Presidential Pseudo-Elections in Belarus 2010

"Master of the presidential elections in Belarus is the Chairman of the Local Election Commission."
Aleksander Lukashenko, 2006

"Only people of Belarus decide who is the next President."
Aleksander Lukashenko, 2010

There are four main ways of rigging the presidential elections in Belarus. All of them were used in presidential elections of 2001 and 2006.

The first way is called "Ballot-Box Stuffing". This way is commonly used during early voting. This year presidential early voting in Belarus takes the whole week from December 13th up to December 18th, 2010. For six days (and nights) any Chairman of the Local Election Commission´s helpers can stuff the boxes with as many ballots as they need. Probably, about 75% for Mr. Lukashenko. This is how many votes he wants to get this year, right?

How it may happen in practice you may ask? Easy! For example, in one ballot box is thrown 100 ballots with votes for 10 different candidates, and from the box poured 600 ballots with votes for only ONE candidate - the right one. Make a wild guess what is the name of the right candidate this year? It is no secret that ballot-boxes may have a false bottom. Belarus is widely used old-fashioned ballot-boxes with so many ways of unscrewing them and screwing votes. How Lukashenko can get 75% of votes without any magic tricks at his hands?

Moreover, according to some sources back in 2006 every Chairmen of the Local Election Commissions who provided the correct amount of votes for the correct candidate were rewarded with $3000 bonuses. Those who could not provide the correct amount of votes were fired later on.

The second way of stuffing boxes with the correct candidate ballots is happening outside of the polling stations. For example, when somebody got sick and cannot go to the stations, members of the Election Commissions can visit those people at home without being watched by observers. Nice chance for some votes adjustments.

But the most popular is the third way! Again this way is commonly used during early voting and it has a long name - "Stimulated early voting among citizen of certain categories - students, soldiers, workers of state enterprises." This type of the early voting is enforced in Belarus by the government. Students, soldiers, militia, doctors, patiens, workers are ENFORCED to vote only for ONE candidate - the right one - and report about their voting to the chain of command. That´s why MOST of the early voting numbers are unified in the direction of only one candidate - Lukashenko. If students disagree they can be kicked out of state dorms, if workers disagree they can lose their jobs. Voting against Lukashenko is PUNISHABLE (by Law?) in Belarus!

The fourth way of fraud is called "The Chairman´s Way". Remember how much money chairmen can get in exchange for the right results of voting? This way is the most sneaky one when the chairman of the local commission announce his figures in advance even without counting the ballots. How it works you may ask? Easy! Two identical sets of ballots are produced. Some of them are stored in a separate room of a Chairman. And the second set - the actual set - is stored in a completely different place ( or, maybe, just thrown away!). So even the right demand for a recount would not help! Because there is NOTHING to recount. Real ballots are disappearing in thin air. Just one more Lukashenko´s magic trick.

There is no surprise that this year voting in Belarus beats records of the year 2006 (now I hope you know why). The Central Elections Commission (CEC) ignores observers´ complaints at ENFORCED early voting.

About 12% of the voters on electoral registers have taken part in early voting in Belarus during three days, Interfax-Zapad news agency learnt from CEC spokesman Nikolay Lozovik.

"11.7% of the voters, or 820,000 people, went to polls during three days of early voting," Lozovik said.

He specified that the turnout in the Brest region was 10%, in the Vitebsk region - over 15%, in Gomel region - 10.6%, in Grodno region - 13.7%, in Minsk region - 10.6%, in Mogilev region - 14.3%, in Minsk - 9%.

According to the CEC spokesman, "There were no significant complaints at the electoral process during the early voting. We have only a few complaints from internal observers. As a rule, these complaints are not based on legislative requirements. These complaints evoke from interpretation of the norms of the law in one´s own way and expecting the same interpretation from election commissions."

There is no doubt that the Chairmen of the Local Election Commissions know real well how to INTERPRETE the law to achieve 75% for a new (old) president. Hope those interpretations are not criminal ones.

So, the case is closed? Or, it will be re-opened on December 19th?

We´ll see.

Presidential Elections in Belarus Are Rigged & Falsified Even Before the Elections on December 19th!

On December 15th, 2010 in Minsk Andrey Sannikov, a candidate for presidency, has lodged two legal applications to the Central Election Commission of Belarus with a demand to withdraw registration of Aleksandr Lukashenko as a presidential candidate, and to relieve from the office the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission Lidiya Yermoshyna.

Under the Law Yermoshyna cannot be the Chair of the Central Election Commission, in the same way as Lukashenko cannot be a candidate for presidency.

It is reminded in the statements of the candidate for presidency Andrey Sannikov, that on December 6-7, 2010 in the Palace of Republic in Minsk a so-called "All-Belarusian People´s Congress" was held.

This propagandistic event was organized in the period of the election campaign, and became a platform for almost 3 hour-long speech of one of the candidates for presidency, Lukashenko. This speech was broadcasted by all state-run TV channels, by radio, and was also published in all state-run newspapers. The other presidential candidates never had a chance like that. State-run TV stations, radio and newspapers are keeping silence about them...

Thus, a prescribed limit of air time for each presidential candidate (two times by 30 minutes) was exceeded, and the additional space in state newspapers was used illegally.

Besides, this event was held in the Palace of Republic, which is not on the list created by Minsk City Executive Committee including premises where meetings of presidential candidates with voters could be held. Second violation of the Law.

The meeting was held with the use of the administrative leverage of the executive power headed by Lukashenko. In particular, the organizing committee was headed by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sergei Sidorskiy, and the event was financed at the expense of budget money, and not from the electoral fund of the presidential candidate. Third violation of the Law.

As long as Lidiya Yermoshyna has taken part in the "All-Belarusian Congress", Andrey Sannikov demands to relieve her from office.

"European Belarus" leader reminds that sanctions of the European Union are in force against citizen Yermoshyna for rigging the results of the previous election and republican referendum. Yermoshyna herself has stated many times herself, that she is a member of Lukashenka´s team, which is inadmissible and illegal. Yermoshina should take independent position. Fourth violation of the Law.

"Rigging the election results is a grave crime, which distorts will expression of the nation. Belarusian citizens not only have a right to fight with the electoral fraud, but must stand against criminal falsifiers in every way. Under the Law Yermoshyna cannot be the chair of the Central Election Commission, in the same way as Lukashenko cannot be a candidate for presidency.

Yarmoshyna stated that she is a member of Lukashenko´s team, thus excluding any objectivity in actions of the CEC. But it was not enough, and during her working hours she went to the illegal "All-People´s Congress" support her candidate. Lukashenko used dozens millions dollars from the budget to hold the event in his support on October Square. According to the official reports, at the moment of holding this congress his electoral fund had about 13 million Belorussian roubles. It is clear that the "All-Belarusian Congress" was held not out of the electoral fund of the candidate for presidency Lukashenko, as it is required by the law. This is FIFTH VIOLATION of the LAW! Once again as always Lukashenko slipped his hand into the pocket of Belarusians for his mercenary ends. Both Yermoshyna and Lukashenko have confirmed once again that Belarusians must change this corrupt regime quickly," a candidate for presidency in Belarus Andrey Sannikov stated.

"A free and democratic election can really take place if two these characters mentioned above would leave the stage. Their participation makes the upcoming election illegal. It is simply an insult for the Belarusian nation, which deserves a better lot.

We, Belarusian citizens, under the Constitution have a right to change authorities and freely elect our leaders. Even in today´s Constitution formalizes the principle of priority of the international law over the internal one, and international law does not allow fraudulent elections. The law is on our side in these elections. People are waiting for changes, as they had never been waiting for them in the last 16 years of the dictatorship. And it means that we have a chance to celebrate the New Year in a completely different, democratic Belarus," - ended his speech Andrey Sannikov.

Presidential Elections in Belarus 2010

On November 18th, 2010 in Minsk The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus has registered 10 people as candidates for the Belarus presidency. They are Gregory Kostusev, Alexander Lukashenko, Aleksei Mikhalevich, Vladimir Nekliaev, Yaroslav Romanchuk, Vitaly Rymashevsky, Andrei Sannikov, Nikolai Statkevich, Viktor Tereshchenko, and Dmitry Uss.

To be successfully nominated as a presidential candidate a person must be a citizen of the Republic of Belarus by birth aged 35 or older. The candidate should be eligible to vote and permanently live in the Republic of Belarus for at least ten years before the elections. He should have no record of convictions.

Candidates are nominated by citizens of the Republic of Belarus. Candidates must obtain at least 100 thousand signatures of voters before the registration and nomination. The CEC has recognized as valid 100870 signatures collected in support of the nomination of Kostusev; 1110149 - Lukashenko; 111399 - Mikhalevich, 180073 - Neklyaev; 123206 - Romanchuk, 102817 - Rymashevsky; 142023 - Sannikov; 111159 - Statkevich, 109012 - Tereshchenko; 104102 - Uss.

Upon receiving the registration card each candidate had a chance to say a few words.

According to Gregory Kostusev: "There are many important things to evaluate the free and fair election campaign. I do not think that this campaign is liberal: there is no freedom of speech, no freedom of agitation, for meetings with voters awkward and uncomfortable places are given by CEC, and there is a very low level of the inclusion of opposition to the electoral commissions. Only 0.25% out of 70815 people".

"The system of today's government is rotten, and it should be changed. Today's government must acknowledge, that it is cheating people since 1996. Alexander Lukashenko can not run for the president for the fourth time. He is illegitimate candidate, "- said at the meeting Pavel Sevyarynets (the representative of Vitaly Rymashevsky). Andrei Sannikov said: "Our country is called the last dictatorship in Europe. It is a shame for our country. But this is true. "

Presidential candidates should start pre-electoral campaigning on November 19. They have a month to convince the voters their candidatures are the best. While live debates among candidates will be broadcast for the first time, analysts doubt whether the elections will truly be free and fair because for the state-run mass media the election is still a minor event. Only brief official reports of the BelTA (Official State Information Agency) related to the election are replicated.

For the first time during the whole election campaign, the regional print media gave the list of persons who may become presidential candidates. Publications on socio-political topics are dominated by preparation for the All-Belarusian Assembly and there is nothing about presidential elections and its main candidates.

Most of the regional state-owned newspapers printed the BelTA material "Opposition Candidate Has No Chances to Win Presidential Election in Belarus - Sociological Poll". The article presents the data of a sociological polling conducted by the Analytical Centre EcooM (in October 2010). According to EcooM, 81 percent of respondents believe that the opposition cannot win the election and there are no worthy candidates among them; while 82.6 percent of the respondents do not trust the opposition.

Belarus will hold the presidential election on December 19th, 2010. To win election, a candidate must poll over 50% of the valid vote, and turnout must be at least 50%. If no candidate receives more than 50% in a first round vote, a second round is held within two weeks between the two candidates who placed highest in the first round. The President is considered elected in the second round if he has polled over 50% of votes of the electors, who have taken part in elections.

High Officials of Belarus are Suspected to be Involved into Abductions and Murders!

(Suspicious Circumstances of Oleg Bebenin´s Death)

Oleg Bebenin was one of the founders and leaders of Charter97.org website.

The body of Oleg Bebenin was found on September 3rd, 2010 at 5.30 p.m. in his summer cottage not far from Minsk. It has turned out that during the initial inspection of the body a constriction mark was found on the neck of Bebenin, which can be a sign of both a suicide and of a violent death by suffocation or strangulation.

Oleg Bebenin was born in 1974. He graduated from the Belarusian State University, department of journalism. In 1990s he occupied the position of the Deputy Chief Editor of "Imya" (Name), an independent Belarusian newspaper. Since 1998 he was the Founder and the Head of charter97.org website. Oleg Bebenin had a wife and two sons.

A Russian TV channel "Vesti" believes that investigators have made a statement about Oleg Bebenin´s suicide too quickly.

As is reported in "Vesti Nedeli" programme on Sunday, on September 3 in the evening an oppositional journalist Oleg Bebenin was found dead in his summer house in the outskirts of Minsk. He was an audacious critic of Lukashenko and his regime and an active participant of "Charter´97". He was just 36.

It was very quickly stated by investigation agencies that it had been a suicide. The journalist reportedly hanged himself. However neither his family nor acquaintances believe this version and speak about a murder. Oleg Bebenin had vast plans, and he had not left a suicide note. Besides, the journalist was conducting investigation of activities of the so-called "death squadrons" and mysterious disappearances of Belarusian politicians. Meanwhile, the date of the presidential election is to be announced in Belarus soon.

Andrey Sannikov, the leader of "European Belarus" and possible opposition presidential candidate states that the death of the Founder and the Leader of Charter97.org website raises many doubts:
"On request of the family we have withheld information before the results of medico-legal investigation. I visited the site of the tragedy and I must say that I do not believe in suicide of Oleg Bebenin. Many things rise serious doubts. A note has not been found, the latest SMS received by his friends show he planned to go to the cinema on Thursday evening. A week ago Oleg and his family returned from a holiday in Greece. It is strange that the Interior Affairs Ministry is already disseminating the story about his suicide, without waiting for the results of the medico-legal investigation."

"We had extensive plans, we met every day. Oleg is my friend; he is the main member of my team, a brilliant journalist and a very reliable person. I offer my sincere condolences to his wife, parents and all his relatives" - Andrey Sannikov said.

Dmitriy Bondarenko, Charter´97 Coordinator, has commented on the official results of examination of the circumstances surrounding the death of Oleg Bebenin:
"I would like to say that Oleg was not simply a journalist. In a possible Belarusian presidential campaign he was to become one of the leaders of the headquarters of the oppositional candidate for presidency Andrey Sannikov. And all of a sudden the person commits suicide. There is no motive for such behaviour. There is no suicide note, there are no problems at work, he has a dearly loved wife, sons, parents, a brother. The man collects his friends for a premiere screening of a film. The SMS which is known to be the last sent by him was about his coming to "October" cinema at 8 p.m. And then again, all of a sudden the person disappears for about 24 hours, not answering phone calls.

There is a wide gap between the time of death indicated by experts, and it is recorded in the documents. Policemen and workers of prosecutor´s office, including a forensic expert, who arrived to the summer house yesterday, documented that the death occurred around 2 p.m. on September 3. In the certificate of death issued to the family the date of death was the 2nd of September. That means, the gap is more than 15 hours.

Oleg cherished his little son. He was found in a noose made of a rope from a child´s hammock. Such thing is simply impossible. People, who saw Oleg on the day before, said that he was cheerful and energetic, and planned to go to the cinema. He said to his family that he planned some meeting during afternoon on the 2nd of September. We are still trying to find out whom he was to meet and whether they met.

As for the results of the expert examination: in fact, the results of the biochemical analysis of tissues, body organs and humors are to become known only by Wednesday (September 8, 2010). There are lots of other circumstances which make us doubt that Oleg departed out of this world of his own free will," Dmitriy Bondarenko said.

A British Human Rights Organization "Index on Censorship" has raised concerns over the death of one of the leading journalists of Belarus.

As one of the leading lights of Human Rights Organization Charter97, Bebenin had been harassed by the authorities on numerous occasions. In April 1997 he was abducted, reportedly by the KGB, and in September 1999, he was nearly beaten to death by fascist thugs with links to the belarussian KGB. Bebenin ran the charter97.org website, which is the leading source of information on the activities of the Belarussian dictatorship in the country. It comes just 2 months after the implementation of Decree No. 60 - a draconian law that strictly regulates the use of the internet in Belarus.

Mike Harris, the Public Affairs Manager of Index on Censorship, who is in Belarus now said:
"People in Minsk are very nervous, especially those close to Oleg. No suicide note was found, and Oleg just hours before his death had made phone calls to arrange a trip to the cinema with close friends. In recent months he had become increasingly concerned over the safety of fellow human rights activists and feared a repeat of the period 97-99 where he was nearly killed, and scores of dissidents disappeared in suspicious circumstances.
The Presidential election must take place before February next year. So called "president" Lukashenko is tightening the screw on human rights organizations, with arrests and mock executions of youth activists. This "suicide" has sent shock waves through civic society across Belarus," added the British human rights activist.

The Russian media is reporting that the death is likely to have been under the orders of the security services.

In the last year, Charter97 has faced continual intimidation from the authorities. On 6 December 2009, Eugene Afnagel, a youth leader, was kidnapped on the streets of Minsk and taken to the countryside to face a mock execution. Afnagel was told to stop asking questions of the authorities. During summer time of 2010 six youth leaders were subject to kidnappings and mock executions.

On 16 of March, 2010 computers were confiscated in the news office of charter97.org website as part of an indictment in a criminal libel case brought by a former KGB officer.

Recently attention of the KGB and the Interior Affairs Ministry of Belarus was locked on Charter´97. In spring a search was held in its news office and in the apartment of a journalist Iryna Khalip and Andrey Sannikov. Editor-in-chief Natalya Radzina was hit on the face during the search, she told then. The reason for the search was materials of the website about illegal rare animals hunting carried out by high-ranking workers of the Interior Affairs Ministry.

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek stated on learning of the death of Belarusian journalist - Oleg Bebenin:
"I am deeply moved by this sad event in Belarus. Oleg was working to create a more democratic Belarus through his work with Charter97. I call on the Belarusian authorities to carry out a full and transparent investigation into the death of Oleg Bebenin which will clarify all the circumstances around his tragic death. Our thoughts are with Mr Bebenin's friends and family."

On September, 6 the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) sent a letter to the names of Aleksandr Lukashenko, Head of Interior Ministry Anatoliy Kulyashov and General Prosecutor Grigoriy Vasilevich.

"We are extremely concerned about the atmosphere of fear and intimidation of journalists in Belarus and call upon the authorities of the country to do everything possible to ensure a profound investigation of the case of the death of a journalist Oleg Bebenin and to stop the practice of impunity for those who attacks journalists", - the letters signed by Aidan White, the General Secretary of the European Federation of journalists, say.

Besides suspicious circumstances of Oleg Bebenin´s death, EFJ mentions in its letters the threats, which Chef Editor of "Narodnaya Volya" Svetlana Kalinkina received. "We pay your special attention to the fact, that previous loud cases concerning deaths of Belarusian journalists, did not give any clear answers about their fate. Alongside with it are the cases of Dmitriy Zavadskiy, who disappeared on his way to the Minsk airport on July, 7, 2000, and Veranika Cherkasava, who was brutally slain in her apartment on October, 20, 2004", - EFJ letters say.

In the meanwhile the problem of involuntary disappearance is topical for Belarus. In the year of 1999 two famous oppositionists disappeared in the country without leaving a track- former Minister of Internal Affairs Yury Zaharenko and Vice Speaker of the Supreme Council of XIII Convocation Viktor Ganchar, and also a big businessman Anatoliy Krasouskiy. In summer of 2000 year Dmitriy Zavadskiy an operator of Russian TV channel ORT disappeared without leaving a track.

High officials of Belarus are suspected to be involved into abductions and murders.

Belarusian Journalist Oleg Bebenin Found Dead in his Summer Cottage

Oleg Bebenin was one of the founders and leaders of charter97.org website.

The body of Oleg Bebenin was found August 3rd, 2010 at 5.30 p.m. in his summer cottage not far from Minsk.

Oleg Bebenin was born in 1974. He graduated from the Belarusian State University, department of journalism. In 1990s he occupied the position of the deputy chief editor of "Imya", an independent Belarusian newspaper. Since 1998 he was the founder and head of charter97.org website. Oleg Bebenin had a wife and two sons.

What a great coincidence Oleg was working for the main opposition website in Belarus - http://www.charter97.org

New Attacks On Opposition in Belarus in 2010

(Minsk, BELARUS, March 16-17, 2010)

On March 16th, 2010 police burst in Charter'97 website's press-room in Minsk, Belarus. Computers were seized. Editor of site Charter97.org Natallya Radzina was beaten. This is connected with professional activities. At about 3 p.m. police officers and people in mufti have burst in the office rented by journalist Natalya Radzina.

There were 7 persons in the office during the search. Police officers were justifying that by the fact that they are carrying out operative work on finding a person called Igar Svabodzin in frames of criminal case connected with corruption in law-enforcement structures. Policemen seized the computers and other office equipment.

The policemen were using force to break into the flat. As Natalya Radzina came out of door, they ran down the stairs and pushed her to prevent her locking the door. One of the policemen hit Radzina's face damaging her eye. Only after that they demonstrated official order for the search signed by prosecutor of Gomel region Valyantsina Shayevaya.

Inspector of Leninski district police department Alaksandr Tchuy was in charge for the search. About 10 policemen of Leninski district police department and Minsk city police department were taking part in the search together with unidentified persons in black masks. Only police officers captain Andrei Kryvalevich and captain Dzmitry Kanyuhevich identified themselves. Masked people reacted in Nazi hail when they were asked to identify themselves. Eight computers were seized as a result.

"Policemen were dressed in mufti, and behaved like thugs while breaking into the office. They hit my face for executing my professional duty. It is obvious that they are trying to shut us up and to seize our opportunity to say the truth. And it is not occasionally. Just yesterday our site published the information that leader of "European Belarus" Andrei Sannikov will nominate for presidency. Today the office is ruined, journalists beaten, computers confiscated. This is both stupid and terrible. Yes, it will be harder for us to work. But we will continue our work and masked thugs with Nazi hails will not stop us. Lukashenka's regime embarassed itself with its shameful behavior again because they are so afraid of freedom of speech and real opponent on the elections," - said editor of Charter97.org Natalya Radzina.

A special press-conference of "European Belarus" leader Andrei Sannikov, the editor-in-chief of charter97.org website Natallya Radzina (Radina) and a journalist of "Narodnaya Volya" Maryna Koktysh was held on March 17 in Minsk.

We remind that yesterday policemen forced entry to charter97.org news office and seized all computers. The editor-in-chief of the news website Natalya Radzina was punched. Searches wer also held in the flat of "European Belarus" leader Andrei Sannikov and his wife, a well-known journalist Iryna Khalip, in the office of "Narodnaya Volya" newspaper and in the flat of a journalist of the newspaper Maryna Koktysh. During the searches all office equipment and data carriers were seized.

"What is happening has nothing to do with the so-called "hunters' case". It is obvious now. The hunt has been started, if we are speaking about "hunters' case", against independent journalism, independent mass media, and the most popular news outlets, charter97.org website and "Narodnaya Volya" newspaper, "Belarusian partisan" website.

It is no mere chance that these events took place on March 16. It is the Day of Solidarity. Not only searches and attacks have taken place, but the trial over political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, rallies of solidarity disbanded, people are arrested. All day long police, KGB, special services simply demonstrated how they are frightened by these days of solidarity. And solidarity is what we need today. Solidarity of Belarusians and solidarity worldwide. We know that it has aroused a reaction in the world, and the reaction is to become stronger. I can say that Alyaksandr Lukashenka should start forgetting about Western loans, as I do not know who would lobby his interests now, finance the dictatorship which is demonstrating its real face more and more clearly," stated the leader of "European Belarus" civil campaign.
As said by the politician, now the world is also waiting for the reaction of Belarusians to the events taking place in their county.

"Days of solidarity are to become actions of solidarity. And the nearest occasion is our holiday, Freedom Day March 25. We know that organizers have applied for holding a rally, leaflets have appeared, organizational work is done. Nobody should intimidate us, and we shouldn't be intimidated. Belarusians are strong people, but we must understand that not attacks against journalists, against the free press, some politicians, but against the entire Belarusian nation are taking place now. Belarusians should make their statement, demonstrate their reaction to the total lawlessness. The changes are close. I am sure about that, I believe in that. And what is going on now demonstrates that Lukashenka's regime has no answers to really tough challenges of the time, has no answers to the crisis; no reforming of the economic system is taking place, life standards are worsening, and dictatorship simply does not want to hear the truth we are telling Andrei Sannikov noted that repressions will continue: yesterday late in the night policemen tried to burst in the premises of Aleh Bebenin, Charter'97 press-secretary, and to a coordinator of "European Belarus" Zmitser Bandarenka. It is not excluded that these attempts may continue.
"But again, it depends on how we would bear it and on how we would react," Sannikov is convinced.
Belarusians and the world," "European Belarus" leader said.

During the press-conference, Natalya Radzina, charter97.org editor, expressed gratitude to Belarusian and foreign journalists, human rights organizations for their solidarity and support during yesterday's raid to the news office. According to the journalist, the attack of policemen against her and her workers, as well as seizure of al computers, shows that the regime had decided not to wait for July 1, when the hideous Lukashenka's decree on censorship on Internet in Belarus is to come to force.

"The fear of the authorities is obvious. On March 14 we publish Andrei Sannikov's interview, who had stated his intention to run for presidency, on March 16 searches and seizure of equipment is carried out in our news office. The regime is in such a fear that they cannot wait, they need to squeeze, strangle everything free which is still left. Judging by the course of events, a unit of measure of freedom of speech in Belarus could be called 1 chuj, or 1 korzh. Ivan Korzh is KGB man who had been allegedly labeled by journalists, and Alyaksandr Chuj is an investigator of the police department of Leninski district, who with his guys zealously burst into the news office of Charter'97 website. But I want to assure you that you won't be able to suppress us. Yes, it is even more difficult for us to work, but we will perform our professional and human duty - to day the truth," Radzina said.

We remind that yesterday during the asttempt to force entry to the editorial office of the website, policemen in mufti punched the journalist's face. Natalya Radzina has a hematoma of the eye area, and today she is set to complain to the prosecutor's office against such actions of policemen.

During the press-conference a journalist of "Narodnaya Volya" newspaper Martyna Koktysh, whose apartment and the editorial office had been searched too, informed that she read in the documents shown by policemen that a criminal case related to defamation of Homel regional KGB head Ivan Korzh, a formal ground for searches, was initiated on December 31, 2009. The search warrant was written by the head of Homel Interior Affairs Department on February 23, 2010, and the paper that a search should be carried out in the flat of the journalist arrived from Homel to Minsk on March 4. The search was held on March 16. Thus, the warrants for searches had been signed before and were waiting for their time.

Answering questions of journalists what a reaction of the European Union to the events in Belarus should be, Andrei Sannikov stated:
"The reaction of the EU should be unambiguous - they must admit defeat of their inapt policy of "reforming" the dictator, admit that democratization is not taking place on its own. They should understand that there are no democratic institutions, independent press, independent courts in Belarus. And the reaction should be adequate, they should stop playing these games. These games lead to destroying of the nation, to destroying of the independent state".

Street Actions Around The World Against Dictatorship in Belarus!

( March 18th, 2009 )

Street actions against Lukashenko's dictatorship are to take place in many cities around the world on March 18, 2009

The events are timed to the anniversary of Lukashenko's election victory in 2006 which is not recognized by the international community. The protest is organized by Brussels-based international political non-governmental organisation the JEF-Europe (Young European Federalists) and their partners.

Organisers of the actions explain that it is dedicated specifically to Belarus, the last dictatorship in Europe. In more than 100 cities people are to protest against the unjust regime and demand the struggle against dictatorships to become one of the priorities in the foreign policy of the European Union.

"On 18 March 2009 European youth will remind our leaders and civil society that Europe is not a dictatorship-free continent," the JEF-Europe stresses.

They underline that the Belarusian dictatorship exists for 15 years, but the EU hasn't had clear policy towards the situation in Belarus. EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels confirmed their decision NOT TO IMPOSE (?!) visa bans on Belarusian officials. And it sounds real strange. Why did they do that? So the authorities can rig the results of the elections and nobody gets punished for doing that? Do they do the same it in other European countries? Why only people in Belarus need to suffer from unwise EU decisions?

The EU imposed travel sanctions on Lukashenko and 41 Belarusian officials after the presidential elections 2006. In October 2008, the EU foreign ministers suspended visa ban on Belarusian officials, including Aleksandr Lukashenko. Why? The EU ministers agreed to discuss the situation in six month to decide whether to reimpose the ban depending on the human rights situation in Belarus.

None of the positive changes happened in Belarus during those six month! Political repressions in the country have gone wild. New political prisoners have appeared. Leaders of entrepreneurs Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were arrested in Vaukavysk in February. "Young Front" activist Artsyom Dubski, participant of the Case of 14, was arrested in February, too. Forceful draft into the army can be observed in Belarus. In spite of medical condition, Franak Vyachorka, Ivan Shyla, and Zmitser Khvedaruk were call up for military service. Human rights activist Yana Palyakova, pressed by the Belarusian authorities, committed suicide. So authorities can kill people in Belarus and then go to Europe on vacations??? WTF!

Rights of opposition activists Alyaksei Bondar, Mikhail Kryvau, Mikhail Pashkevich, Alyaksandr Straltsou, Alyaksandr Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tsishkevich, Mikhail Subach, Paval Vinahradau, Maksim Dashuk, and Alyaksandr Barazenka, sentenced to restraint of liberty for participation in protest rallies of entrepreneurs, remain restricted.

Not only opposition activists but most of the Belarusian people stand for tightening sanctions against the Belarusian authorities. "Brussels must make it clear that freedom of the press and NGOs and above all respect for human rights, especially with regard to the opposition, are prerequisites for any EU gains and EU entry for Belarus officials", Toni Giugliano, Action Co-ordinator wrote.

The cities where the action will take place include not only European ones (Brussels, Prague, Copenhagen, Paris, Helsinki, Berlin, Warsaw, Geneva, Stockholm, London, Kyiv, Petersburg, Riga) but also Dubai, New York, Pretoria and so on. As for Belarus, it is said in the statement that the action will take place in the country also, but its place is not disclosed because of security reasons.