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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 000521 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - May 12, 2006 
 
Ref: Minsk 459 
 
MINSK 00000521  001.12 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by 
Embassy Minsk. 
 
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Civil Society 
------------- 
 
¶2.  Zubr Leader Nikita Sasim Sentenced to Three Months in Jail 
 
On May 12, Zubr youth leader Nikita Sasim was sentenced in 
Baranichsky Regional Court to three months arrest for draft 
evasion.  Sasim had received a waiver from military service due 
to head injuries caused by police during a peaceful protest in 
September 2005.  Sasim spent two months in pre-trial detention, 
which counts as time served. 
 
¶3.  Kalyakin and Vyachorka Released, Ready to Continue Struggle 
 
On May 11, a Minsk police vehicle brought Sergei Kalyakin, 
leader of the Belarusian Party of Communists, and Vintsuk 
Vyachorka, leader of the Belarusian Popular Front, home after 
they served 14 and 15 days, respectively, for participating in 
an unauthorized opposition demonstration commemorating the 
twentieth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. 
Journalists were unable to speak with Kalyakin and Vyachorka 
upon their release since police freed them 30 minutes early. 
Kalyakin later returned to the Okrestina Street detention 
center to speak with journalists.  Kalyakin said that 
conditions in the jail had been normal but that he and other 
opposition leaders were put in separate cells a few days after 
detention.  Kalyakin stated, "Probably authorities were afraid 
that we would devise a plan to fight the regime.but such a plan 
does exist and we will carry on our struggle." 
 
¶4.  Lebedko, Twelve Others Detained Before Demonstration 
 
On May 12, Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the United Civic Party, 
was released three hours after police detained him at 6 p.m. as 
he traveled to Oktyabrskaya Square to participate in a 
demonstration commemorating the anniversary of the 1999 
disappearance of Yury Zakharenko.  Police dispersed the 
demonstration when several people displayed images of 
Zakharenko and jailed opposition politicians and activists 
including Sergei Kalyakin, Aleksandr Bukhvostov, and Nikita 
Sasim.  Police also detained twelve others before the 
demonstration and later released them. 
 
¶5.  Ten Youths Reported Arrested after Meeting with Milinkevich 
 
On May 12, police arrested and later released ten youth activists 
at a public bus stop following their meeting with opposition leader 
Aleksandr Milinkevich near the detention center on Okrestina Street 
from which he was released earlier that day.  Milinkevich had 
returned to Okrestina Street four hours after his release to meet 
with several dozen supporters.  The police declared the gathering 
to be unauthorized and made the arrests. 
 
¶6.  Police search Lew Sapeha Foundation and Home of Deputy Head 
 
On May 11, policed searched the Grodno office of Belarus' Lew 
Sapeha Foundation officially connected to a criminal case opened in 
March against four members of Partnyorstvo (Partnership), an 
unregistered group that tried to organize independent observation 
in March's presidential election. With a search warrant issued by 
the Minsk City Prosecutor's Office, police also searched the 
apartment of Vladimir Khilmanovich, deputy chairman of the Lew 
Sapeha Foundation, and seized computer equipment and documents. Two 
years ago, police searched Mr. Khilmanovich's home and seized 
computer equipment, which they returned three months later. 
 
------------ 
Human Rights 
------------ 
 
¶7.  Helsinki Committee Chair Detained, Report Seized at Airport 
 
On May 12, border officials barred human rights NGO Belarusian 
Helsinki Committee (BHC) chairwoman Tatiana Protko from 
traveling abroad as she attempted to board an airplane for 
Germany to deliver a report on Belarus.  The border guards 
prevented her from departing while police seized the BHC human 
rights report and a documentary about the recent presidential 
elections from her.  The authorities released Protko without 
charges after she missed her flight.  She claimed the illegal 
detention was a GOB effort to prevent BHC from providing 
information about the human rights situation in Belarus to the 
international community.  Protko was allowed to travel the next 
day. 
 
 
MINSK 00000521  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
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Elections 
--------- 
 
¶8.  Local Election Date May Be Announced in November 
 
On May 11, Nikolai Lozovik, secretary of the Central Election 
Commission, said that the date of Belarusian local elections 
must be announced in November. According to Lozovik, three 
months are required to prepare for elections and the elections 
must be held no later than one month before the current elected 
councils' mandate runs out under the country's Electoral Code. 
Therefore, local elections must be held before February 2, 
¶2007. 
 
----------------------- 
International Relations 
----------------------- 
 
¶9.  Belarus and China Seek More IT Cooperation 
 
On May 10, the Chinese ambassador to Belarus, Wu Hong Bin, said 
that Zhong Xing Telecommunications Corporation (ZTE) has made a 
first step in developing IT cooperation between China and 
Belarus.  ZTE donated more than USD one million of equipment to 
a training center at Higher State Communications College in 
Minsk. Ambassador Wu expressed hope that the IT sector will 
accelerate economic growth in Belarus.  According to the 
Belarusian ambassador to China, Anatoly Tozik, Belarusian- 
Chinese relations have reached a serious and strategic level. 
According to Tozik, two Belarusian banks, Belarusbank and 
Belvneshekonombank, expect to open offices in China later this 
year for financing joint projects. [Note: Lukashenko previously 
ordered his government to open bank branches in China.] 
 
¶10.  Belarus Wants More Cooperation with Israel 
 
Deputy Foreign Minister Viktor Gaisenok announced that Belarus 
is interested in closer cooperation with Israel through top- 
level contacts and international organizations. Gaisenok 
suggested expanded economic, scientific, technical and 
environmental relations and proposed cooperation between 
Belarus and Israel in fighting terrorism.  The Israeli 
Ambassador to Belarus, Zeev Ben Arie, reportedly was open to 
expanded cooperation, particularly in agriculture.  [Note:  The 
government of Belarus is currently strengthening its already 
close ties with Syria and Iran, while it allows a Palestinian 
AuthoriTy "embassy" to operate in Minsk.] 
 
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Economy 
------- 
 
¶11.  Belarus' VAT May Rise to 21% to Cover Gas Prices 
 
On May 11, the Belarusian Finance Ministry proposed raising 
Belarus' Value-Added Tax (VAT) from 18% to 21% in 2007 to 
compensate for losses caused by the expected three-fold rise in 
prices of Russian gas.  The rise in the VAT rate will allow the 
government to form a reserve of about 1.22 trillion Belarusian 
rubles, the equivalent USD 560-570 million, most likely to 
subsidize gas for certain customers. 
 
¶12.  Belarusian Gasoline Prices Increase 2.5% 
 
On May 10, the Belarusian State Petrochemical Concern 
(Belneftekhim) raised wholesale and retail prices of gasoline 
and diesel fuel by an average 2.5%. Depending on grade, 
Belneftekhim sells gasoline at 1,200-1,720 rubles (between 50 
and 75 US cents) per liter.  Belneftekhim last raised gasoline 
prices on January 11. 
 
------------- 
Health Issues 
------------- 
 
¶13.  300 New Cases of HIV Since Beginning of the Year 
 
On May 11, Mikhail Rimzha, Deputy Minister of Health, said that 
almost 300 new HIV cases have been recorded in Belarus since 
January 1; 7,309 people were diagnosed HIV positive as of May 1 
compared with 7,014 at the end of 2005.  More than 1,500 people 
with AIDS have already died in Belarus.  According to Mr. Rimzha, 
teenagers have begun listening to warnings about the risks of HIV 
infection.  He advocated involvement of young people in 
implementing health promotion projects on the grounds that peer 
education is much more effective than lectures from adults. 
 
¶14.  More Than One Million Belarusians Have Drinking Problems 
 
On May 12, Vladimir Maksimchuk, the chief addictions officer in the 
 
MINSK 00000521  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Belarusian Health Ministry, said that about one million people in 
Belarus have drinking problems. Maksimchuk said that 171,000 
people, including 39,000 women, have been officially diagnosed with 
alcohol addiction and 60,000 others risk develkping addiction. 
However, he estimated that the actual number may be as high as one 
million. According to Maksimchuk, there are also 10,000 registered 
drug addicts in the country.  [Note: Belarus' population is just 
under 10 million.] 
 
----------------- 
Quote of the Week 
----------------- 
 
¶15.  On May 12, while speaking to a gathering of residents in the 
Mogilev region of Belarus on Friday, Aleksandr Lukashenko promised 
housing incentives to encourage women to mother more children. 
Lukashenko explained, "If a woman knows that an apartment will cost 
5@percent less after the birth of the third child and will be 
given for free after the birth of the fifth child, she will give 
birth to more children." 
 
KROL