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Belarus Headlines XXV.Pub Office for a Democratic Belarus Belarus Headlines Issue XXV March 10 — April 3, 2008 Belarus—the Struggle for Freedom of Expression unbearable author with the help of the conditions English and German transla- Belarusian tions[1]. Baharevich’s sym- Office for a Democratic independent bolic story tells about what media has to may happen when a person is Belarus operate in. She deprived of the possibility to described re- express himself/herself Inside this issue: pressions that freely. There is no politics in her colleagues Alhierd Baharevich’s stories. and she herself He left Belarus, nevertheless, experience over one year ago because of Discussion on 1 In cooperation with the Of- every day. the “suffocating” environ- freedom of fice for a Democratic Bela- ment, unacceptable for an rus, the Hamburg Founda- Factual prove for what the artist. expression in Belarusian journalist was de- Belarus takes tion for Politically Perse- cuted (Hamburger Stiftung scribing came the morning Special guest of the evening, place in für politisch Verfolgte) and after when KGB launched a Vera Rich, a London-based Brussels the Hanse-office in Brussels large-scaled attack on offices journalist and translator, who organized an evening dis- and apartments of the remain- has been involved in Belarus Belarusian 2 cussion on the diffi- for over fifty years, read cult media situation several “Poems of Free- Week in dom” from the book with Strasbourg and problems with freedom of expres- the same title. She also sion in Belarus. read her own poem related Politics and 2-5 to the discussion. society News The event, scheduled on the next day after Freedom is the soul a large-scale demon- Soul in the body’s mystery EU and 5-6 stration in Minsk that Belarus was brutally dis- Which has formed a dream persed by the riot of being 6-7 police, gathered large num- ing independent media outlets Economic ber participants eager to and journalists all over Bela- At liberty News hear about the recent devel- rus. Without suffering opments in Belarus. Repre- 8-9 Natallia’s presentation was «Pesnyary»: sentatives of the European Freedom cannot be… Legends in Commission and the EU followed by readings of writer Alhierd Baharevich, whose Bell-Bottoms Council, members of the (Ryhor Baradulin, trans- European Parliament, activ- poems and short stories re- lataion Vera Rich) ists of non-governmental ceived international recogni- [1] Alhierd Baharecich’s groups and various Euro- tion and have been published texts were presented in Eng- We on the Web pean media came to listen to in many European newspapers lish for the first time. The Natallia Makushyna, a well- and magazines. Mr. Bahare- www.democraticbelarus.eu “The Art of Being a Stut- known Belarusian journalist vich read his short story “The terer” will soon be posted on currently working for the Art of Being a Stutterer” in our web-site. Deutsche Welle radio. Ma- Belarusian while the guests of kushyna spoke about the the event were following the ISSUE XXV BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 2 Belarusian Week in the European Parliament Sakharov Prize laureats of 2004 and Sitnica, as well as a photo exhibit by Ihar 2006, Zhanna Litvina, chairwoman of Krasheuski, began with welcome the Belarusian Association of Journal- speeches of the European Parliament’s ists (BAJ), and Aliaksandr Milinkevich, President Hans-Gert Poettering, EU Com- former presidential candidate and cur- missioner for External Relations and the rently leader of the Movement For European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Freedom, were invited to take part in Ferrero-Waldner, chairman of the EPP- celebrations as well as Ivonka Survika, ED group Joseph Daul, and chairman of the chairwoman of BNR Council of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Jacek Exile and other Belarusian prominent Saryusz-Wolski. On the initiative of the chairman of democratic opposition figures. Delegation on Relations with Bela- Zmitser Vajtsyushkevich, one of the best rus in the European Parliament, Mr The Belarus week was opened with the representatives of the Belarusian music Jacek Protasiewicz (PL), and with screening of “The Day of Freedom”—a scene and his band WZ-Orchestra per- support of the EPP-ED group in the new film by Yury Khashchavatsky, a formed during the cocktail reception that Parliament and the Washington well-known Belarusian film maker. followed the exhibition opening. Belsat TV, which is a new channel of D.C.-based International Republican More photos can be found on our Institute (IRI), celebrations of the the Polish TV working for the Belaru- 90th anniversary of the Belarus De- sian audience, presented the movie. web-site at “Photo gallery session” mocratic Republic (BNR) took place Opening of the exhibition by Belarusian 14/03/2008 in Strasbourg. artists Aliaksej Marachkin and Ryhor Politics and Society Diplomatic Dispute between the US and Belarus On March 12 bassy in Minsk denied the allegation. litical statements and everything else," the Ameri- Working under a Belarusian govern- Vadzim Papou told the news Agency In- can ambassa- ment threat to expel some of its staff terfax. dor to Bela- the embassy stopped issuing visas. rus Karen In his statement the embassy’s temporary Stewart left The Belarusian government asked the head Jonathan Moore stated that, the re- Minsk be- Americans to withdraw some of its 35 lease of all political prisoners would help cause of a diplomatic dispute. A diplomats to avoid expulsions and the to start the process of improving the rela- spokesman at the embassy told that US announced that it was cutting its tions between the US and Belarusian au- the ambassador had not been expelled diplomatic staff in Minsk from 35 to thorities. 17, in line with the request. and her absence was temporary. Ear- The Belarusian Foreign Ministry Head lier Belarus announced it was with- Syarghei Martynau said that “the key to drawing its ambassador to Washing- the improvement of the Belarus-American ton and asked the US to follow suit. relations iwas the abolition of US sanc- The official Minsk accused the US of tions. If it happens, further steps will be violating agreements aimed at normal- made in an absolutely different light". ising diplomatic relations and of tight- ening sanctions on the country's state- However on March 31 Belarus asked for controlled oil-processing and chemi- a second reduction in staffing at the U.S. cals company, Belneftekhim (last year embassy in Minsk. the United States froze the company's The Foreign Ministry said the U.S. meas- assets and barred American compa- Belarusian House of Representatives’ ures had obliged them to reduce staff at nies from doing business with it.) Speaker Andrei Papou Belarus’ embassy in Washington and de- Later the Belarus intelligence service At the same time Speaker of the Cham- manded new cuts at the U.S. embassy in said it uncovered a US spy ring, amid ber of Representatives of Belarusian Minsk. renewed tensions between the US and National Assembly Vadzim Papou said official Minsk. A KGB official con- that U.S.-Belarusian relations will nor- 12/03/2008-31/03/2008 firmed a report on Belarus state TV malize in the future. "I think that the Sources: BBC, Reuters, Interfax which said a US diplomat had re- economic issues will prevail over po- cruited 10 Belarusians. The US em- PAGE 3 BELARUS HEADLINES ISSUE XXV Politics and Society Belarus Riot Police Crush Belarusian People’s Republic Demonstration Dozens of ing by her hair to a waiting police bus. Belarusian opposition An Associated Press reporter saw dozens taken away by po- supporters lice; the Interior Ministry reported more than 80 people de- were detained tained but an official from the Belarusian Helsinki Group, a after clashes human rights body, told the AFP news agency that the num- with riot po- ber was more like 100 activists. lice during a Opposition peaceful dem- groups re- onstration ported that held in Minsk. security agents The government had vowed to prevent any demonstrations arrested activ- on Tuesday, but thousands of people attempted to gather in ists across the a central square that had been blocked off by heavily country before armed police. Tuesday's March 25 is the anniversary of the 1918 declaration of the demonstra- first, short-lived independent Belarusian state, and a tradi- tions. tional day of demonstration by the opposition. Photographer Andrey Lyankevich who was brutally beaten by the Demonstrators waved the country's red and white striped Pholice pre-Soviet era flag and the blue and gold-starred banner of Those detained included a Lithuania TV crew and a Polish the European Union. They chanted "Long Live Belarus!" citizen who was released after several hours. Siamyon as police warned them through loudspeakers that the meet- Pechanko, a reporter for the opposition newspaper Nasha ing was illegal and they should disperse. Authorities had Niva, and photographer Andrei Lyankevich, who was badly only given protesters authorization to gather on Minsk's beaten by the police, were each sentenced to 15 days in jail. outskirts. Earlier the police closed off all roads leading to Yakub Kolas Square, and shut down nearby metro stations, At least 20 people were sentenced to jail time ranging from shops and parking lots. three to 15 days, while another 21 were fined up to $500, according to court records. After about an hour, police began wading into the crowds, beating demonstrators with truncheons and violently haul- 25/03/2008-26/03/2008 ing them away to waiting police trucks. One protester, a Source: The Associated Press, The International Herald middle-aged woman, was tripped and tackled by riot police as she tried to run away. The police then dragged scream- Tribune, The Al-jazira.net Belarusian Journalists Searched Security nection with a 2006 cartoon video that that the real motivation for the searches forces was deemed offensive to President was different.
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