05.08.2008 Kobryn: MP confesses blackmailing Alexander Mekh

Kobryn court has carried out preliminary consideration of the case on complaint of the Belarusian popular Front Party activist Alexander Mekh. He complains of illegal dismissal from work.

05.08.2008 BPF party is forced to remove white-red-white flag from façade of its office

The housing and maintenance department of the Savetski district of Minsk demands that the Belarusian popular Front party remove a white-red-white flag from the building where the headquarters of the party is situated, and warned that otherwise the rental contract with the party could be dissolved. The office in Masherau Street, 8 where the headquarters of the Belarusian Popular Front is situated, is the place where opposition traditionally holds many its meetings.

04.08.2008 UCP members are interrogated in ‘Minsk blast’ case

Zmitser Slutski, head of Hrodna city organization of the United Civil Party, and leader of Hrodna organization of Young Democrats Alexandra Vasilevich, were called to the KGB directorate for Hrodna region.

01.08.2008 Elections are coming near, the pressure on civil society representatives increases

With nearing of the elections the pressurization of participation of the electoral campaign and democratic activists from the side of law machinery and tax inspections increases.

01.08.2008 Trade union leaders are interrogated in the case of 4 July blast

Siarhei Antusevich, representative of the primary organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BITU) at Hrodna-Azot open company, and Anatol Khotska, BITU representative in Hrodna oblast, were interrogated by Hrodna oblast KGB department. The trade union activists were asked to explain where they were in the night of 3-4 July. The KGB officers also proposed that the activists gave their fingerprints and asked whether they knew how to make bombs.

01.08.2008 Smarhon: KGB interrogates former deputy head of BPF Youth’s Smarhon branch

On 31 July Vadzim Zharomski, former deputy head of Smarhon branch of the BPF Youth, was taken away from work and guarded to Smarhon KGB department. There he was made to give explanations concerning the blast which had taken place on 4 July. Then Zharomski was fingerprinted at the police department.

01.08.2008 Police interrogate members of Vasil Paliakou’s initiative group concerning Minsk blast

On 30-31 July Natallia Shchukina and Tatsiana Tserashkova, member of the initiative group of Vasil Paliakou, were summonsed to Savetski district police department of Minsk by a telephone call. A police officer who did not introduce himself told them to come to the police department. He offered no explanations either.

21.07.2008 Illya Bohdan: “About 100 persons were arrested in blast case. All of them were called political”

The released opposition activists tell how many people are in reality detained in the case related to the blast in Minsk on July 4.

On July 20 after 11 a.m. activist of the Belarusian Popular Front Anton Koipish and Illya Bohdan were released from the remand prison in Akrestsin Street, Minsk. They were detained for 10 days as suspects in a criminal case relating the blast at the concert on July 4 in Minsk dedicated to Independence Day. Charges were not brought up against them.

15.07.2008 Ales Krauchenia is fired from Baranavichy State University

A week ago the administration of Baranavichy State University issued the order for expulsion of the student Ales Krauchenia from the fifth year of the faculty of engineering. On 14 July the activist had to take his documents away from the university.

15.07.2008 Mahiliou: Uladzimir Yurchanka is deprived of position on ‘proposal’ of police officer

Uladzimir Yurchanka, head of Mahiliou Kastrychnitski district organization of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada, has lost his position of master builder at the construction administration of powermen Lavsanbud.

15.07.2008 Illia Bohdan: birthday behind bars

The member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, human rights activist Illia Bohdan has to celebrate his 21st birthday behind bars. He is kept there on suspicion in relation to the 4 July blast in Minsk.

14.07.2008 Blast news: some of the detained activists get released from jail

The opposition activists Siarhei Vysotski and Alexander Serhiyenka, detained over the case of blasts on 4 July, were released from the KGB detention center on Saturday, 12 July.

12.07.2008 Monitoring of the electoral campaign: the general public and political atmosphere is disturbing

By his decree #344 of 24 January 2008 Alexander Lukashenka appointed the elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the fourth convocation to 28 September 2008.

11.07.2008 Ales Bialiatski: ‘A civil intimidation campaign has been started against the background of the electoral campaign’

On 11 July human rights activists, relatives of the arrested ex-members of White Legion and democratic leaders held a press conference dedicated to the groundless arrests in connection with the blast which had taken place on 4 July in Minsk, at celebration of the official Independence Day.

11.07.2008 Tax inspection still interested in Valiantsin Stefanovich’s income

After the end of the press-conference dedicated to the present arrests and other forms of pressurization applied towards democratic activists within the frames of investigation of the criminal case brought on the fact of the 4 July blast in Minsk, the representative of the Committee of financial investigations in Minsk and Minsk oblast Yu.Bobin phoned to the apartment of the human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich to hand a writ to him. Valiantsin’s wife refused to open the door in the absence of husband.