Office for a Democratic Belarus Belarus Headlines Issue XVI October 3 – 18, 2007 Office for a Democratic Belarus Inside this issue “The Wild Hunt” 1 movie screening in Brussels, Oct 24 Belarus repre- 2 sented at the NATO PA session in Iceland First meeting of 2 CUI takes place in Minsk Special Event on 2 the European March in Brussels Politics and Society 3-4 Economic News 5-6 EU and Belarus 6 Yury Zakharanka, former Minister of Defence, disappeared on May 7, 1999 Viktar Hanchar, former Head of the Central Election Commission, disappeared on Septem- Culture News ber 16, 1999 Anatol Krasowsky, businessman, disappeared on September 16, 1999 together with Viktar Uladzimer Arlou 7-8 Hanchar Time Traveller Dzmitry Zavadsky, journalist, disappeared on July 7, 2000 Henadz Karpenka, former Vice-Speaker of the Parliament, died under mysterious circum- stances on April 6, 1999 ISSUE XVI BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 2 Belarus Represented at the NATO PA Annual Session On October 5-9, Director of the Office its plenary meeting. Sali BERISHA, Prime Minister of Al- for a Democratic Belarus (Brussels), bania. Olga Stuzhinskaya, participated as During the meetings, parliamentarians observer in the NATO Parliamentary were also be briefed by prominent Belarus has not participated in the Assembly Annual session in Reykja- world experts and policy-makers on NATO PA since 1997, when the status vik, Iceland. Iran and nuclear proliferation; security of Associate Member (granted in 1991) in South East Europe; Islam in the was suspended as a result of the in- About 350 legislators from NATO Caucasus; the relationship between creasingly undemocratic activities of member, partner and observer coun- intelligence, terrorism and the preser- the Lukashenka regime. On 25 March tries, including delegations from Af- vation of civil liberties; the prospects 2006, the Assembly's Standing Commit- ghanistan, Algeria, Israel, Japan, Ka- for a new Strategic Concept for tee adopted a declaration which zakhstan and Pakistan, met to discuss NATO; and India’s economic develop- strongly condemned human rights vio- major security issues on the Alliance’s ment. lations and abuses against opposition Agenda. candidates and called upon nations "to The plenary session was addressed by actively support the democratic forces Policy statements on Afghanistan, the NATO PA's President, José LELLO, and promote the development of civil Western Balkans, missile defence, the Speaker of the Icelandic Parlia- society in Belarus". NATO's next round of enlargement, ment, Sturla BÖDVARSSON, and climate change, and the Alliance’s re- Geir Haarde, Prime Minister of Ice- 10/10/2007 lations with Russia, were discussed in land. The session was marked by the the Assembly’s 5 committees and pre- presence of NATO Secretary General Source: www.nato-pa.int, sented for adoption by the Assembly in Jaap DE HOOP SCHEFFER and Office for a Democratic Belarus First Meeting of the Council for European Integration (CUI) Took Place in Minsk On October 10 in Minsk the first meet- tended the event and declared their initiative expressed also Zhanna Lit- ing of the CEI took place under the membership in the Council: Lyudmila vina, Alena Makouskaya, Uladzimir chairmanship of Aliaksandr Milinke- Hraznova, Ina Kulei, Tatsiana Procka, Arlou, Lyavon Barshcheuski, Tadeush vich. Valyantsin Akudovich, Ales Ant- Gavin, Andrei Dynko, Pavel Marozau, sipenka, Maxim Zhbankou, Mikhal Uladzimir Navasyad, Aleh Novikau, The Council for European Integration Zaleski, Viktar Karnyaenka, Ihar Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Paval Sevyary- – is a public coordinative and advisory Lyalkou, Ales Mikhalevich, Pyotra nets, Vital Silitski, Olga Stuzhinskaya, body, the aim of which is to promote Martsau, Ivan Nikitchanka, Vya- Stanislau Shushkevich. and facilitate integration of Belarus chaslau Paznyak, Ihar Rynkevich, An- into the common European economic drei Fyodarau, Vyachaslau Kha- The list of the Council members re- and political space. The final goal is dasouski. The discussion focused on mains open for the other Belarusian Belarus’ membership in the European the nature of the Council’s activities, politicians, scientists, experts, civic Union. its future plans and their implementa- activists and cultural figures, who sup- port the European choice for Belarus. Well-known figures from the pro- tion. democratic movement in Belarus at- Their support and the wish to join the 12/10/2007 Source: milinkevich.org Special Event on the European March in Brussels in Minsk, during which our guests proposals and to share the values of free were able to follow the demonstration and democratic Europe. in Belarus directly via Internet and mobile phone. Attendance of the event and the great interest shown by the Brussels-based Representatives of the EU institutions, community to the European March un- Brussels-based non-governmental derlined the interest of Europe towards organizations and the Belarusian com- Belarus and the hope for future democ- munity living in Belgium came to- ratic developments. gether in order to show their solidarity with the people of Belarus who came On October 14, the Office for a De- out to the streets of Minsk. The dem- 14/10/2007 mocratic Belarus organized a special onstrators once again declared the event dedicated to the European March strive of Belarusians to accept the EU Office for a democratic Belarus PAGE 3 BELARUS HEADLINES ISSUE XVI Politics and Society Belarusian Lower House Elects New Head Belarus Dashes Veshnyakov's CIS Hopes The Chamber of Representa- Former chairman of the Russian kov became known in June but his tives on October 2 elected Central Elections Committee candidacy was not discussed at the Vadzim Papou as its chair- Alexander Veshnyakov's candi- summit in St. Petersburg that man, Belapan reported. The dacy for executive secretary of month. election followed the resig- the Commonwealth of Independ- nation of Uladzimir Kanaplyou from the post last ent States will not be discussed at Alexander Lukashenko told Rus- month. Papou, who is 67 years old, already the CIS summit in Dushanbe sian President Vladimir Putin and headed the Chamber of Representatives in 2000- because Belarus remains opposed Kazakh President Noursultan 04. Before that, he served in various managerial to his appointment to that post. A Nazarbaev in St. Petersburg that he posts in the agricultural sector in Mahilyou consensus is required for the ap- was categorically opposed to Voblast. He was appointed deputy agriculture pointment. Moscow's plan to Veshnyakov's appointment. Efforts minister in 1999 and served as agriculture minis- replace current CIS head and to sway the Lukashenko were un- ter for a short stint in 2000. former Russian interior minister successful. Vladimir Rushailo with Veshnya- 03/10/2007 Source: Radio Free Europe 04/10/2007 Source: Kommersant Milinkevich Honoured at Forum 2000 Iran-Belarus Parliaments Emphasized on Expansion of Ties bogen. The award has been named after his mother, a Prague German who spent Belarus National Assembly Coun- years with her family in the post-war di- cil chairman said the executing 25 vided Germany and married an American agreements between Iran and Bela- army soldier. rus prepares the ground for further cooperation of the two countries. The award was established with the goal to contribute to overcoming barriers Gennadz Navitsky in his meeting among nations and people. with Iran's parliament speaker on the sideline of the 117th inter- The previous winners usually gave the Belarusian opposition leader Alexander parliamentary union meeting money that goes with the award to young added that the two countries had Milinkevich on Monday received Hanno people. Milinkevich has decided to give it R.Ellenbogen Citizenship Award that he many constructive joint investment to his dissident collegaue Paval Sieviary- plans. said he perceived as a recognition of the nets, the founder of the opposition Mal- Belarusian opposition democratic effort. ady Front (Young Front) organisation. The prize was presented to Milinkevich 09/10/2007 09/10/2007 by director of the Prague Society for International Cooperation Marc Ellen- Source: The Prague Daily Monitor Source: ISNA Arrests and Trials Ahead of the European March Police began the crack down on the opposition across Bela- place behind the closed doors. rus ahead of the European March on October 14 in Minsk. In Brest, a local court on October 11 sentenced Inga The human rights center Viasna reported in the morning of Abramava, a civil activist, to 5 days of arrest. She was October 11 that 18 activists were arrested and charged, but charged with cursing. Yurka Bakura, arrested together with the figure increased in the evening. Abramava, was sentenced by Judge Siarhey Berazyuk to 10 days of arrest. In Hrodna, judge Dzmitry Myatsyuk of Leninski district court sentenced Ihar Bantsar, a journalist and a member of For full text, please see: the Union of Poles to 10 days of administrative arrest. http://democraticbelarus.eu/node/2544 Anzhalika Borys, the leader of the unregistered Union of Poles, received a fine of Br460,000 ($230). The trials took Source: ERB ISSUE XVI BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 4 Politics and Society Lukashenko: Belarus in Talks to Sell Weapons to Venezuela Belarus President Alexandr Lukashenko "are engaged in negotiations Friday said that Minsk is negotiating with about military and technical co- Caracas the sale of Belarus weapons to operation," but questioned the Venezuela, but he refused elaborating on amount of the reported arms sale likely contracts. agreement. Commenting on press reports claiming that Lukashenko hailed Venezuela's Belarus and Venezuela are initiating a 1 support to Belarus in "critical billion USD arms sale agreement, Luka- times." He reminded that when shenko stated, "this issue is absolutely secret" . Belarus needed money, Hugo Chavez' government granted them loans immediately, as well as on oilfield to pump crude "Russia is selling weapons to Venezuela, and we will coop- oil in Venezuela, amidst a recent energy conflict between erate with that country too, to the extent of our possibili- Minsk and Moscow.