“Zero per mille” – actions across the country against lies, solidarity with doctors, repressions against Belarusian journalists are gaining momentum, criminal charges brought against Viktar Babaryka
24 November 2020 | BYHelp-Mediagroup
Source: Belarus Feed
Big politics: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya included in the Top 100 most influential women, the EU confers on the situation in Belarus
National leader of Belarus Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was included in the top 100 most influential women of the year according to the BBC.
For its part, the European Parliament will hold an urgent debate on the situation in Belarus on 26 November. The topic of the debate is “Continuing human rights violations in Belarus, in particular, the murder of Raman Bandarenka.” In addition, on 2 December, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee plans to discuss developments in Belarus and how the EU can promote democratic change in the country.
On 24 November, six countries – North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – joined the second package of EU sanctions against Belarusian high-ranking officials.
Lukashenko is going to ban the “glorification of Nazism”
Alexander Lukashenko made an ambiguous statement about the new bill today. Taking into account the fact that official propaganda calls the national white-red-white flag nothing but fascist, presumably it is about an official ban on the symbols of freedom and the rebirth of Belarus. Also in his quote, Lukashenko hinted that neighboring countries support Nazism. “In the near future, our parliament will consider a bill on the inadmissibility of the glorification of Nazism in Belarus. Many countries are committing the sin of so-called glorification. Especially [those] located next to us. But in vain,” the dictator said.
“Zero per mille” – action of solidarity with doctors across the country
An action of solidarity with a detained colleague was held by the doctors of the Minsk Emergency Hospital. The medics stood facing the wall, raised their hands up and held sheets with the inscription “0 ‰” in their hands.
Artsiom Sarokin, an anesthesiologist at an emergency hospital, is in a pre-trial detention center. Artsiom had conveyed to journalists the information that no ethanol was found in Raman Bandarenka’s blood, while the authorities had announced that the murdered Raman was drunk. Artsiom was detained for spreading the truth, which, according to the authorities, compromised the authorities. This is despite the fact that there is documentary evidence of Raman Bandarenka’s sobriety, and his relatives themselves gave permission to disseminate such data.
Following the example of the doctors, people all over the country lined up in similar chains with signs reading “0 ‰”.
Source: TUT.BY
Source: TUT.BY
Source: TUT.BY
TUT.BY employees lined up in the corridor with “0 ‰” signs, the court continues to consider the case on depriving the portal of media status
The independent press is under unprecedented pressure. Journalists are arrested while working at protests – even with IDs, editorial assignments and prominent press vests.
In addition, three journalists are currently charged with criminal offenses.
TUT.BY journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich is suspected of divulging medical secrets, which entails grave consequences. A document was published on TUT.BY indicating that there was no alcohol in the blood of the beaten and deceased Raman Bandarenka.
Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova, journalists of the Belsat TV channel, are suspected of organizing actions that grossly violate public order. They were broadcasting live from the scene of the brutal dispersal of demonstrators by the security forces on the Square of Changes in Minsk on 15 November. Today, contact with Katsiaryna Andreyeva’s husband was lost.
On 24 November, the court continued the consideration of the case against the most popular Internet resource of Belarus – TUT.BY; they want to deprive it of its status as a media outlet. This status allows journalists to attend official events and submit inquiries to government agencies.
International human rights organization Amnesty International, in its public statement, recognized emergency medical services doctor Artsiom Sarokin and TUT.BY journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich as prisoners of conscience and called for their immediate release.
Source: TUT.BY
Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) Telegram channel
The KGB of Belarus accused a former presidential candidate, Viktar Babaryka, of accepting bribes on a large scale from an organized group, as well as money laundering
Source: KYKY
The Investigation Department of the KGB of Belarus has completed the preliminary investigation of a criminal case against top managers of Belgazprombank, including ex-presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka. This is stated in a message published on the website of the Belarusian KGB on Tuesday, 24 November.
As a result, Babaryka was charged under articles on accepting bribes from an organized group on a large scale, as well as on the legalization of funds obtained by criminal means. Despite the fact that the trial of Viktar Babaryka has not yet taken place, the KGB website calls him “the organizer of criminal activity”. Prior to his arrest in mid-June 2020, Viktar Babaryka was considered one of the most serious possible rivals of Alexander Lukashenko in the 9 August presidential elections. However, the Central Election Commission (CEC) did not register his candidacy, and Babaryka was sent to prison even before the elections.
Belarusians may soon be banned from thinking and writing about freedom
A completely curious incident took place in Minsk. Window display decorators of one of the largest stores in the capital had written the word “freedom” in the wish list for the New Year. The decorators were fired, and the word was cut from the composition.
Source: TUT.BY
Recently, the utilities service cut down a model of the Eiffel Tower in one of the courtyards of Minsk because it was painted white and red. However, Belarusians are no longer surprised.
For more information on the events of 24 November 2020, please visit Infocenter Free Belarus 2020:
