n***@please.invalid
2006-03-17 14:04:32 UTC
The following are several links about the Sunday, March 19th persidential
"election" (sic) in Belarus. No one anticipates this to be a "free and
fair" election.
Let us hope the Belarusian authorities are content to rig the vote without
smashing heads.
-- Peter
Here are some news links. Of course, look to Charter 97
(http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/) or RFE/RL
(http://www.rferl.org/featuresarchive/country/belarus.html) for more
detailed reporting:
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/03/belarus-slammed-for-rights-abuses-in.php
PAPER CHASE NEWSBURST
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Belarus slammed for rights abuses in run-up to election
James M Yoch Jr at 2:55 PM ET
[JURIST] Adrian Severin, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in Belarus [official website], censured the Belarusian government
headed by President Alexander Lukashenko [BBC profile] on Thursday for a
series of allegedly abusive tactics ahead of Sunday's presidential
elections. Severin appealed for the release [statement] of Lukashenko's
political opponents and activists, including candidate aides, opposition
supporters, and members of the media, who have been detained and even
beaten. The UN accused Lukashenko's government of a campaign of
intimidation and also reiterated a call for the end of attacks [JURIST
report] on the Belarusian Helsinki Committee [official website], a leading
human rights group whose members have been sentenced for tax evasion.
Meanwhile, the KGB, Belarus' state security service, cautioned protesters
against Lukashenko that they face harsh penalties for participating in
election demonstrations, including the death penalty [AFP report]. KGB
head Stepan Sukhorenko characterized the protests as a "violent coup"
attempt and alleged the involvement of a member of Georgia's parliament in
destabilizing the election. Presidential candidate Alexander Milinkevich
[campaign website], several of whose campaign aides have been arrested in
recent days, urged the KGB to cease intimidating peaceful political
activists and published a list of his aides arrested [list] on his website
Thursday. The US, which, along with the European Union [official website],
openly supports Lukashenko's opponents, also condemned the tactics of
Lukashenko's government, but has not threatened new sanctions. The UN News
Centre has . . .
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/international/europe/17belarus.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
(registration may be necessary to access the NY Times Web site)
March 17, 2006
Days Before Vote, Belarus Cracks Down on Opposition
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
MINSK, Belarus, March 16 -- Days before a presidential election already
seen as unfair, President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko's administration has
intensified the atmosphere of fear and tension, arresting dozens of
campaign workers and other opponents. On Thursday his security chief
warned that any opponents who gathered to protest the election's outcome
could face criminal charges for terrorism. . . . .
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4804358.stm
Last Updated: Thursday, 16 March 2006, 16:03 GMT
Q&A: Belarus presidential polls
Belarus goes to the polls on 19 March to elect a president for the third
time since independence in 1991.
Or search a news gatherer, such as Google, for "Belarus" for more stories:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=belarus&btnG=Search+News
www.Frys.com
"election" (sic) in Belarus. No one anticipates this to be a "free and
fair" election.
Let us hope the Belarusian authorities are content to rig the vote without
smashing heads.
-- Peter
Here are some news links. Of course, look to Charter 97
(http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/) or RFE/RL
(http://www.rferl.org/featuresarchive/country/belarus.html) for more
detailed reporting:
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/03/belarus-slammed-for-rights-abuses-in.php
PAPER CHASE NEWSBURST
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Belarus slammed for rights abuses in run-up to election
James M Yoch Jr at 2:55 PM ET
[JURIST] Adrian Severin, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in Belarus [official website], censured the Belarusian government
headed by President Alexander Lukashenko [BBC profile] on Thursday for a
series of allegedly abusive tactics ahead of Sunday's presidential
elections. Severin appealed for the release [statement] of Lukashenko's
political opponents and activists, including candidate aides, opposition
supporters, and members of the media, who have been detained and even
beaten. The UN accused Lukashenko's government of a campaign of
intimidation and also reiterated a call for the end of attacks [JURIST
report] on the Belarusian Helsinki Committee [official website], a leading
human rights group whose members have been sentenced for tax evasion.
Meanwhile, the KGB, Belarus' state security service, cautioned protesters
against Lukashenko that they face harsh penalties for participating in
election demonstrations, including the death penalty [AFP report]. KGB
head Stepan Sukhorenko characterized the protests as a "violent coup"
attempt and alleged the involvement of a member of Georgia's parliament in
destabilizing the election. Presidential candidate Alexander Milinkevich
[campaign website], several of whose campaign aides have been arrested in
recent days, urged the KGB to cease intimidating peaceful political
activists and published a list of his aides arrested [list] on his website
Thursday. The US, which, along with the European Union [official website],
openly supports Lukashenko's opponents, also condemned the tactics of
Lukashenko's government, but has not threatened new sanctions. The UN News
Centre has . . .
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/international/europe/17belarus.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
(registration may be necessary to access the NY Times Web site)
March 17, 2006
Days Before Vote, Belarus Cracks Down on Opposition
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
MINSK, Belarus, March 16 -- Days before a presidential election already
seen as unfair, President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko's administration has
intensified the atmosphere of fear and tension, arresting dozens of
campaign workers and other opponents. On Thursday his security chief
warned that any opponents who gathered to protest the election's outcome
could face criminal charges for terrorism. . . . .
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4804358.stm
Last Updated: Thursday, 16 March 2006, 16:03 GMT
Q&A: Belarus presidential polls
Belarus goes to the polls on 19 March to elect a president for the third
time since independence in 1991.
Or search a news gatherer, such as Google, for "Belarus" for more stories:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=belarus&btnG=Search+News
www.Frys.com