27.01.2009 Minister of Justice speaks on Belarusian civil society

At a special press-conference on 26 January in Minsk, the Belarusian Minister of Justice Viktar Halavanau said 94 NGOs were granted registration and only 28 were closed down in Belarus in 2008. The minister said over 70% of the liquidated NGOs had not been active in 2008, some of them had brutally violated the Belarusian legislation. ‘We just had to sue such organizations and close them down by force of law,’ said Halavanau. ‘We were very cautious when closing them down,’ he added. In total, at present there are 16 political parties, 36 trade unions, 2,221 public associations, 22 unions and 75 foundations in Belarus.

27.01.2009 Formally, Autukhovich still serves his term

According to www.pahonia.promedia.by, the former political prisoner and businessman Mikalai Autukhovich is still under personal restraint.

Autukhovich says he was to be released on parole a few months ago, but the papers filed by a special supervision commission must have been lost in the police lobbies. Mikalai Autukhovich was sentenced to 42 months of imprisonment for tax evasion and business violations in July 2006. The businessman did not admit his guilt. Last year he was released on parole at the insistence of a number of influential EU diplomats and politicians.

27.01.2009 Ex-leader of Belarus Hryb signs anti-death penalty petition

The former head of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus (1994-1996) and member of the oppositional Social Democratic Hramada Party Mechyslau Hryb was the first politician to join the public campaign aimed at the abolition of capital punishment in the country. In 1985 Hryb was appointed head investigator in the case of serial murders in Vitsebsk and could witness the inefficiency of death penalty after 14 persons were illegally convicted of brutal murder, one of them being sentenced to extreme penalty and exexuted.

27.01.2009 Session procedure kept from independent deputy

Zmitser Kukhlei, opposition deputy of the Masty District Council of Deputies, has been denied of learning the procedure of the today’s session.

Chairman of the District Council of Deputies didn’t explain his decision, Radio Racyja reports.

According to the rules of the district council, deputies should study order of procedure and make suggestions three days before a session. According to Zmitser Kukhlei, this is usually ignored in practice.

Chairman of the Masty district Council of Deputies Heorhy Karobka refused to say why deputy Zmitser Kukhlei had been familiarized with procedure of the session and said he had no time no talk.

Zmitser Kukhlei thinks actions of chairman of the District Council of Deputies Heorhy Karobka violate rights of deputies and neglect his professional duties.

27.01.2009 MEPS protest against forceful drafting of Belarusian oppositionists

Jacek Protasiewicz, head of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Belarus, concerns about practice of forceful call-up for military service in Belarus.

His statement issued on January 26 says it.

The Polish MEP notes medical conclusions of draftees are reviewed in Belarus, and officers of the secret services take active part in forceful call-up, BelaPAN reports.

This practice causes serious doubts that compulsory military service is used as a type of political repressions against opposition activists, says the statement of the head of the delegation for relations with Belarus.

27.01.2009 European Belarus activist Yauhen Afnahel arrested in Minsk

Activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Yauhen Afnahel has been detained in the center of Minsk.

According to witnesses, at 5.00 p.m., 5 or 6 officers of riot militia came up to the oppositionist on Victory square and asked to show his ID. However, they didn’t wait for him to perform their demand, pulled the activist into a car, and took him in an unknown direction.

The press service of “European Belarus” managed to phone the youth leader. Afnahel said he was in the Partyzanski district militia department of Minsk. He wasn’t said why he had been detained.

27.01.2009 Liabedzka to picket Lukashenka’s administration

The United Civil Party leader Anatol Liabedzka says he is going to hold a picket in front of the President’s administration building in protest against the travel ban introduced on him in late 2007 following a criminal case against the politician. Two months ago Liabedzka addressed the General Prosecutor Vasilevich with a request to accelerate the investigation. As yet, the final decision on the matter is not taken.

27.01.2009 KGB interferes with registration of Christian Democrats

KGB officers are trying to intimidate members of the Organizing committee for foundation of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party.

More than 100 persons have already come out as founders of the Belarusian Christian Democracy in Vitsebsk, Polatsk, Chashniki and Haradok. The organising Committee for foundation of the BCD started meetings for registration of the party. The list of more than 100 persons should be collected for that. At the same time, the KGB is trying to intimidate potential founders of the party.

27.01.2009 The International Holocaust Remembrance Day: 805,000 Jews died in Belarus

27 January is of liberation of Nazi death camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Since 2005, this day has been marking as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

On January 26–27, the European Parliament holds its session in the former Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp, Radio Svaboda reports.

A word ‘Holocaust’ has gone down in history as name of the policy of Nazi Germany that led to killing of 6 million Hews in 1933–1945. Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences Emmanuel Yofe dedicated his life to Holocaust research.

27.01.2009 Hanging up national flag equaled with hooliganism

An activist of “European Belarus” Marta Majseenka has been fined for flying the national flag on October Square in Minsk.

On December 30 the girl was detained for hanging up the national flag on the New Year Tree on October Square in Minsk. Riot policemen traditionally accused her of foul speech in a public place. The girl spent a night in a cell in the police department of Tsentralny district. A report was drawn up on charges relating article 17.1 of the Administrative Code (“petty hooliganism”) against the activist. Trial started the next day, but as witnesses, riot policemen who detained Marta, didn’t appear in the court, the trial was rescheduled for January 13, the website of “European Belarus” campaign informs.

27.01.2009 Magedburg rights ban?

Mahiliou town police confiscated 153 copies of the Mahiliouski chas newspaper special issue dedicated to the 432nd anniversary of the Magdeburg law adoption in Mahilou, as three civil activists Aliaksnadr Silkou, Siarhei Niahatsin and Yury Stukalava were distributing the newspaper in the town center. According to Aliaksandr Silkou, the activists were told the newspapers would be returned several days later provided all the procedures had been followed by the activists. Mr.Silkou also declared he would appeal the seizure, since the newspaper copies had all the necessary output data and the police had no right to confiscate them.