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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)

On 27 February unknown people in civil clothes detained the former deputy of the Chamber of Representatives, Siarhei Skrabets in Hrodna. The activist of the Businessmen’s Association Perspective, Leanid Nevar was arrested in the town of Rechytsa.(1-MAR-2005)

On 21 February Ms. Sakalouskaya, a judge of the Supreme Court, ruled to liquidate the public association Belarusian Women’s Movement Adradzhenne Aichyny (Homeland’s Revival).
On 25 February Mahiliou Regional Department of Justice warned the women’s public association Liubava in Horki. (1-MAR-2005)

At its sitting on 22 February the Council of the Union of Belarusian Writers rejected the ultimatum of the Presidential Office heads which had earlier requested that the organization leave most of the premises they now occupy in the House of Writers. The Presidential Office response runs as follows, “They are not being thrown out into the street, it´s just that they´ve been offered smaller premises than they currently occupy”. The Presidential Office requested that the Union of Writers occupy 10 times less area of the House of Writers than they do now: 58 square meters instead of 614. (1-MAR-2005)

Fines remain a useful means of persecution. Two persons have been recently fined by the court in connection with their political activity. (1-MAR-2005)

In February 2005 Belarusian prosecutor’s offices of different levels increased the pressurization of well-known oppositional activists. Most often people are summoned concerning criminal cases brought for defamation of president or the authorities or dissemination of undesirable information. (01-MAR-2005)

– I hope the European standards will become a basis for lawmaking in my country, Zhanna Litvina, Chair of the Belarusian Association of Journalists said last week in Minsk at a conference co-hosted by HRH, on European human rights standards. The situation for independent media in the Republic of Belarus has worsened since 2001. (22-FEBR-05).
 
 

In September 2004 two leaders of entrepreneurs movement, Valery Levanewski and Aliaksandr Vasilyew, were sentenced to 2 years of colony for insult to Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Nevertheless, the pressurization of entrepreneurs is still not over. Several days ago individual entrepreneurs held nationwide strike of protest against the new agreement between the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus as a result of which many of them can lose their jobs and profits.(15-FEB-2005)

According to the minister of information of Republic of Belarus Uladzimir Rusakevich, in 2004 the ministry suspended the issue of 25 mass media and issued about 160 warnings. In his recent interview to “Interfax” agency he also supported the existence of criminal punisment to journalists for insult of honor and dignity of state officials: — Someday, when the level of the political culture of the society will be much higher, this norm will become unnecessary, but it won’t happen quickly.(15-FEB-05)