16.04.2009 European Parliament to fight Internet censorship

The European Parliament has launched a public campaign to fight Internet censorship across the world. According to the project coordinator Jules Maaten of the Dutch WD party, ‘in such countries as Cuba, Belarus, Iran, Burma and China the authorities want to make the opposition keep silence on the web. Our objective is wide informing concerning Internet harassment.’ The campaign will be carried out in cooperation with the Facebook online social network, which encompasses various social groups.

16.04.2009 Belarusian Christian Democracy denied registration

The Ministry of Justice has denied state registration to the Belarusian Christian Democracy, due to ‘the lack of correspondence between the organization’s charter and a questioning of its founders.’ ‘The Ministry of Justice, trying to interrogate the people two months after the congress, assisted by the KGB, the Ministry of the Interior, local ideology departments, using lies and threats, have been attempting to find out what was wrong about the BCD’s charter, to confuse and intimidate them,’ said one of the association’s leaders Paval Seviarynets.

16.04.2009 Four oppositionists arrested by Belarusian border troops

Belarusian border troops detained four top opposition politicians – UCPB leader Anatol Liabedzka, former political prisoner Aliaksandr Kazulin, BPF vice-head Vintsuk Viachorka and the European Belarus movement leader Artur Finkevich, says Anatol Liabedzka. According to Mr.Liabedzka, their car was searched twice, while Artur Finkevich was not allowed to leave Belarus due to a travel ban.

16.04.2009 Political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich went on hunger strike

Businessman from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich, kept in the Minsk prison in Akrestsin Street for the third month, went on indefinite hunger strike.

The Charter’97 press center learnt this from Pavel Sapyolka, lawyer of the arrested businessman.

“Autukhovich went on hunger strike on April 16. He demands the investigation to be carried out as soon as possible or the measure of restrain to be changed,” the lawyer said.

16.04.2009 Political prisoner Artsyom Dubski released from pre-trial detention center on his own recognizance

“Young Front” activist Artsyom Dubski was unexpectedly released from the Babruisk pre-trial detention center on his own recognizance until a trial.

Artsyom Dubski was at large in the evening April 15. The Charter’97 press center managed to phone Artsyom Dubski after his release.

“Major Kuturmin, acting chief of the detention center, entered my cell at 9.30 p.m. and ordered me collect personal belongings. I packed my bag quickly, I thought I would be transferred to another cell, this often happens.

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”.

14.04.2009 Oppositionist Leanid Autukhou is not employed because of his political views

The head of a district organization of the BPF Party Leanid Autukhou has already spent more than a year trying to get employed with the aid of the social employment center in Haradok.

14.04.2009 Mikola Ulasevich: The decision to build a nuclear power station in Astravets is military-political

Construction of Astravets nuclear power plant is not a civil, but a military-political decision. Such opinion was expressed by an organizer of the campaign Astravets nuclear power station is a crime Mikola Ulasevich at a press-conference in Minsk.

14.04.2009 Alexander Lukashenka refuses to recognize the Union of Poles headed by Anzhalika Borys

Alexander Lukashenka refused to consider the application of the delegates of the congress of the Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB), calling on him to help developing better relations.

14.04.2009 ‘Bobruysky Kurier’ won’t be sold at postal offices

Babruisk city department of Belposhta (Belarusian Post) postal service enterprise broke the agreement with the non-state newspaper Bobruysky Kurier newspaper, as a result of which it won’t be sold at the local post offices any more.

14.04.2009 ‘Young Front’ activist Artsium Dubski beaten by riot police

The Young Front activist managed to send a letter from the pre-trial detention center. In this letter, published on the Young Front website, Artsiom Dubski says how the riot police beat him and his cell mates.