15.04.2009 Salihorsk vertical bans a peaceful rally

The aims of the rally, which Larysa Nasanovich and the entrepreneur Alexander Tsatsura intended to hold on 20 April, were to draw the attention of Salihorsk dwellers to cases of self-will and violations from the side of the local authorities and to protest against harassment of civil activists and rude trampling of civil rights by security services.

15.04.2009 New Criminal Code is worked out in Belarus

At the press-conference on 15 April the chairman of the national security committee of the Chamber of Representative Viktar Huminski stated that ‘new criminal code is being worked out’.

15.04.2009 Law on amnesty passed by House of Representatives

On 15 April the House of Representatives of Belarus passed a bill on amnesty on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Fascist invaders. According to the acting Minister of the Interior Anatol Kuliashou, ‘Belarus has always actually adhered to the principles of humanism as far as convicts are concerned, one of them being the adoption of amnesty laws.’ As a result, some 4,500 persons will be released from prisons to save an estimated 2 billion roubles of the state budget.

15.04.2009 Action demanding to amnesty political prisoners dispersed near House of Government

Activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” demanded to include participants of the Process of 14 in the amnesty.

An action on Independence square in front of the House of Government, where the “house of representatives” also seats, was held because the Belarusian “MPs” are going to adopt a draft law on amnesty on April 15. The Draft Law on Amnesty on the Occasion of the 65th Anniversary of Liberation Belarus from Nazi Troops was offered by Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

15.04.2009 Artist Ales Pushkin detained on Belarusian border

Famous artist Ales Pushkin was detained last night on a train from Warsaw to Minsk.

Ales Pushkin was returning from Warsaw, where he was invited on the invitation of Belsat TV company to. As the train arrived in Brest (about 01.10 a.m.), Belarusian border guards ordered the artist to get off the train. They didn’t explain any reasons. Pushkin had to spend 2.5 hours in the customs control department.

As artist Ales Pushkin told in an interview to the Charter’7 press center, he as detained “for the Belarusian language”.