EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - April 18, 2006

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SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - April 18, 2006


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1. The following are brief items of interest compiled by
Embassy Minsk.

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Post Elections
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2. Milinkevich in Germany

Former 10+ Coalition presidential candidate Aleksandr
Milinkevich on an April 7 trip to Berlin met with German
Chancellor Angela Merkel, Deputy Foreign Minister Gernot Erler,
Head of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee Rupert
Polenz, and the Christian Democratic Union.


3. Chernobyl March Planned

Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front Viktor
Ivashkevich on April 7 told independent news source Belapan
that there was "no point" in asking authorities for permission
to stage the annual opposition march Charnobylski Shlyakh (Path
of Chernobyl) in downtown Minsk on April 26. However, on April
11, the organizers applied for permission to stage a 1000-
person march, but vowed it would happen with or without the
authorities' permission. In a written appeal on his website,
Milinkevich urged the public to gather on October Square on
April 26 to protest the GOB's policies regarding the Chernobyl
accident.


4. Rewards for Pro-Lukashenko Pop Stars

Lukashenko on April 10 awarded the Francisk Skaryna Order to
pop singers who performed at his "For Belarus" re-election
campaign concerts. Awards went to Nadezhda Babkina and Nikolai
Baskov of Russia, Nikolai Gnatyuk of Ukraine, Anatoly
Yarmolenko of Belarus, and Belarusian composer Vasily Rainchik
and conductor Mikhail Finberg. Belarusian singer Anzhelika
Agurbash was given the Honored Artist of the Republic of
Belarus award.


5. Demonstration In Front of Russian Embassy

On April 16, over 100 people staged a 30-minute demonstration
near the Russian Embassy to protest Moscow's support of
Lukashenko. The demonstration also marked the Day of
Solidarity, which recognizes imprisoned activists and remembers
disappeared opposition members and their families.
Demonstrators stood silent holding candles while security
services watched. The demonstration disbanded without police
interference.


6. Prosecutor Denies Abuse of Journalists

The Minsk Prosecutor's Office on April 17 denied authorities
violated the rights of journalists detained during the March 21-
24 street protests. According to the Prosecutor's Office,
journalists were immediately supplied with hot meals and beds
and their relatives notified of their arrest. The statement
was a response to the Belarusian Association of Journalists'
(BAJ) complaint that journalists were abused. According to a
BAJ legal expert, the Prosecutor's reply was identical to the
Minsk City Police Department's response to the same complaint.
Journalists who were detained and released could only laugh at
the Prosecutor's reply.


7. Protest Against Nuclear Power Plant

Environmentalists and activists of several NGOs on April 19 in
Bangalore Square plan to protest GOB plans to build a nuclear
power plant (NPP) in Belarus. Spokesperson for the anti-NPP
campaign Marina Korovai said demonstrators would urge the GOB
to use energy efficient technologies and renewable sources
instead of nuclear energy. She and her fellow activists call
"safe" and "clean" nuclear power a myth. The demonstration
comes on the heels of PM Sergei Sidorsky's April 17
announcement that the GOB was seriously considering building an
NPP in Belarus. The Minsk authorities gave permission to hold
the demonstration.

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Human Rights
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8. Committee for Support of Political Victims

By April 7, over 100 people applied for assistance from the
committee for political victims, spearheaded by 10+ Coalition
candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich's wife Inna Kulei. Most
applicants are students who were expelled from Belarusian
universities before and following the elections. With the
committee's help, these students would be able to continue

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their education in Lithuania, Slovakia, or Poland. The
committee also provides material assistance and legal and
medical aid to families of jailed opposition activists.


9. Judge Throws Out Lebedko's Slander Suit

On April 10, a Minsk District Judge threw out leader of the
United Civic Party Anatoly Lebedko's slander suit against the
state-owned Belarusian Television Network (BT). Lebedko filed
the suit against BT for remarks in its propaganda film "The
Theory of Conspiracy. The Managed Chaos," which showed footage
of Lebedko in a conversation with Georgian MPs accompanied by a
voiceover of Lebedko allegedly planning to "bring a mad crowd
to the streets" and would not "stop at thousands of victims."
Lebedko was seeking USD 465,000 in damages until the judge
ruled that BT's voiceover was similar to the content of the
actual conversation between Lebedko and the MPs and, therefore,
did not defame the politician.


10. Investigation Into Journalist Beating

A Minsk District Court on April 10 opened an investigation into
the security services' March 2 beating of Komsomolskaya Pravda
journalist Oleg Ulevich. Ulevich was beaten after taking
pictures of police arresting opposition activists outside the
Oktyabrsky police station. He was later hospitalized with a
concussion and broken nose. Those responsible for Ulevich's
beating would be charged with "causing bodily harm with intent"
and could serve up to three years in jail. Ulevich, however,
believes that all officers will be cleared of wrongdoing.


11. Activist On Hunger Strike, Five Protesters Jailed

Conservative Christian Party (CCP) activist Anatoly Kulik of
Novopolotsk on April 8 went on a hunger strike to protest
Lukashenko's inauguration and security services' violence. He
plans to continue the strike for two weeks. Meanwhile, a Minsk
judge sentence five CCP activists to jail for participating in
an April 7 Minsk demonstration protesting Lukashenko's re-
election. Deputy chairman of the CCP Yury Belenky, Ilya
Shimansky and Vladimir Nikolayev were sentence to 15 days and
Eduard Bodiy and Vladimir Bogach were sentenced to 10 days.


12. Murdered Journalist's Son Given Suspended Sentence

A Minsk district judge on April 11 sentenced Anton Filimonov,
the 16-year-old son of murdered journalist Veronika Cherkasova,
to a suspended prison term of 2.5 years with two years
probation for counterfeiting. Filimonov's three friends were
given the same sentence. All four boys admitted to making fake
banknotes and buying cigarettes with them, but claimed they did
it to test the performance of their computer equipment and not
for profit. They are not allowed to travel abroad and could
serve time in prison should they break another law while on
probation. Filimonov was arrested on December 27 and only
released on bail on March 13. According to his relatives,
during his detention authorities repeatedly tried to force
Filimonov to confess to killing his mother.


13. Fugitive Businessman Captured

Minsk police on April 8 captured fugitive businessman Nikolai
Avtukhovich after being on the run for more than two months.
Avtukhovich was arrested on October 14 for allegedly failing to
pay USD 315,000 in taxes for his taxi business. He said his
case was politically motivated and immediately went on a hunger
strike. In December, he was moved to house arrest because his
weakened condition prevented him from standing for more than a
couple of minutes at a time. He escaped on February 9, the
first day of his trial.


14. Flash Mob Arrested

Plainclothes riot police on April 12 arrested 12 members of a
flash mob who gathered in downtown Minsk to release balloons
with portraits of Lukashenko in protest to his re-election.
The event was announced on the internet, thereby alerting the
police who were waiting for the mob at the site.


15. Six Years For Graffiti

Authorities on April 17 opened a criminal case against youth
opposition activist Artur Finkevich for "grave hooliganism"
resulting from his January arrest for spray-painting anti-
Lukashenko graffiti on buildings. If convicted, Finkevich
could face up to six years in jail. Activist Boris Goretsky
told Belapan that Finkevich was in a pre-trial detention center
while authorities gathered evidence. According to Goretsky,
prosecutors plan to blame Finkevich for numerous graffiti, many
which are not his and some dating back to 2001, allegedly
totaling USD 16,000 in damages.

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16. Kozulin Demonstration Crashed by Neo-Nazis

A group of 15 skinheads attacked three supporters of jailed
presidential candidate Aleksandr Kozulin who were staging a
demonstration on April 17 at Bangalore Square. The skinheads
shouted, "Lukashenko is our president" and "Kozulin is a
criminal" as they tore the supporters' banners, burned their
leaflets, and destroyed a stand displaying Kozulin's image.
The skinheads left when police were called.

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Economy
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17. GOB Transforms Nine State Companies To Joint-Stock Ventures

The GOB on April 7 announced it would transform nine federal-
controlled state enterprises and 30 local government-controlled
enterprises into stock corporations. As of January 1, there
were 4,636 stock corporations in Belarus, including 1,818
public stock corporations and 2,818 close corporations, with
the state owning 68.5 percent of the total stock. Only 270
stock corporations have no state-owned shares.


18. Average Pay Down in 2006

The Ministry of Statistics and Analysis on April 7 announced
that real average pay dropped 8.1 percent from USD 261.2 in
December to USD 244.2 in February. Consumer prices, however,
increased 1.5 percent in the same time period. [Comment: A
reason for this decrease is that the GOB raised salaries
sharply in December to get good end-of-the-year numbers. It is
not a sign of impending collapse.]


19. Lukashenko With Lebanese Bankers

Lukashenko on April 11 in Minsk met with the president of the
Lebanese bank group Fransabank Adnan Kassar to discuss economic
cooperation, including Fransabank investments in Belarus'
economy and joint projects. Kassar said the high revenue the
Middle East accumulated due to high oil prices needed to be
invested in countries with economic and political stability,
such as Belarus. Lukashenko commented that Belarus was eager
to work with rich foreign investors to carry out joint projects
in third countries.

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International Relations
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20. GOB Denies Polish Diplomat Was Beaten To Death

According to the Ministry of the Interior on April 7, the
Grodno police did not receive any reports that the 63-year-old
Polish Vice Consul Ryszard Badon-Lehr was assaulted. Badon-
Lehr was found March 22 unconscious in his Grodno apartment
with bruises on his body and traces of an electric shocker.
The diplomat later died on March 25 in a hospital in Poland
after undergoing surgery for a brain hematoma. The Ministry of
the Interior determined Badon-Lehr had died from a stroke in
the hospital. Polish authorities have begun an investigation.


21. Doctors Deny Former Polish Ambassador Beaten

On Minsk 7, doctors at Minsk's First Clinical Hospital claimed
Polish Ambassador Mariusz Maszkiewicz had no bruises on his
body when admitted to the hospital. Maszkiewicz was arrested
on March 24 on October Square when security forces razed the
tent city the opposition youth had erected. He was sentenced
to 15 days in jail, but two days later he was taken to the
hospital after suffering chest pains. Maszkiewicz claims
security forces beat him while detained.


22. China Wants Greater Cooperation

Chief of the People's Liberation Army of China Liang Guanglie
on April 11 in Beijing told visiting Chief of Belarus' armed
forces Sergey Gurulev that both countries should maintain
friendly military relations, deepen cooperation, and increase
exchanges. Guanglie noted the countries' long-term stability,
mutual trust, and coordination and their strategic coordination
on international affairs. Gurulev added that Belarus would
support China's national reunification (with Taiwan) and hoped
to enhance cooperation among the armed forces.


23. Syria and Belarus Good Friends

During the third session of the Joint Syria-Belarus Committee
for Technical and Economic Cooperation in Damascus on April 12,
the Belarusian Minister of Economy Nikolai Zaichenko called

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Syria a "strategic partner," noted historical ties linking the
two "friendly" countries, and hoped the committee meetings
would increase their economic ties. Zaichenko expressed
Belarus' interest in increasing trade and building investment
projects and cited the commodities and services it was giving
Syria. Syrian Minister of Economy Amer Lutfi claimed his
government was ready to boost economic and political ties with
Belarus.


24. Iranian Delegation To Arrive In Minsk

The MFA on April 12 announced that an Iranian delegation led by
Commerce Minister Masud Mir-Kazemi is scheduled to arrive in
Minsk on April 19-22 to take part in the seventh session of the
Belarusian-Iranian Commission for Economic Cooperation. The
delegation is expected to hold talks with MP Sidorsky, Industry
Minister Anatoly Rusetsky, and Foreign Minister Sergei
Martynov. Issues to be discussed include bilateral trade,
economic and investment ties, culture, science, education and
healthcare.


25. Clinton Bench at Kurapaty Damaged Again

On April 12, BelaPan reported that the Clinton Bench, a granite
monument donated by former President Clinton in 1994 and
located at the Kurapaty Stalin-era massacre site outside of
Minsk, was vandalized. In 2001, unidentified persons
vandalized the bench, resulting in it being replaced in 2002.
The replacement included a bronze wreath as a symbol of
Belarus' repentance for failing to save the monument from being
vandalized. In November 2005, vandals removed the bench's
granite slab from its concrete supports and splashed paint on
it. An investigation into the incident was suspended for lack
of evidence. In the latest attack, someone stole the bronze
wreath. The Ministry of Culture on April 14 said the GOB was
not obliged to protect objects on government-protected
property.


26. Belarus Returns Ambassador to Warsaw

Belarusian Ambassador to Poland Pavel Latushko returned to
Warsaw on April 14 after completing nearly three weeks of
consultations. Latushko was recalled to Minsk on March 31 amid
a row over the detainment of a former Polish Ambassador and the
death of the Polish Vice Consul. Poland's designated
ambassador to Belarus, Henryk Litwin, who was appointed in mid-
February, remains in Poland until further notice.

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Miscellaneous
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27. Many New Doctors Assigned To Chernobyl Zone

The Ministry of Health on April 7 announced that 95 percent of
all doctor positions in state healthcare institutions (except
dental clinics) were filled by late 2005. Of the 1,646 medical
students expected to graduate in 2006, 320 are to be assigned
to the Chernobyl-affected area. The average monthly wage for
medical staff is USD 246 and USD 103 for recent graduates.


28. Lithuania Stops Transmitting Belarus TV

Lithuania's cable companies on April 13 stopped transmitting
Belarus TV, a satellite version of the state-owned Belarusian
television (BT) network because of the program's
"misinformation" about Lithuania and the European Union.
Deputy chairman of the Radio and Television Commission Audrius
Matonis said the move was to maintain the state's self respect.
The Belarusian MFA condemned the move as a violation of
bilateral agreements.

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Quote of the Week
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29. On an April 14 trip to Grodno, Lukashenko denied rumors of poor
health and claimed he was not taking medication:

"That is why it is useless for anyone to create some kind of
sensation out of this. Do not worry, I will stay alive. Nothing
was and is being done without the President's knowledge, including
the liquidation of the gay blue encampments [Tent city razing on
March 24]. The situation in our country was and is under my full
control. We are forming the government and designing its new
structure."

PHLIPOT