BELARUSIAN LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY SUES INFORMATION MINISTRY

The Supreme Economic Court started proceedings on the suit of Volnitsa-media publishing house to the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Finances. The Liberal democratic Party of Belarus will act as the third party on the claimant’s side. The hearings will start on July 30.
Volnitsa-media publishing house sues the Ministries for delays of registration if The Demokraticheskaya Gazeta newspaper (founded by Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus). Volnitsa-Media demands to recognize their actions unlawful and compensate for the loses of the publishing house (2,207,774 BYR; ~ 1.100USD). On 7 July Judge Valery Zhandaraw considered the application and decided there were enough grounds to start proceedings. The Supreme Economic Court will start hearings at 10 a.m. on 30 July.
On 4 October 2002 Liberal Democratic Party applied for registration of The Demokraticheskaya Gazeta to the Information Ministry. However, the Ministry have never replied. That’s why Volnitsa-Media publishing house, created especially for the purpose of publishing this newspaper, still has no chances to start their activities, receive profit, and, accordingly, pay the office rent. The publishing house rented an office in the building, which belongs to the Board of the President’s Affairs. One month ago, June 12, Minsk city economic court heard the suit of the Board of the President’s Affairs to Volnitsa-Media and ruled the publishing house had to pay the claimant 4,342,000 BYR.