry about worsening of economic situation and the threat to the independence of the country. The responsibility to prevent it lies on the elite of the country, both in power and in the opposition.

It is clear that a broad cooperation could be developed only with a democratic Belarus that observes the European standards. Our country loses billions of euros of assistance and investments for only one reason - its non-democratic political system. An authoritarian state in Europe today cannot develop successfully.

In different times national elites of such countries as Greece, Spain, Portugal and Slovakia, which were self-isolated, understood the necessity of changes, made their choice in favor of democracy and thus ensured the real prosperity of their people.

However this cannot be done if my colleagues remain in prisons, if force is used against the youth, if the rights of independent trade unions are infringed, if human rights are grossly violated...

More:
http://www.freebelarus.com/eng/news/2007/02/07/pismo

Minsk, Belarus, February 6, 2007

Belarus would like to improve its relations with the West after deterioration of relations with Russia, which had offered "market relations". However, Belarus is indisposed to change of its political system, which had been defined as a condition for partnership demanded by Europe, Aleksandr Lukashenko said in an interview to Reuters (2/06/2007).

The Belarusian dictator believes political demands of the West leading to his dismissal in the long run are inappropriate, however he would try to show himself as a reliable partner for many years, considering his intention to run for the forth term.

Also dictator Lukashenko criticized the West for wooing the opposition in Belarus, saying his foes were outcasts who had failed in government and lived off foreign donations. As we know the European Union and the United States have halted dialogue and slapped visa bans on top Belarusian officials, saying Lukashenko has rigged elections and illegally imprisoned dissenters. And that's exactly what he and his pocket government did if put all the hypocritical rhetoric aside.

The European Union last November demanded that Lukashenko accept 12 conditions before dialogue could resume. These included holding free elections, releasing political prisoners and allowing freedom of expression.

Lukashenko rejected the "unacceptable" pre-conditions, saying Europe should instead learn from Belarus's policies of creating full employment for its people. Probably, all this "full employment" was subsidized by Russian oil? What Lukashenko's pocket government is going to do now in the year 2007?

The Belarusian "president" accepted in the interview that he was "faced with the need to rule in a tough manner" but said this was the only way to achieve results. Probably, Lenin, Stalin & Hitler were also "faced with the need to rule in a tough manner" killing one person in every 2 minute of their rulings?

Asked if he would run in Belarus's next presidential elections in 2011, the president replied: "May God help me to fulfill in these four years everything I promised the people. If I do that and if my health permits and if I remain the same active, businesslike man ... I have no intention of abandoning political activity. Let me be honest about that." And this is the only HONEST statement from the whole interview.

But, please, Dear Lord, do not help this guy to lead Belarus to political & economic starvation, poverty and misery.

This week, on Monday, January 22, 2007 President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has met Leonid Maltsev, the Defense Minister of Belarus. During the meeting, Ahmadinejad said that the two states share identical views about regional and global issues, and voiced Tehran's support for the expansion and development of ties and cooperation with Minsk in ALL areas.

Then following their second round of talks, Iranian and Belarusian Defense Ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of defense. Exchange of expert delegations, technical and training cooperation, continued dialogues and consultations at the level of the two countries defense ministers are among the topics touched in the agreement.

"As far as the visit itself is concerned, any issue may be discussed there. Most likely, it may be air-defense devices, their electronic "filling" and possible maintenance service of the missile complexes, supplied by Russia, because corresponding specialists are available in Belarus and the Belarusian services will be cheaper than the Russian ones. It can't be excluded that the nuclear program is under discussion. Creation of nuclear weapons is unlikely to be the direct subject of the discussion but the so-called "double-purpose" technologies are most likely to be discussed with Iran. The fact that it has been done on the sly and not covered by the state media does witness the possibility of military-purpose technologies transfer to Iran", considers Andrei Sannikov, former deputy minister for foreign affairs of Belarus, international coordinator of the Charter'97.

Also Andrei Sannikov reminded that at present the issue of Iran's nuclear programs is seriously treated by the Security Council of the UNO and, consequently, all contracts of Iran with military and technology agencies of other countries are under strict attention.

Meantime in Brussels European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to apply U.N. sanctions on Iran "in full and without delay" and if necessary go further than a U.N. list in targeting those linked to Tehran's nuclear work. EU has approved the support of the UN Security Council Resolution #1737 (dated December 23, 2006).

Nevertheless on Monday, Jan. 22, 2007 Iran said has barred 38 members of a U.N. nuclear inspection team from entering the country and announced new tests of short-range Zalzal and Fajr-5 missiles planned this Sunday, Jan. 28, 2007.

Belarus Foreign Policy: wrong place, wrong time.

MINSK, Belarus, January 16, 2007

About 7 million voters were eligible to take part in the election of 1,581 local councils in Belarus on January 14, 2007 and only 70% of them took part in the elections. The final results of this "vote" to be summed up on January 18 or 19. However, even now it is clear that opposition representatives haven't been allowed to be elected to local councils. Not even ONE of them! Only Government loyalists are allowed to get elected "democratically".

On January 9-13, 2007 almost 25% of voters have taken part in the early vote. The number of people who had taken part in the early vote is higher than in previous elections, and almost the same as in the presidential vote in 2006. Probably, the unique new Belarusian system of elections is created in stone? Or, probably, it is just the same old dictatorial system what Lenin & Stalin used in the Soviet Union for tens of years? The result is the same and the same people have the same power over and over again playing "election games" and electing the same ONE loyalist out of the same ONE loyalist. Same Sicilian Belarusian mafia is on the top and on the bottom of the society structure. White crows are not allowed to participate. Elections are only for black crows! No surprise there.

Belarus opposition and human rights activists denounced Sunday's vote as rigged, and the United States and the European Union said it failed to meet democratic standards.

As the United States Embassy in Minsk Press Release (January 15, 2007) says: "As in previous elections, the Government of Belarus denied to its citizens their freedom of assembly, association, and expression. Authorities used intimidation and arbitrary application of registration standards to exclude opposition candidates and severely restricted the access of registered candidates to voters and the mass media. We call upon the Belarusian authorities not to harm, threaten or detain persons for their political activities.

The United States congratulates those courageous Belarusians who, despite every obstacle and at great personal risk, struggled to exercise their basic human rights in the course of the local elections. We continue to stand with the people of Belarus and support their aspirations for democracy and freedom."

"There have been no free and fair elections in Belarus over the past decade, and these local elections weren't an exception," the main opposition leader, Alexander Milinkevich, told The Associated Press.

The Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) is observing the elections for local soviets that began on Tuesday, January 9th, 2007. Members of the human rights group are expected to monitor the poll at the early voting stage and on the main voting day, January 14th, 2007 both in Minsk and in the provinces.

Meantime opposition members are detained all over Belarus. Here are some of their names and their stories:

Yelena Medvedeva, a member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party "Hramada" running in the local elections in Bobruisk, Mogilyov region, was detained by police for several hours on Sunday, Jan. 7th, 2007. The activist said that she had been detained by police nine times during the previous local elections.

Vladimir Katsora, an agent of Viktor Korneyenko, a member of the United Civic Party running for the Gomel Regional Soviet, was detained by police on Tuesday, Jan. 9th, 2007. He was pulled over by traffic police in the city's Gomselmash neighborhood and ordered to drive to a police department. "They told me that I might have killed a pedestrian and hidden the body in the trunk," Mr. Katsora told BelaPAN.

On January 12, 2007 a court of Pruzhany district sentenced a member of the United Civil Party Uladzimir Radzivonchyk to 5 days of arrest for an alleged use of foul language. Radzivonchyk was detained by policemen in his native town on January 11. During the court trial policemen charged the UCP leader with using foul language in a public place. Uladzimir Radzivonchyk tried to explain it was a lie. However, Judge Alena Lahoda found policemen's evidence valid and sentenced the opposition activist to 5 days of arrest.

The Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) said that observers have problem getting any information from poll workers during the early voting stage of local elections that began on January 9. "Few of our monitors have been told the total number of voters in the precinct," said BHC Executive Director Oleg Gulak. "It's impossible altogether to obtain any data about how many people have voted and how many ballots have been supplied to the polling station."
Poll workers have refused to reply even to written requests for such information, according to the activist.

Democratic activists in Minsk, Homel, Bobruisk, Brest, Pruzhany, Barysau are detained every election day. As usual politicians are to be groundlessly charged with hooliganism.

The Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) is observing the elections for local soviets that began on Tuesday, January 9th, 2007. Members of the human rights group are expected to monitor the poll at the early voting stage and on the main voting day, January 14th, 2007 both in Minsk and in the provinces. Polling stations are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day at January 9 -13 early voting stage. The early voting procedure allows any voter to cast a ballot early without explaining why he/she cannot do this on the official polling day.

Meantime opposition members are detained all over Belarus. Here are some of their names and their stories:

A meeting of the leader of the United Democratic Forces Aleksandr Milinkevich with voters was held in Byaroza (Brest region) on Jan. 11th, 2007. After the meeting Aleksandr Milinkevich was detained by policemen. He hadn't been charged with anything. Policemen demanded to write down identification details of people who were travelling with Milinkevich in his car. Policemen justified their request by an order from their commanders.

Later Milinkevich's car without any explanations was stopped by traffic policemen when he was driving into Brest. After Milinkevich asked for explanation, policemen said that he was arrested. The car of the united democratic forces leader was convoyed to one of the police department of Brest. Milinkevich's wife was in the car as well. in an hour without presenting any charges Brest policemen released Milinkevich.

The activist of the United Civil Party Andrei Dzmitryev has been seized by unknown people in mufti in the center of Minsk on Jan. 12, 2007. Dzmitryev was arrested in Zakharau street by two athletic men in mufti. They had close-cropped hair. Dzmitryeu tried to fight, but his arms were twisted back, and mouth gagged. Two more men ran out of the dark green car UAZ 8912 BT7. They pushed Dzmitryev into the car and took him in an unknown direction.

A candidate for deputy in Pinsk city council Aleksandr Vasilyev was detained on Jan. 8th, 2007 and has been sentenced to 7 days of administrative arrest. He has been charged with petty hooliganism during consultations of the local vertical of power with members of election commissions. Participants of election campaign in Brest region state that it is not an isolated case of intimidation of independent candidates by the regime.

As a former collective farmer Belarusian
"President" Aleksandr Lukashenko likes to drink samogonka (self-made vodka). As a former KGB officer
Russian President Vladimir Putin likes to drink cognac. So, both of them are using very different means to resolve Russia-Belarus gas & oil conflict.

Russian oil deliveries to six European countries (Poland, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine) via trunk pipeline Druzhba have been disrupted. On Tuesday morning Vice Prime Minister Andrey Kabyakov left for Moscow. As Belarusian Embassy to Moscow informs, the aim of Kabyakov visit is "talks for settling of mutual claims concerning Russia's imposing oil export duty unilaterally and in violation of Belarusian-Russian agreements, and Belarusian duty for oil transported via Belarus".

A day before a Belarusian delegation headed by first deputy minister of economy Uladimir Najdunov arrived to Moscow.

Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorskiy is expected in the Kremlin on Wednesday this week.

Russian oil flow to Europe through Belarus was cut off on Monday 1/08/2007. Transneft announced the Belarus had been siphoning off oil illegally after Belarus announced it would charge an import duty of US$45 per metric ton of Russian oil shipped to Western Europe in pipelines that cross Belarus.

The Russian side finds this duty illegal and states that Belarus refuses to pipe oil without this duty. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry denied blocking the transit of Russian oil, saying that Belarus was not responsible for a decrease of pressure in the pipeline.

Poland stated that it has oil stock enough for 80 days, Slovakia for 70 days, Hungary for 90 days and Germany for 130 days.

Russia and Belarus have samogonka and cognac stocks for hundreds of years ahead. So they do not really care about the others and each other.

Za zdorovie of Mr. Putin & Mr. Lukashenko!

Russian President Vladimir Putin likes to play karate. Belarusian "President" Aleksandr Lukashenko likes to play hockey. So, both of them are using very different means to resolve Russia-Belarus gas conflict.

Another round of gas talks between Russia and Belarus broke up Tuesday Dec. 26, 2006 without any agreement. Belarusian "President" Alexandr Lukashenko has five days to make up his mind whether to pay market prices for Russian gas or agree that Belarus will become a part Russia.
In the former case, gas prices for Belarus will go up from $46.7 to $105 per 1,000 cu. meters. Should the latter be true, Belarus will have to enter the Russian-Belarusian United State on the Kremlin's terms, Russian newspaper Kommersant writes.

Breaking a tradition of keeping business offers in secret, Gazprom released details on the course of gas talks with the Belarusian government. Russia entered the talks, suggesting raising prices to $200/1,000 cu. meters, the official said. However, as gas exports to Belarus are not taxed, the talks opened with the price of $170. Yet, the Belarusian party dismissed the offer as the one that runs against the allied spirit. Gazprom lowered the bar to $110 and ended up with offering $105 at Tuesday's talks in Moscow.

Gazprom was expected to receive stocks of BelTransGaz in 2007-2010 as part of payments for natural gas. In addition, Gazprom would have received from Belarus $1.5 billion ($75/1,000 cu. meters) next year and $2.1 billion ($105) in 2008, sending the total of 20 billion cu. meters of gas to its Western neighbor. Gazprom Chief Executive Alexey Miller confirmed Tuesday that the Russian gas monopolist was willing to pay $2.5 billion for BelTransGaz's shares.

A well-known Russian political analyst Andrei Piontkovskiy coments to the bilateral relations:
"It is a natural end of "matrimonial" or "premarital" relations. The essence is that Russia, which is nostalgic about its imperial greatness, was waiting and believing that Aleksandr Lukashenko would "marry" it and join the Russian Federation as 8th subject. Aleksandr Lukashenko was skilfully playing on those Russia's elite complexes of of lost greatness for many years, and made them pay huge subsidies: billions dollars annually."

"By the way, the both are pursuing not only state interests, but their personal ones. Everybody in Russia knows that Putin is a shadow owner of Gazprom", - the political analyst said.

Guess who is a shadow owner of BelTransGaz?
Bingo!

On December 22, 2006 a political prisoner Andrei Klimov has been released from a correctional labour facility of an open type in the village of Barshchouka, Rechytsa district, Homel region. At 9 a.m. he was given back his documents, a passport and an official document about his release.

When released Andrei Klimov said that he would remain in politics and continue his activities in the United Civil Party. Besides he is going to publish a book called "Barshchouka Dreamer" about his experiences in the corrective labour facility.

Andrei Klimov was sentenced to a year and a half of imprisonment for staging a protest meting against Aleksandr Lukashenko on March 25, 2005. Earlier he served more than 3 years in prison for an alleged economic crime. Andrei had a chance to answer some questions:

- Andrei, you have spent this year far from Minsk in prison. Why was this year memorable for you?

- It was noted by total disappointment. It is obvious that I am released in a country where the situation with human rights and respect to Constitution norms, democratic principles is even worse than when I was imprisoned. And today we expect real results of work from the democrats and from the leader of the democratic forces Aleksandr Milinkevich.

It was also a year of pleasant surprises: Russia at last started to exert pressure on Lukashenka. I think that it would lead to a change of power, and in the next year new presidential elections can take place.

-What are your first impressions from being at large?

- It's an incomparable euphoria. It is such a happiness to be free. Probably, it's a greater happiness than to be a president for life.

- What are your plans for the new year?

- I with my wife and friends have a vast cultural program for the New Year holidays. I have so many invitations. And I simply cannot say no to people who were worrying about me, supporting me all this time.

As for my plans for the year, I think that in the end of January it would be possible to evaluate the situation in the country, and I would start to get ready for the presidential vote. According to my estimates, it is to take place in autumn 2007. Lukashenko's removal from power has been decided already. The question is, who will be the next president of Belarus, what the relations of the new Belarus with Russia would be, and what benefits it would bring to Russia. Belarus would stay an independent country undoubtedly.

In Belarus and in many countries of the world people are going to gather in squares with lit candles in remembrance of the abducted leaders of opposition and journalists in Belarus, as a sigh of solidarity with political prisoners, with all those who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus.

The initiative to mark Days of Solidarity started after policemen disbanded a protest rally dedicated to the memory of the abducted on September 16, 2005. On September 16, 2005 a memory of abduction of vice speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th convocation Viktor Gonchar and a businessman and public leader Anatoliy Krasouski was marked. Protesters were also holding portraits of ex-Minister of Interior Affairs Yuriy Zakharenko and a journalist Dzmitriy Zavadski. Policemen seized portraits of disappeared politicians and national flags from the participants. At that moment one of the Zubr leaders Mikita Sasim raised his jeans shirt as a symbol of resistance to dictatorship.

Since that time actions of solidarity are held in Belarus and worldwide on the 16th day of every month. Hundreds thousands of Belarusians and friends of our country all over the world light candles of Freedom in their windows at 8 p.m., stage street actions of solidarity, attach jeans and white-red-white ribbons to their clothes, take part in flash-mobs and internet-actions. Church services are held all over the world for those who stay in prisons in Belarus, for the families of the disappeared oppositionists, for all those who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus.

On December 16 actions of solidarity are to be held in Washington, Warsaw, Lublin, Krakow, Bialystok, Poznan, Wroclaw, Kyiv, St. Petersburg, Brussels, Stockholm and many other cities and countries.

Top newspapers of Central Europe "Gazeta Wyborcza" (Poland),"SME" (Slovakia), "Lidove Noviny" (the Czech Republic), "Lietuvos Rytas" (Lithuania) have published open letters to their governments with a call demanding Belarusian regime to release a former presidential candidate, a political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin who was on a hunger strike in a corrective colony "Vitsba-3" for 53 days. Kazulin demanded to consider the Belarusian problem in the UN Security Council. "We demand our parliaments and governments to call for release of Alyaksandr Kazulin immediately," the newspapers write.

"Gazeta Wyborcza" joined by other newspapers of the central Europe, "Lidove Noviny" from the Czech Republic, "Lietuvos Rytas" from Latvia and Slovak newspaper "SME", writes:

Free Kazulin!

Lukashenka's regime keeps in a colony the former rector of the Belarusian State University Professor Alyaksandr Kazulin. His only guilt was that he challenged the dictator and ran in the presidential elections in March 2006.

Kazulin was on hunger strike for 53 days. He wanted to attract attention of the world community to violations of human rights and democracy fundamentals in his country. In a letter to his wife a few days ago he wrote that he wants to help Belarus leave the present state of a quagmire, and counts on reaction of other politicians.

Yesterday the political prisoner stopped his hunger strike, but he is to stay behind the bars for 5 more years. We cannot agree to that. That is why we urge the governments and parliaments of our countries to address Aleksandr Lukashenko immediately with a demand to release Aleksandr Kazulin.

Together we must defend a person who is ready for the largest sacrifice for the sake of his beliefs.

"Gazeta Wyborcza", Poland

"Lidove Noviny", the Czech Republic

"Lietuvos Rytas", Lithuania

"SME", Slovakia

Today December 12, 2006 trials over participants of the protest action detained on December 10, International Human Rights Day, are to start in the court of Central district of Minsk. At least 30 oppositionists were detained on December 10th evening on Kastrychnitskaya Square during and before the protest action of solidarity with political prisoners. Young activists Aleh Korban, Zmitsr Fedaruk, Uladzimir Syarheeu and Alyaksandr Iuleu have spent the night in the remand prison in Akrestsyn Street.

The leader of the United Civil party Anatol Lyabedzka has been summoned to the Central department of interior affairs on December 12.
He has taken part in the protest as well and was detained on the square.

Reports have been drawn up for violation of Article 156 of Administrative Code (petty hooliganism) against the five protesters. They face from 3 to 15 days of arrest.

Participants of the rally demanded to release political prisoners, including the former candidate for presidency Aleksandr Kazulin, who continues the hunger strike in the penal colony Vitsba-3. He demands to consider the situation with human rights in Belarus in the UN Security Council.

On December 10, 2006 more than 50 persons gathered at October Square in Minsk with portraits of the political prisoner, streamers, and posters. They chanted: "Free Kazulin!" According to human rights watchdogs, about 30 protesters were detained. Among them were the leader of the United Civil party Anatol Lyabedzka, his deputy Valyantsina Palevikova, Human Rights activists Ales Byalatski, Valyantsin Stefanovich, Ales Kalita. As the Charter`97 Press-Center was informed by Anatol Lyabedzka on the phone, riot policemen disbanded the rally brutally. People were hit on the legs by truncheons. The detainees were taken to the police department of Central district of Minsk.

Some politicians and human rights watchdogs were arrested before the action. The Charter`97 Press-Center was informed about that by a former political prisoner Sergei Skrabets. As said by him, a deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Alyaksei Karol and a Human Rights activist Alena Tankachova were detained "for identification purposes".

European Union appeals to the Government of Belarus to release Alexander Kazulin immediately. The Appeal to the Government of Belarus came from the German Embassy which executes functions of local presidency on behalf of the EU in Belarus.

The European Community expresses deep concern in a worsening state of health of the ex-candidate on a post of the President of Belarus: "We emphasize the responsibility of the Government of Belarus for the state of health of Alexander Kazulin. We demand from the Government of Belarus a permission to visit Kazulin in a colony by the Ambassador of Germany and an independent doctor. We shall remind, that the political prisoner starves in a colony for a 51 day already."

Also, on December, 8 2006 the Congress of the Party of European Socialists (PES) (www.pes.org) has called the Belarus authorities immediately and certainly to release the ex-candidate for presidency Alexander Kazulin, Nikolay Statkevich and everyone who has been recognized as a political prisoner in Belarus and immediately stop prosecution and pressure upon democratic opposition, and also the organizations of national minorities, to respect civil rights and freedoms of the Belarus citizens". PES has condemned "severe methods of pressure upon political opposition".

Meantime the Political Council of the United Democratic Forces of Belarus has passed a decision to stage an action of solidarity with Aleksandr Kazulin and other political prisoners on December 10, on the International Day of Human Rights Defence. Leaders of democratic parties have called upon citizens to come to Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk, on December 10, at 2 p.m.

"One cannot stand by and look indifferent as the regime cynically and cold-bloodedly kills a person. It is clear that over the last 12 years many people have been covered by armour of fear and indifference, but fortunately, there are people for whom freedom is the most important thing," underlined the chairman of the National Committee of the United Democratic Forces Anatol Lebedko. He also highlighted that "it is a case when we should stay humans in the first place, and then politicians, civil servants, right, left politicians, Orthodox or Protestants".

As we said before Aleksandr Kazulin continues the hunger strike for the 51st day. The politician protests against total lawlessness in Belarus, and demands to consider the situation in Belarus in the United Nations Security Council.

Today on December 5th, 2006 Irina Kazulina has visited the colony No.3 in Vitsebsk, where her husband, a Former Candidiate For Presidency Aleksandr Kazulin, is continuing a hunger strike for the 47th day. He has lost 40 kg over the 8 months of detention. The meeting of Irina with her husband lasted for only 30 minutes. In this short period of time she was trying to convince Aleksandr to stop the protest which is becoming a threat to his health and life. However, as Irina Kazulina says to the Charter'97, the political prisoner is not going to stop the hunger strike until his major demand, to discuss the situation with Human Rights in Belarus in the UN Security Council.

Kazulin's heroic hunger strike is commented by the leader of the Civil Initiative "We Remember" Irina Krasouskaya: "I admire the courage of Aleksandr Kazulin. I respect him very much for what he is doing. It is a very serious step. Such self-sacrifice can awaken the public opinion, the people who are waiting for somebody else to change the situation in the country. It is obvious that Aleksandr Kazulin is a serious person and he will go all the way. But I really worry about his health. A lot of struggle is before us, and we should be healthy and strong to fight. Kazulin should keep his strength for this struggle.

Undoubtedly, Aleksandr Kazulin's demand must be heard. We are doing everything so that as many people as possible, both in Belarus and abroad, learn about his courageous deed," Iryna Krasouskaya said in an interview to the Charter'97 Press-Center.

Also the leader of the United Democratic Forces Aleksandr Milinkevich initiated nomination of Aleksandr Kazulin for a prestigious prize of Martin Ennals, the first Secretary General of Amnesty International. The Martin Ennals Award is one of the main prizes in the field of Human Rights. Persons who are "symbols of struggle for human rights in the countries where human rights and democracy defence are dangerous activities" become its laureates.

"Aleksandr Kazulin's courage and determination in the fight for his rights causes admiration. Today his hunger strike is a symbol of all Belarusians' desire to live in a free democratic country. The whole world should know about it. This award is primarily to become a forcible international demand for the Belarusian regime to start freeing of political prisoners," Aleksandr Milinkevich said.

The leader of the democratic forces Aleksandr Milinkevich has been detained on Nov. 29, 2006 at about 5 p.m. in the airport "Minsk-2".

Aleksandr Milinkevich was released after a report on administrative violation was drawn up against him. He was charged with "indented border crossing with forged documents". Milinkevich faces up to two months of arrest or a huge fine.

The opposition leader was suspected of presenting forged passport. As it turned out, when Aleksandr Milinkevich went to Latvia, by mistake he gave a passport of his son, whose name is Aleksandr Milinkevich too, but who was born in 1974. The son's passport was left in A. Milinkevich coat accidentally, and was kept in the same pocket with his own passport. Because of negligence, border guards haven't paid attention to the fact that the owner of the passport is 25 years older than the age indicated in the document, and that the Latvian visa is absent there. And border guards stamped the wrong passport. Aleksandr Milinkevich noticed that his son's passport was stamped only in Riga.

Despite of the fact that in this case the responsibility of border guards is obvious, as they haven't checked the documents as they should, an administrative report has been drawn up against Milinkevich. The politician was released at about 9 p.m..

The leader of the democratic forces was on his way from Riga. On invitation of Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga he took part in the NATO summit.

The leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Aleksandr Kazulin, prisoner of the colony "Vitsba-3", went on a hunger strike on October 20, 2006. He protests against total lawlessness in Belarus and is trying to attract attention of the UN Security Council to the situation in Belarus. The hunger strike has affected his health and he lost 20 kg. Nevertheless he denied admission to a hospital and is prohibited to meet with his lawyer and relatives.

November 24 marked the 10th anniversary of holding a national referendum which considerably enlarged the powers of the president. Evaluating the results of the referendum of November 24, 1996, a lawyer Sergei Balykin told to the BelaPAN that the powers of the parliament and courts were drastically reduced. "In fact, the president was authorized to issue laws and to veto parliaments' decisions almost insuperably," he noted.

At the same time, as said by the lawyer, "the legitimacy of the referendum still raises serious doubts. Firstly, the Supreme Soviet of the 13th convocation, when setting a referendum, called a question about a redrafted Constitution a consultative one. And the president by his Decree of December 7 imparted the binding force to the referendum's decisions. However, according to the Constitution of 1994, the Supreme Soviet has an exclusive right for setting referendums and, correspondingly, for defining what questions should be decided at the referendum. The president was not entitled to overturn the decision of the parliament. Essentially, one could say that 10 years ago Belarus made the first step for transition from a republic to a monarchy. The second step was made in autumn of 2004, when a referendum lifted the restrictions for the number of terms in presidential position for one person," S. Balykin emphasized.

On November 23, 2006 the leader of democratic forces of Belarus Alexandr Milinkevich has been detained at about 10:00 p.m. on entrance to Vitebsk.

The car of Alexander Milinkevich was stopped by the Vitebsk militia and the leader of the opposition was informed that he looked suspiciously similar to the person with whom a road accident had occurred recently. As the result of the accident some people were dead and injured. The person - culprit of the accident was disappeared from a scene of a crime and was in search. On this basis Aleksandr Milinkevich (former candidate for the presidency) has been detained. He was released later that
night with apologies from Vitebsk militia.

The leader of democratic forces was attending meetings in the Vitebsk area where he was helping in the promotion of the local democratic candidates to win some seats in local councils during the next local election campaign.

No surprise in the country with no law where all the opposition members are just regular "suspects-criminals".

On November 21, 2006 European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner presented a document setting out what the EU could bring to Belarus, if Belarus would engage in democratisation and respect for human rights and rule of law. The document is being transmitted to the Belarus authorities both in Minsk and Brussels.

The paper makes clear that "the people of Belarus are the first victims of the isolation imposed by the country's authorities, and willl be the first to reap the benefits on offer to a democratic Belarus".

Commissioner Ferrero Waldner said: "The people of Belarus have a right to know what they are missing. Our message is that as soon as the country indicates a willingness to move towards true democracy, human rights and rule of law, we will be ready to enter into a full partnership with Belarus within the framework of the ENP.

The ENP is a special relationship between the EU and its neighbours, which supports political, economic and social reform in partner countries, and seeks to share the prosperity and stability enjoyed by EU member states with those on the EU's borders. The EU would like to build such a relationship with Belarus."

If Belarus respected human rights, democracy and rule of law, respecting its commitments as a member of the UN and of the OSCE, Belarus could become a full participant in the ENP. The EU and Belarus would work together to achieve improvements in people's lives including:

---new trade opportunities to boost the Belarusian economy and create more and better job opportunities;
---improve provision of healthcare and education and support for the most vulnerable in society;
---improved transport and energy networks, and management of environmental issues;
---reform of the legal and judicial system to ensure equal rights for all;
---greater cross-border co operation.
What can the Belarusian government do to open up these opportunities?

For these possibilities to be open to the Belarusian people, the Belarusian authorities
need to respect the right of the people of Belarus:
---to elect their leaders democratically;
---express themselves freely, and have access to independent information;
---to set-up associations,
---to fair and transparent treatment by the judicial system.

No one should be imprisoned for having expressed their opinion and no one should be denied the right to participate in the determination of their countries' future.

Mikhail Marinich - Doctor of Economics, in the past - Mayor of Minsk, former Minister of Foreign Trade of Belarus, former Ambassador of Belarus in Latvia, the Candidate in Presidents at elections of 2001. In 2004 has been condemned for 5 years of imprisonment on the forged motives. In prison has gone through an insult (injury to some parts of his body). Under the pressure of the European Community and the USA was released from jail in April, 2006. His short stay in Spain has caused some interest of the Spanish mass-media. Here are quotations from his interview to "El Mundo".

- How would you characterize the state model of management in today's Belarus?

- It is very difficult for me to discuss this topic. It is an authoritative system. The Office of Public Prosecutor, courts, militia, KGB, all state officials are practically controlled by the president. The parliament of last three convocations is illegitimate, the same is true about the president himself.

-What do you think about the future of the Republic of Belarus?

-My only hope is democratic changes through honest elections. All should have the right to participate in the elections: representatives of the authorities and opposition parties under the open control and support of international community, including Europe, Russia,and the USA, but Belarusians should make their own choice.

-Do you think is it possible in Belarus?

- It was possible in Ukraine when at huge national rise under pressure of the international public repeated voting has lead to a different result,
for example.

- But, you know, that the support by the international public of opposition can be considered as intervention in the internal affairs of the country.

- It is impossible to change the system without any democratic interventions. The present "legislative" situation in Belarus allows to the president to receive at elections or referenda the result necessary only to him and his team. Now all is in hands of executive authority. If tomorrow at elections 99 % of voices are required for the president, they will be. Here some criteria which are necessary for applying in Belarus: a cancellation of prescheduled voting, attraction to work in the selective commissions of representatives of different parties, discharge of executive authority from the elective process, equal access of all candidates to mass-media and so on.

On November 15, 2006 Sergey Skrebets, a political prisoner, has been released after a year and a half of imprisonment. The former deputy and an active oppositionist was charged with and sentenced to 2.5 years in a minimum-security correctional labour facility. In October Skrebets was suddenly amnestied and his term of imprisonment reduced by one year.

Human rights activists consider the verdict to the former deputy to be politically motivated. In summer 2004 he took part in the hunger strike of the "Respublika" deputies, who demanded democratization of the Electoral Code, and release political prisoners. He also was an organiser of a protest action timed to the end of a 10-year Lukashenko's rule in July 2004.

The former deputy connects his release with a hunger strike of solidarity with demands of the political prisoner Aleksandr Kazulin, who insists on consideration of situation in Belarus in the UN Security Council. As said by Skrebets, the state of health of Aleksandr Kazulin has considerably declined after four weeks of hunger strike. "Kazulin is very exhausted physically. It is serious to lose 17 kilograms with his height. I do not trust prison doctors, they wouldn't be able to help him to transit from a hunger strike. Their methods are to put a tube into one's mouth and feed forcibly. One of doctors threatened to do so to me, and boasted to have done that many times before. These are methods of a fascist concentration camp. A period after a hunger strike is a very difficult process, knowledge is needed. Any wrong decision can lead to a lethal outcome. I have serous concern over Kazulin's life. But he is not going to stop the hunger strike, he sees no reasons for that," Sergey Skrebets said in an interview to the Chater'97 Press-Center.

10/13/2006, Minsk, Belarus.

The Israeli Embassy has made a statement in connection with two anti-Semitic acts of vandalism committed in Minsk and has conveyed all the information about those acts to the Foreign Ministry of Belarus. The Israeli Embassy hopes that Belarusian mass media would launch a wide campaign of protest against such occasions which are not tolerable in a civilized democratic society.

At the end of the last week swastikas and slogans "Beat the Jews!" were painted on the façade of Israeli Information and Cultural Center.
A swastika was painted on the obelisk in the memorial complex to the Jews who were the Second World War victims, "Yama". Leaflets calling upon a struggle against Judaism and Freemasonry, enemies and traitors of the motherland, were scattered near the obelisk. Leaflets were signed by a "Front of Arian Resistance of Belaya Rus".

"We consider this act of vandalism a manifestation of anti-Semitism and a provocation of ethic discord. We are hoping that state authorities would give an appropriate opinion to those actions, and hope that the Belarusian authorities would take most effective measures for detection, detention and punishment of culprits", - the Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations stated.

On the International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism, marked on November 9, 2006 a remembrance rally was held in Minsk. Several dozens of Belarusians gathered at 7 p.m. at Jubileynaya Square near the metro station "Frunzenskaya" and marched to the memorial "Yama", the place of the last mass shooting of Minsk ghetto Jews. They laid flowers, placed candles to the monument and observed one minute's silence in remembrance of the victims.

Just to remind you, a pogrom against Jews later called Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass) took place on November 9-10, 1938 throughout Germany and parts of Austria. Streets were covered in smashed glass. 92 Jews were beaten to death, 30,000 Jewish men were taken to concentration camps; and more than a thousand synagogues ransacked or set on fire. After Kristallnacht most Jewish organizations were closed. This day was a horrendous beginning of the Holocaust.

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko arrived in Tehran late on November 5,2006 for two days of talks with Iranian officials. The visit is aimed at bolstering official relations and advancing large-scale economic projects. Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinead expressed hope today that the visit to Tehran marks a "turning point" in bilateral ties. Ahmadinejad described Iran and Belarus as "independent and powerful" states and said they enjoy good ties in a number of areas. Both sides held a first of round of talks. Iran's official news agency, IRNA, reports that bilateral relations and key regional and international developments are among the main topics. Iran has expanded its ties in recent years with an impoverished former Soviet republic that many in the West describe as Europe's last dictatorship. Observers say both countries are seeking support in the face of increasing international isolation.

Meantime the nongovernmental corruption watchdog Transparency International released its annual "Corruption Perceptions Index". Belarus has taken the 151st position out of 163. This 151st position is shared with Uzbekistan. It's the worst position among all countries of the former USSR. To compare with, Ukraine takes 99th position, and Russia 121st.

The Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has a scale of zero to 10. According to TI ranking, zero indicates high levels of perceived corruption while 10 indicates the opposite. At the top of the list are Finland, Iceland, and New Zealand with 9.6 points, while Belarus has 2.1 points. Haiti takes the last 163rd position with 1.8 points.

Also, for the second year in a row Belarus is blacklisted as "an enemy of the Internet". The list is created based on monitoring by journalists' rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This year there are 13 countries in the blacklist. They are: Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Myanmar, China, North Korea, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Uzbekistan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam. As radio Svaboda informs, in this sad hit-parade Europe is represented by the only country, Belarus.

According to the monitoring of the RSF, government crackdowns on the Internet and its users violate the right of citizens for free access to information. In all Belarusian internet-cafés a special program for logging information about users' activities is used by the only government internet-provider "Beltelecom".

A rally in support of the young leader Zmitser Dashkevich was held on November 1, 2006 on Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk. People gathered on the square with portraits of the Young Front leader, who was sentenced to a year and a half of restriction of freedom for "acting on behalf of an unregistered organization". In a few minutes all participants were detained by riot policemen and taken to the police department of Tsentralny district of Minsk. After identification 10 out of 12 young activists were released. Young activists Dzmitry Fedaruk and Hleb Sanderos are to stand trial.

A hunger strike of solidarity with the former candidate for presidency Alyaksandr Kazulin goes on in Brest for the 5th day. Members of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) and activists of other political parties and public organizations are taking part in the protest. As said by the head of the organization Ihar Maslouski, almost 30 names of the party members had been written down there.

"We saw the results of research by Professor Manaev that only about 45% of population of Belarus know that Kazulin is behind bars now. That is why this hunger strike is carried out in a succession to attract more attention. We have an intention to continue the protest until Mr. Kazulin is on hunger strike in prison," Maslouski said to Radio Svaboda.

Also, the human rights group "Amnesty International" has started a campaign in support of Belarusian political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich. It has been stated today by a representative of London office of the "Amnesty International" Heather McGill in a conversation with the Belarusian human rights center "Viasna".

Members of the "Amnesty International" all over the world will send letters of support to the political prisoner. Other solidarity actions are planned as well. Besides, Heather McGill informed that the Amnesty International had recognized Zmitser Dashkevich a prisoner of conscience.

In today`s Belarus there are many oppositionists who had become prisoners of conscience, including the former candidate including the former candidate for presidency Aleksandr Kazulin, activists of the election observation initiative "Partnerstva" Mikola Astrejka and Tsimafei Dranchuk, the leader of the Social Democrats Mikola Statkevich, a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th convocation Andrei Klimov, young leaders Pavel Severinets and Artur Finkevich, and many others.

November 1st, 2006. Minsk, Belarus.

The leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich has been sentenced to 1.5 years of imprisonment in a minimum security colony. The verdict to the young activist has been passed in a closed trial by a deputy chairperson of the court of Kastrychnitski district Ala Bulash. The cruel verdict to Zmitser Dashkevich caused active protest. More than 300 persons were standing outside the court scanning "Freedom to Dashkevich!"

The trial over the leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich started on Monday, October 30, in the court of Kastrychnitski district of Minsk, and lasted for two days only, because of failure to appear in the court of most witnesses. The young activist had been charged with "activities of behalf of an unregistered organization" under Article 193 of the Criminal Code. Zmitser Dashkevich has spent more than a month in the remand prison. The maximum term of imprisonment under this article is two years.

It is not the first political trial under this article of the Criminal Code of Belarus. Activists of the public initiative of elections observation "Partnerstva" Tsimafei Dranchuk and Mikola Astrejka are already serving the sentence of one and two years respectively for participation in an unregistered organization.

"A cynical verdict to Zmitser Dashkevich is still another proof that Lukashenka's regime is not going to play in the game of law. It is quite clear that the Constitution and freedom of associations are trampled upon. It is clear that the regime is afraid of the young people, and first of all, of organized youth. For the democratic countries it is yet another proof that the dictatorship is hopeless, it is not going to be transformed or to be democratized," told the leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Aleksandr Milinkevich.

The US Ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart said that she is disappointed by it and condemns it.
"We consider the verdict to Zmitser Dashkevich and the whole process to be politically motivated, aimed at preventing Zmitser Dashkevich from expressing his convictions in a non-violent way.
As before, we would consider those who are violating human rights, responsible for this verdict, and call upon the Belarusian authorities to release Zmitser Dashkevich and those people who are imprisoned for political reasons, in particular Alyaksandr Kazulin, Mikalay Astrejka and Tsimafei Dranchuk," American diplomat said in an interview to the BelaPAN.

New arrests have taken place in close proximity to the court of Kastrychnitski district of Minsk, where the trial over Zmitser Dashkevich continues on Tuesday, October 31, 2006. People in plainclothes who had been watching outside the court building since morning, seized young activists who had been nearing the bus stop, placed them into a car and took them in an unknown direction.

On October 10th, 2006 in Minsk the trial over the "Young Front" leader Zmitser Dashkevich has started in the court of Kastrychnitski district. The young activist is charged with violation of the Article 193 of the Criminal Code, "acting on behalf of an unregistered organization". It is not the first "political trial" under this article of the Criminal Code of Belarus. Activists of the public initiative of elections observation "Partnerstva" Tsimafei Dranchuk and Mikola Astrejka are already serving the sentence of one and two years respectively for participation in an unregistered organization. This new article of the Criminal Code appeared during the presidential election campaign.

Several hundreds of people have gathered to express protest against Zmitser Dashkevich's persecution. In a spontaneous protest young activists were walking like prisoners.

Ambassadors of the US and Germany, representatives of Polish and Swedish Embassies, well-known human rights activists, writers, opposition activists, including the leader of the democratic forces Aleksandr Milinkevich have arrived to the court to follow the trial. However, the trial over Dashkevich is held behind the closed doors, and nobody has been allowed to attend it.

"We have been working with Zmitser Dashkevich during the election campaign. I respect this person greatly. He is strong in spirit, a very moral person, a committed Christian. I have come here to support him. Why is it a process behind the closed doors? They are afraid of trying people publicly. Repressions won't stop until Lukashenko rules the country, they can only snowball. It all happens because of fear, as the regime understands that it loses, as the truth is at our side," the leader of the democratic forces Aleksandr Milinkevich said.

The leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Aleksandr Milinkevich has been awarded the 2006 Sakharov prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament. The laureate of the prestigious prize had been chosen by leaders of political factions and the chairman of the European Parliament in a joint session in Strasbourg.

The annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, was established by the European Parliament as a means to honor individuals or organizations who had dedicated their lives to the defence of human rights and freedoms, and for respect of international laws and development of democracy.

Upon receiving the news about his nomination Milinkevich emphasized in his interview that above all he respected Sakharov because his "was trying to make politics moral. Sakharov was the voice of truth and the voice of conscience for all people.

This prize is an award for thousands and thousands of people who have demonstrated, especially in spring, their courage and desire to fight for their dignity, for Belarus. And it is the highest appreciation of the democratic forces of Belarus, that have been struggling for the last years, and continue their struggle now. That is why I think that I shouldn't take this prize myself, and I am not going to do so. The prize will be given to support the repressed, who had been affected during the presidential campaign," the leader of the opposition noted.

The annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was established by the European Parliament in 1998 as a means to honour individuals or organizations who had dedicated their lives to the defence of human rights and freedoms.

More than 1.500 commissions have been formed in local elections in Belarus. Each of them has from 7 to 11 members (for commissions of a lower level), and from 9 to 13 members (for commissions of the basic level).

None of the representatives of oppositional political parties was included in territorial election commissions for local elections. It has been stated today, on October 23 at the session of heads of election headquarters of political parties.

As Anatoliy Paulov, the head of the election headquarters of the United Civil Party, reported
more than 100 representatives of opposition have been nominated to territorial commissions by all political partues working within the framework of the campaign "Local elections". "We consider that as a confirmation of a well-known totalitarian regime idea. There won't be ANY elections in Belarus, only nominations" A. Paulov said.

He also noted that today at the session of the heads of headquarters issues related to education of future candidates to local Soviets, and legal assistance to them, have been discussed.

The UCP and the Belarusian Popular Front Party, in particular, stated that they are ready to provide services of their lawyers to candidates.

The trial over the young activist Zmitser Dashkevich is scheduled for October 30. It is to be held behind closed doors, the human rights center Viasna informs. The case is to be considered by judge Ala Bulash, a deputy chairman of the court of Kastrychnitski district of Minsk. The reasons for holding a closed trial haven't been explained by the court representatives. Human rights activists are outraged at that.

- Firstly, the lawyer Valyanitsin Stefanovich says, - Dashkevich is charged under article 193 part 1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (activities on behalf of an unregistered organization), which violates his right for freedom of association. Secondly, they want to hold a process behind closed doors: without presence of journalists and a wide range of representatives of civil society. It's the style of Stalin times. We believe that he case has a public importance and that is why it should be open. We believe that in this way the authorities want to hide details of investigation methods. Investigative agencies had been summoning young people for interrogations, exerted pressure on activists. Once again we demand immediate release of Zmitser Dashkevich and state that his prosecution is politically motivated.

A new documentary "A Lesson of Belorussian" (by Miroslaw Dembinski, Film Studio Everest, Poland, 2006) will be presented to the public at the Embassy of Lithuania in Belarus [http://by.urm.lt/?LangID=2]
on October 21, 2006.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belorussia became an independent country and the Humanitarian Lyceum was founded in Minsk with the aim of raising an elite Belorussian intelligentsia.

However, in 1995, Lukashenko came to power, democracy and freedom came to an end, and the Lyceum was labelled a banned institution. The Lyceum pupils did not give up though, and steadfastly kept studying in secret.

The Presidential elections, for which Lukashenko changed the constitution in order to be elected for a third term, became the culminating point of the film. Despite the fear of repression, thousands of people toook to the streets. In the main square of Minsk, the Lyceum pupils joined forces to set-up a city of tents, which was brutalized by the militia. Hundreds of people ended up in prison. But the Lyceum pupils still deeply believe that one day Belorussia will be a free country.

Screenplay of a documentary film you can find here, just click on =Current Projects=, then
=A Lesson of Belorussian= and read the script:
http://www.studioeverest.pl/en

Free Belarus!

As a part of the Forum 2000 Conference, there will be a panel discussion, "Belarus: Between Europe and Russia", on October 10th at 2:30 pm. This discussion will be open to the public.

Alexander Milinkevich, the leading personality of the Belarusian opposition [http://en.milinkevich.org]
and Bronislaw Geremek, a former Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs will participate in the discussion. The discussion will be moderated by Petr Mares. The themes of the discussion will be Russian-Belarusian relations, Belarusian-EU relations, the current situation in Belarus including its near-term perspectives, and questions about the likelihood of Belarus becoming part of an integrated Europe or of it moving closer to neighboring Russia. The discussion will take place in the Goethe Institute:
Masarykovo Nabrezi 32, Praha 1.

FORUM 2000 MISSION:
The Forum 2000 Foundation aims to identify the key issues facing civilization and to explore ways in which to prevent escalation of conflicts that have religion, culture or ethnicity as their primary components. Forum 2000 aims to provide a platform to discuss these important topics openly and to enhance global dialogue. Also Forum 2000 intends to promote democracy in non-democratic countries and to support the civil society, respect for human rights and religious, cultural and ethnic tolerance in young democracies.

FORUM 2000 BACKGROUND:
The Forum 2000 was founded in 1996 as a joint initiative of the Czech President Václav Havel, Japanese philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel.

The Forum 2000 Conferences and other events organized by the Forum 2000 Foundation are held in Prague, Czech Republic. Since 1997, Forum 2000 has organized eight annual conferences which have attracted a number of prominent thought leaders, Nobel laureates, former and acting politicians, business leaders and other individuals, whose common denominative is experience with bearing responsibility. H.R.H. Prince Hassan bin Talal, Yohei Sasakawa, Frederik Willem de Klerk, Bill Clinton, Oscar Arias Sánchez, H.H. the Dalai Lama, Hans Küng, Shimon Peres, Mario Soares, Hana Suchocká, Sergey Kovalyov, Jorge Castaneda, Madeleine Albright, and Wole Soyinka are just a few of those who have attended the Forum 2000 events.

www.forum2000.cz

The leader of the party "Democratic Union" (Russia) Valeria Novodvorskaya has charged the Russian leadership with the assassination of the famous Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya who was brutally murdered on Saturday, October 7th, 2006. Anna Politkovskaya mostly wrote about Chechnya.

"She was writing on one topic, how normal people are declared bandits in Chechnya, how they are arrested, tortured, and then forced to admit they are militants, and then central TV channels and federal newspapers enthusiastically state that "several militants are been caught again". This is the core of the Kremlin propaganda and all their evidence," Valeria Novodvorskaya added.

Also she stated that to Ukrainian 5th Channel:
"There is always only one version of events, which is the first and the last one. The special services, the Kremlin, Putin's regime are responsible for that. The regime has gone mad totally. We have an atmosphere of Hitler's Germany now... People do not disappear here,
like in Lukashenka's country Belarus, in Russia people are murdered in broad daylight".

Last week Alexander Lukashenko has signed the Decree which radically changes all criminally-remedial system in the Republic of Belarus. Henceforth all government officials who made crimes against a state ownership, including deputies of National Assembly, Prime-Minister and Vice-Premiers, Minsk and regional executive committee Chairmen, Judges and Prosecutors of all levels, the state employees, holding a post of a rank of Minister and its Assistants, and also all without exception Heads and Assistants of power structures (the Ministry of Internal Affairs, KGB, Ministry of Defense, the State Customs Committee and so on), Administration of the President and all its assistants (apparently,
the list of untouchable officials is very wide enough and goes on and on) has a chance not to be punished by the belorussian judicial system but by the President Himself if they return stolen money and admit their wrongdoings.

Forget about the Law in Belarus. Who needs the Law? Law is not for everybody there. Criminal prosecution of government officials is possible only with the sanction of the Head of the State. Have you read George Orwell's "Animal Farm"?

Let's say if you are a President of Belarus who steal from Belorussians at least 11,4 billion dollars a year - you are not guilty! Or, you are Galina Zhuravkova, a former Assistant of the President who stole only couple of millions of dollars. Do not need to worry, Galina, you are not guity. Or, let's say you are a former Chief-Prosecutor Victor Sheiman who earned only $397 million a year for prosecuting mostly political prisoners. No worries, Victor, here is your bag of money, take it with you to our main leftist ally Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez because you are assigned a new position as an Ambassador there. Or, you are Belorussian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Filaret with early income of only $47,3 million. Thank you for your spiritual support Mr. Filaret and thank you for decorating me, president Lukashenko, an Orthodox Atheist, with an award of Belarusian Orthodox Church, Cyril of Turau on September 26, 2006. Yes,
don't worry, you are not guilty.

Hold on. And who is this guy? Mr. President, Your Majesty, this is Mr. Aleksand Kozulin, Professor, the former Candidate for Presidency. What did he do? He wanted to win your spot, Mr. President during your honest elections campaign and accidentally broke some glass on one of your framed portraits.

Guilty - 5.5 years in prison!

Belarusian Human Rights Center "Vyasna" has presented the report "President of Belarus Election Campaign Repressions, 2006" in which shows the number of people, who was arrested days before elections, during mass protest actions against falsifications of the results of the elections and after elections.

Before the election campaign on March 19th, 2006 in Minsk 236 youth activists and people representing opposition candidates were penalized and arrested for a period from 4 to 15 days.

From the date of elections on March, 19th till March, 25th - 686 condemned in Minsk, about 50 condemned - in regions, from them only 5 penalties, other administrative punishments - arrests from 4 till 15 day.

Also, according to the Committee of Protection of the Subjected to Repression, 370 students have been excluded from educational institutions during the election campaign. All those students were subjected to repression not only for the participation in presidential campaign but also for taking part in the actions of protest demanding to release political prisoners in Belarus. Thanks to the opposition efforts all of them have an opportunity to continue education in high schools, colleges and universities of the other countries close to Belarus.

Here is the List of Sentenced Political Prisoners (condemned in Belarus on politically motivated criminal cases - leaders and the activists of opposition who are serving time in jails at present):

- Kozulin Aleksandr (5.5 years) - Professor, the former candidate for presidency, former Rector of the Belarusian State University has been sentenced to 5 and a half years in a minimum security prison on July 13, 2006 by the judge Aleksej Rybakov. The politician was arrested during a brutal disband of a peaceful rally on March 25 this year and is in jail now.

- Mikalay Astreyka and Tsimafey Dranchuk (1-2 years), were members of an independent election monitoring group, Initiative Partnership. They were sentenced by the judge Leonid Yasenovich on 4 August, 2006 to two years and one year imprisonment accordingly for their intention to observe the presidential elections in March 2006. Both are in jail now.

Here is the List of Sentenced Political Prisoners (condemned in Belarus on politically motivated criminal cases - leaders and the activists of opposition who are serving time in jails at present):

- Severinets Pavel and Mikola Statkevich (2 years). Pavel Severinets is one of the leaders of the youth organization "Malady Front" and Mikola Statkevich, leader of the Belorussian Social-Democratic Party (Narodnaya Gramada) took part in the events of October 18th and 19th, 2004 when thousands of people were protesting against falsified results of referendum to extend Lukashenko's governing and elections of a new parliament. They both were sentenced by the judge Leonid Yasenovich on May 31st, 2005 to two years of imprisonment.

- Klimov Andrey (1.5 years) - a former member of the dissolved Belarusian parliament. Police arrested him on 11 February 1998 for alleged fraudulent business practice. He spent over two years in pre-trial detention before being sentenced to six years imprisonment at a hard labour colony with confiscation of property in March 2000. After the dissolution of parliament he continued his criticism of the President, accusing him of violating the law and the constitution. Andrey Klimov was released in spring 2002 but was back in prison on June 10th, 2005 for taking part in the actions of protest in Minsk on March 25, 2005. He was sentenced by the judge Svetlana Gonchar to 1.5 years. Like most members of Belarus opposition Andrey Klimov is deliberately targeted by the Belarusian authorities to punish him for his opposition activities.

- Skrebets Sergey (2.5 years)- a former member
of the dissolved Belarusian parliament's group "Respublika" was arrested on May 15 2005 for alleged fraudulent business practice and sentenced to 2.5 years on February 14th, 2006.

- Finkevich Artur (2 years) - a youth activist was sentenced to 2 years in prison for a political graffiti on May 10th 2006 by the judge Victoria Zaitseva. Finkevich Artur was arrested on January 30th, 2006 for gaffiti "We Want a New President!" and "Enough is Enough!".

- Razumov Nikolay (3 years) - during the election 2006 compaign Razumov Nikolay was sentenced in Orsha on June 16th, 2006 by the judge Tatyana Rybakova to 3 years in jail for releasing the information that the president Aleksandr Lukashenko was involved in the involuntary disappearance and death of Yury Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Dmitry Zavadsky and Gennady Karpenko.

All structures of the united democratic forces will participate in the action "Big Jeans Festival". This decision was taken at the session of the Council of united democratic forces in Minsk. "Big Jeans Festival" is to take place on September 16. The event including a meeting and a concert is to start at 4 p.m. on Bangalore Square. "Big Jeans Festival" is also an action of solidarity with families of the abducted Belarusian politicians and with Belarusian prisoners of conscience.

"All participants of the Council of united democratic forces have unanimously supported holding "Big Jeans Festival". Seven years ago, on September 16, 1997, opposition leaders Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski went missing. Our duty is to remember about that and to demand the authorities to answer the questions about their abduction. We shall definitely take part in "Big Jeans Festival", told the leader of the democratic forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich.

Also Milinkevich said: "Our strategy is simple: to live in a free Belarus we need free elections. Today's regime does not want to carry out them. We can secure fair elections only with the help of peaceful street protests. Our activities' aim is to make those rallies mass ones.

It is pointless to wait for 2011; it is going to be an even more brazen-faced farce. My aim is to do everything to hold free elections in our country much earlier. Victory is possible under the following conditions: when several hundreds thousands people would take part in the protest rallies. Then even the passive part of population would side with those who would be on the square," told the oppositional leader.

Freedom House today released The Worst of the Worst: The World's Most Repressive Societies 2006, its annual compilation of the most dictatorial regimes in the world, as the organization's executive director testified before Congress and called on the UN Human Rights Council to address abuses in these countries.

The report, which is intended to assist the new Human Rights Council, as well as members of Congress, journalists and other policymakers, includes detailed descriptions of the dire human rights situations in eight countries judged to have the worst records in the past year. These countries are Burma, Cuba, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Also included are two territories, Chechnya and Tibet, whose inhabitants suffer intense repression.

In addition, The Worst of the Worst includes nine other countries near the bottom of Freedom House's list of the most repressive: Belarus, China, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. The territory of Western Sahara is also included in this group. While these states scored slightly better than the "worst of the worst," they offer very limited scope for political discussion and activity.

The report is available online:
http://www.freedomhouse.org

Dutch human rights activists held an action "For Free Belarus!" on the day when the Belarusian soccer team played against the Dutch team, for qualification for the European Championship.

A huge streamer "Free Belarus!" was put up near the stadium. During the whole day, soccer fans and Dutch media were informed of the situation
in Belarus, and soccer fans could sign a petition for liberty of political prisoners.

A group of 30 people was active for this, so they were able to distribute almost 5000 flyers with information and 3000 bandanas with the text "For Freedom of Belarus" that were worn around the head during the game.

The action was organized by a Dutch coalition of the FNV (National Union of Workers Unions), LSVb (National Union of Student Unions), Amnesty International and Mission to Minsk (a group of students supporting rights for Belarusian people).

The Dutch attention for Belarus related to the soccer game already started on Monday, September 4th, 2006 The well-known Dutch TV program "Netwerk" showed an item about the people that disappeared in Belarus. After that, a lot of other newspapers and broadcasting organisations had information about Belarus and the action, and about mass protests after the elections in March this year.

This week an exhibition of photos that had won in the contest BZ WBK Press Photo has started in Poznan (Poland). It is remarkable that a picture made during March events in Minsk has taken the third position in the category "Events".

The author of the photo, which was first published in a prestigious newspaper "Rzeczpospolita", is Jakub Kaminski. The snapshot shows a dramatic situation when an old man with a little boy on his shoulders got amid a crowd squeezed by two cordons of police.

The description of the photo at the exhibition is the following: "Police is forcibly driving out 10,000 demonstrators who took to the streets in Minsk on Freedom Day. Minsk, Belarus, March 25, 2006". The photo exhibition is to take place in the largest cities of Poland. In Poznan it is opened in the district of Stare Miasto from August 28 to September 11.

On August 28, 2006 Belarusian journalist Dmitriy Zavadski would turn 34. A cameraman of the ORT channel went missing six years ago, on July 7, 2000. He was seen for the last time in the airport Minsk-2. The journalist arrived there to meet his colleague Pavel Sheremet. There is no hope that real culprits of Dzmitry Zavadsky's abduction would be found under Lukashenka's regime.

The highest leaders of Belarus are suspected by the international community of implication in abductions of the journalist and opposition leaders Viktor Ganchar, Yuriy Zakharenko and Anatoliy Krasouski.

The international community is constantly stating that it is necessary to shed light on the fate of the Belarusian journalist and other abducted.
The demand to tell truth about the abductions is contained in resolutions of the UN Committee on Human Rights, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and OSCE.

A number of Belarusian high-ranking officials, in particular, Interior Minister Uladimir Naumov, Presidential Administration head Viktor Shejman, former Interior Affairs Ministry Yuriy Sivakov and SOBR commander Dzmitry Paulichenko are banned entry to the USA and EU countries as they are suspected of being involved in the journalist's abduction.

The investigation of the case on journalist's abduction was suspended once again in April this year.

The rock-concert "Songs of Freedom" took place in Minsk on August 25th, 2006. The concert was commemorated to the 15-th Anniversary of Belarus Sovereignty Declaration.

Couple of thousands of young belorussians came to hear their favourite rock-groups including
"N.R.M.", "Neurodubel", "Tovarisch Mauser", "PLAN", "Band A ", "Krama", "Partizan School", "Pomidor/OFF" which songs are forbidden to listen to on the belorussian radio and which concerts are forbidden to show on the belorussian TV for political reasons.

Yesterday, on August, 16th 2006 Belarus marked the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners. The tradition to mark this day has started in 2005, at the anniversary of disappearance of Victor Gonchar and Anatoly Krasovsky (September 16), when the action in honor of their memory brutally has been dispersed by the police. Since then every month Actions of Solidarity with Political Prisoners are taking place in Belarus and other countries around the world.

Civil Initiative «We Remember» is non-governmental organization uniting family members of the involuntary disappeared persons in Belarus during 1999-2000: Yury Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Dmitry Zavadsky and died under unclear circumstances Gennady Karpenko.

On the picture you can see Civil Initiative «We Remember» founders: Irina Krasovskaya, wife of disappeared in September 1999 businessman Anatoly Krasovsky, and Svetlana Zavadskaya, wife of disappeared in June 2000 cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky.

Please, visit Civil Initiative "We Remember" website:
http://www.ciwr.org/index_en.html

Thank you all.

The Belarusian history dates back to the 11-th century when the distinct Belarusian language and nation began to take the shape within the framework of the federation - the Great Dukedom of Lithuania. Situated it the Center of Europe this state experienced the effect of numerous wars and political changes.

In the year 1569 was formed a confederation with the Polish Kingdom and named Rjhech Pospolita - later became the first Parliamentary Republic in Europe. In the end of 18-th Century the state was defeated in wars and became a part of 3 Emperies. There where many trying to free and regain the Independence, but all of them where not completely successful until the beginning of the 20-th Century. Belarus had become known as Belarussian Soviet Socialist Republic.

After the collapse of communist regimes in 1991, wich occupied all Eastern and Central Europe Belarus was proclaimed as a Sovereign Independent State. Then from 1994 to 2006 Belarus became the last dictatorship in Europe thanks to fraudulent re-elections in September 2001 and in March 2006 of the same dictator Lukashenko.

Geography:
About the country:

Area: 207,600 sq km (80,200 sq mi)
Population: 9.8 million
Capital City: Minsk
National Symbols: knightly emblem Pahonya - a knight on horseback against a red shield - and the white, red and white flag (top on the screen)
is forbidden by Lukashenko in 1995.
People: Belarusian (81.2%), Russian (11.4%), Polish (4%), Ukrainian 2.4%
Language: Belarusian, Russian
Religion: Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish

GDP: US$90.19 billion
GDP per capita: US$8,700
Major Industries: Food, chemicals, textiles, machinery, timber
Major Trading Partners: Russia, Austria, Germany, UK
Borders on: 3 members of EU: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia also Ukraine and Russia
Cities: Gomel, Vitebsk, Mohielew, Hrodna, Brest
Education: 99 percent literate, up to 70 percent skilled and educated
Famous people: Francisk Skorina (scientist), Andrei Tadeusz Kosciuszko, Kastus Kalinowski (politician), Vasil Bykov (writer), Adam Mitskevich, Yanka Kupala, Yakub Kolas, Maxim Bogdanovich (poets), Mikhail Kleofas Aginski (composer), Marc Chagall (artist), Alex Hleb (soccer player), Maxim Mirnyi (tennis player)
Climate: moderately continental
Nature: Central European

Rank Country Score:

1 Estonia 85.25
16 Lithuania 77.49
20 Latvia 76.55
58 Georgia 65.27
79 Armenia 59.46
87 Ukraine 57.72
93 Moldova 55.10
106 Kyrgyzstan 50.12
124 Russia 42.07
132 Kazakhstan 38.77
137 Azerbaijan 35.48
141 Tajikistan 34.79
152 Uzbekistan 22.39
153 Belarus 21.69
154 Turkmenistan 21.07

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Source:
http://www.freewebs.com/globalliberty/rankings.htm