21.01.2008 Mass detentions begin, ambulance arrives on the square

15.00 Some of the protesters squeezed out from the Independence Square, returned to Kastrychnitskaya Square. There is a big jam near Centralny store on the avenue. Riot policemen are pushing the action participants down the stairs to the underground crossing.

21.01.2008 Protesters squeezed out from the square

14.20 riot policemen who are ten times more in number than the rally participants are pushing everyone out of the square. Our reporter informs, the whole square looks black because of helmets and uniform. There is still no information about the detained.

21.01.2008 Protesters come to the Government’s House, riot policemen in helmets jump out of police trucks

14.15 The column that consists of over three thousand participants is coming to the Government’s House. People are walking on sidewalks. Riot policemen with shields and helmets jump out of police trucks located behind the Teacher’s University. The police do not attack the protesters. The riot policemen are surrounding the Government’s House.

21.01.2008 Protesters come out to traffic side, police trucks come closer too

About 1.40 p.m. participants of the entrepreneurs’ rally headed to the Independence Square. In the beginning they walked on the sidewalks, but in several minutes they came to the traffic side. Police trucks appeared immediately. They began to squeeze people back to the sidewalks. There is a complete mess in the center of the city near the KGB building. Part of the traffic is paralyzed.

21.01.2008 Entrepreneurs rally happening on Kastrychnitskaya Square now

Entrepreneurs are holding the planned rally on Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk. This time there are less participants than on a rally on January 10th. Now there are about one thousand people on the square. Representatives of foreign embassies and journalists came to the square. There are many police buses full of riot policemen in the yards nearby. There are 8 trucks and 2 tractors behind the Palace of the Republic. A car of the 1st state TV channel is driving around making a video of everything that is happening.

12.00 There are only several dozen people on the square now. There are not many police officers on the square either. The surrounding yards and blocks are full with police buses. State radio is broadcasted all over the square through the loudspeaker. No politicians are seen on the square. Most of the participants are young people.

21.01.2008 Mahiliou activists receive summons to police

On the eve of the entrepreneurs’ protest rally which is to take place on January 21st in Mahiliou, a number of Mahiliou civic activists received summons to come to police. They are to come to local police stations in the morning of January 21st.

18.01.2008 Political Prisoner Mikalay Autukhovich Released

he level of restriction has been changed for corrective labour to political prisoner and small businessman Mikalai Autukhovich. He has already left Minsk for his home town of Vaukavysk.

17.01.2008 Alena Miadzvedzeva detained in Babruisk

Alena Miadzvedzeva was detained at Babruisk district police station at 3 p.m. She was invited to come to the police station over the phone by allegedly head of the police department. We do not know the reasons for her detention. Alena Miadzvedzeva told the journalists over the phone the police was taking her to Minsk. Now she does not answer her cell phone.

16.01.2008 Karen Akopau detained in Sukharava district, Minsk

He is accused of participation in an unauthorized mass event

16.01.2008 Police arrests youth activist Yulia Siutsova

BPF youth activist arrested on a street

16.01.2008 Police interrogate entrepreneur Maya Sinayskaya

One more action participant detained by police

16.01.2008 Trial over Mahiliou activist Valadar Tsurpanau to continue today

The activist is charged with organizing entrepreneurs’ rally on January 10th.

15.01.2008 More Than 50% of Individual Entrepreneurs Have Taken Part in 2-week Strike

‘About 50-60% of Belarusian entrepreneurs supported the strike. In Minsk only about 40% worked,’ said the leader of the campaign For Free Development of Business Viktar Harbachou.

15.01.2008 Entrepreneur Ales Taustyka Sentenced to 15 Days of Jail

On 15 January the police detained the activist of For Freedom movement, entrepreneur Ales Taustyka near his house. Then he was guarded to Tsentralny district court of Minsk and sentenced to 15 days of jail for active participation in the protest action of entrepreneurs on 10 December.

15.01.2008 Oppositional Parties Answer to Justice Ministry

In the press-release of the Ministry of Justice of 12 January 2008 it was stated that during the unauthorized meeting of entrepreneurs the Belarusian legislation on mass actions was grossly violated. The participation of the leaders of the United Civil Party, the BPF Party and the Party of Communists Belarusian was mentioned as well. The Ministry demanded from the parties to answer whether they empowered their leaders to take part in the action and express their public position concerning this in the case they did not.