30.01.2008 Police beat opposition youths in Salihorsk

Opposition youths are reported to have been beaten up by police in Salihorsk, Minsk region, on Wednesday over a demonstration staged in protest against increasing crackdown on individual entrepreneurs.

30.01.2008 Authorities to publish “Ideology of Belarusian State in Questions and Answers”

By March 25th, the Information and Analytical Center, which has been recently headed by Aleh Praliaskouski, is charged to carry out an opinion poll aimed at revealing the most urgent problems of political, economic, social and cultural life of the country.

30.01.2008 KGB agents are sorry 1937 remains in the past

Student of Polatsak State University Dzianis Liasun tells Viasna about the KGB attempt to recruit him.

Here’s Dzianis’s story:

On January 21st, about noon, when I was getting ready to my 4th exam, I got a phone call from deputy dean of the faculty. She told me: “Could you do perform a task, please? Come at 3 p.m. tomorrow to the office of the pro-rector for curriculum. They want to see you there.” “What is the reason?”, -- I tried to clarify. “I don’t know. They didn’t explain anything to me”, -- the deputy dean answered.

30.01.2008 Aliaksandar Zdzvizhkou appealed against verdict

Former deputy chief editor of Zhoda newspaper Aliaksandar Zdzvizhkou appealed against the sentence to 3 years of imprisonment for publishing Mohammed cartoons.

Journalist’s lawyer Maya Aliaksandrava says they have appealed against the verdict. “We do not agree with the verdict and ask to cancel it. I cannot give you more details, because the trial was closed for public”, -- the lawyer told RFE/RL. According to Aliaksandrava, the Supreme Court will consider the appeal in late February.

30.01.2008 New Life Church protests

“At our general meeting we made a decision that we would not let anyone in until our demand is satisfied: to cancel the decision of Minsk city executive committee, which ruled to confiscate the land from us, -- pastor Hancharenka says, -- we decided not to let anyone in. This is our action of protest, the action of civic disobedience. We defined our position, and will not let anyone in, under any circumstances. They should solve their problems, instead of pressurizing us”.

30.01.2008 Lidia Yarmoshyna: Institute of international election observation is a purely political tool

Institute of international election observation is a purely political tool, Lidia Yarmoshyna, chairperson of the Central Election Commission, stated in the interview to Belaruskaya Dumka magazine.

30.01.2008 Prison for national flag?

Barys Khamaida and Aliaksandar Salauyan, democratic activists from Vitebsk, were detained yesterday. They spent the night in the remand jail.

30.01.2008 Zmitser Zhaleznichenka urgently returned to Zhlobin

January 29th, Minsk. Zmitser Zhaleznichenka is urgently taken from Minsk military hospital to a military unit in Zhlobin. In the opinion of Uladzimir Labkovich, executive secretary of BPF Party, this may be linked to the great attention to the events around Zmitser paid by reporters and the leadership of BPF Party.

30.01.2008 Navumau threatens entrepreneurs with criminal cases

50 people may be brought to justice for participation in the unauthorized action held in Minsk on January 10th, Minister of internal affairs Uladzimir Navumau said.