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The official Minsk reacted to the wave of protest against the introduction of the 18% tax with fines and arrests to the active participants of the actions. The repression campaign is nationwide and touches representatives of different regions of Republic of Belarus. (22-MAR-2005)

The meetings of businessmen against the 18% value added tax on the goods that are imported from the Russian Federation. This tax was introduced as a result of the agreement with the Russian Federation that was signed by Belarusian officials. (22-MAR-2005)

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev (photo) issued a decree on pardon on the occasion of spring holiday Novruz on 19 March 2005. A total of 115 convicts have been pardoned, of which 114 ones have been freed from jail and the sentence term of one convict has been halved. Among the pardoned there are 53 convicts, who were considered political prisoners by the Council of Europe. The pardoning decree came four days after the Council of Europe, warned the Azeri government that its membership in the organization could be jeopardized if the prisoners were not released. (23-MAR-2005)

Human Rights Center Viasna is gravely concerned with the violations of human rights that took place at Orsha penal colony. On 7 or 8 March the political prisoner Mikhail Marynich had a stroke there. According to Viasna, the prison guards refused to give medicines to him for four days. (22-MAR-2005)
 

“I can talk to anybody I want, I can see anyone I want, I can walk on the
street with bigger steps. I can hug my relatives. I can kiss my children.
I can smile at my people. I can work for my people, and I can work for the
entire Uyghur nation. I can shout out ´Greetings´ to my people. For the
rest of my life, I will create my own history.” Rebiya Kadeer, Washington, 17 March 2005. (21-MAR-2005)

– I can talk to anybody I want, I can see anyone I want, I can walk on the street with bigger steps. I can hug my relatives. I can kiss my children. I can smile at my people. I can work for my people, and I can work for the entire Uyghur nation. I can shout out ´Greetings´ to my people. For the rest of my life, I will create my own history, said Rebiya Kadeer when she arrived in Washington, rejoicing at her unexpected release from Chinese prison. (21-MAR-2005)
 

The accusations against the director of the Andrey Sakharov Museum and Public Center and his employees, who organized an exhibition ‘Attention, Religion’, entered the final phase. The procurator is demanding a 3 to 5 year sentence as well as banning him from any future professional activities.The decision will be given on 28 of March. Vastlav Gavel, Amnesty International and Russian Research Center for Human Rights defend the Sakharov Center. (27-MAR-05)

On Wednesday March 16th, the government adopted the draft law ensuring access to free legal assistance for poor people. Within the confines of the cross-departmental consultations, which also included the representatives of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, a draft law was drawn up on access to free legal assistance, ensured by the State for private persons, and will now be delivered to the Sejm. (18-MAR-05)

The Parliamentary Committee for Internal Affairs and National Security reached its conclusions one month after the parliamentary investigation on the case of five journalists accused by the Counter Intelligence Service for media-intelligence conspiracy against Republic of Croatia. However, the conclusions prolonged the resolution of the affair, so far without any sanctions for those who are responsible. (18-MAR-2005)