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Relatives and friends of Dzmitry Zavadski, a Belarusian TV journalists and a member of BAJ, who disappeared 8 years, are still in the dark about his fate. The criminal case has been closed and restarted many times but no information is available. The actions his family members or civil activists try to organize in memory of Zavadski have been banned by the authorities. (07-JUL-08)
  

On 28 June, the Belarusian Parliament passed a new law that, according to OSCE´s Representative on Freedom of the Media, the Belarusian Association of Journalists and Reporters without Borders, puts further restrictions on Belarusian media, including Internet based media. Representatives of the European Democratic institutions and International Organizations condemn the Belarusian media law and call on the authorities to change it in accordance to the European standards. (03-JUL-08)

After human rights activists told about their intention to monitor the upcoming Parliamentary elections, state-controlled media try to discredit their human rights activities and the authorities have started detailed examinations of the tax history of human rights activists. (30-JUN-08)
 

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) expresses its protest in relation to the adoption of a new Law «On Mass Media» after the 2nd reading by the Chamber of Representatives at the National Assembly of Republic of Belarus on 25 June. The Bill will considerably limit the rights of independent mass media and for the websites, which for the first time will be covered by a media law in the Republic of Belarus (25-JUN-08).
 

Wednesday 11 June the Belarusian Association of Journalists finally received the draft bill on mass media. BAJ is dissatisfied with numerous elements including re-registration of journalists and the regulation of publications of the Internet. The authorities want to get the bill passed by Parliament as soon as possible, but BAJ reminds them to their promise to discuss it with civil society and European experts. (15-JUNE-08)
 

The Human Rights House Foundation has sent a letter today to the General Prosecutor´s Office of the Republic of Belarus, expressing regret over the decision of the Vitebsk Court on 27 May to sentence Paval Liavinau, member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), to 10 days´ administrative imprisonment and a fine of 700.000 rubles (328 USD). Read the full letter below. (05-JUNE-08)
 

In a statement sent today to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the Prosecutor´s Office of Vitebsk, the General Prosecutor´s Office of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Human Rights House Foundation expresses its concern with the recent harassment of the human rights defender Leanid Svetsik, right. Read the full statement below. (02-JUNE-08)
 

On May 29-30, the conference “Article 193-1: Posture and ways to overcome consequences” took place in the Belarusian HR House in Vilnius, Lithuania. The meeting organized by the Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs of Republic of Belarus dealt with the problem of criminal responsibility for activity of unregistered non-governmental organizations. (01-JUNE-08)
 

Every 16th day of the month, the Solidarity Day action takes place in the Republic of Belarus.  This action is ’dedicated’ to the prisoners of conscience and missing politicians in the Republic of Belarus. People light candles in their windows to demonstrate their solidarity or go out on the streets to remind Belarusians about the problem of political prisoners. (16-MAY-08)