THE HUNT FOR JOURNALISTS CONTINUES
Yesterday, during the march, journalists doing their job were again detained.
Dmitry Dmitriev (Novy Chas newspaper) was detained and beaten. “He managed to tell his wife by phone that press secretary Volha Chamadanava said that Dmitriev would be treated on a common basis, despite the fact that he is a journalist,” the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reports.
Dzmitryi Saltan (an operator of the Belsat TV channel), according to eyewitnesses, was also beaten: they beat him during arrest, beat him in the paddy wagon, then beat him on the head with a video camera, the video camera was broken, according to the BAJ report.
According to the association of journalists, at least 6 media representatives were detained yesterday.
But the employees of the leading Internet publications of Belarus BelaPAN and TUT.BY Vadim Zamirovsky and Vsevolod Zarubin were released yesterday. They served 14 days of arrest for working during one of the protests.
Yesterday, during the march, journalists doing their job were again detained.
Dmitry Dmitriev (Novy Chas newspaper) was detained and beaten. “He managed to tell his wife by phone that press secretary Volha Chamadanava said that Dmitriev would be treated on a common basis, despite the fact that he is a journalist,” the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reports.
Dzmitryi Saltan (an operator of the Belsat TV channel), according to eyewitnesses, was also beaten: they beat him during arrest, beat him in the paddy wagon, then beat him on the head with a video camera, the video camera was broken, according to the BAJ report.
According to the association of journalists, at least 6 media representatives were detained yesterday.
But the employees of the leading Internet publications of Belarus BelaPAN and TUT.BY Vadim Zamirovsky and Vsevolod Zarubin were released yesterday. They served 14 days of arrest for working during one of the protests.
More people are joining the strike in Belarus. Over the past few days, six employees of Belarusian Steel Works (Zhlobin) have joined the strike. Some of them are already fired.
Besides, six Belaruskali employees in Soligorsk have been striking too. One of them, Vyacheslav Borodich is a year and a half away from retiring after being in the workforce for 33 years.
Meanwhile, Naftan [Belarus' leading oil refinery] management has redeployed its employees to replace striking workers of rebellious Hrodna Azot.
Besides, six Belaruskali employees in Soligorsk have been striking too. One of them, Vyacheslav Borodich is a year and a half away from retiring after being in the workforce for 33 years.
Meanwhile, Naftan [Belarus' leading oil refinery] management has redeployed its employees to replace striking workers of rebellious Hrodna Azot.
The Coordination Council has published a leaked document that allegedly contains partial draft of government’s proposals to amend the Constitution of Belarus. According to the document published by the Coordination Council, with the new Constitution:
⦁ People are deprived of the right to strike as a way of expressing a political position.
⦁ People will lose everyone's right to free medical care.
⦁ People will lose the right to guaranteed annual paid leave.
⦁ Even more restrictions will be applied on political parties.
⦁ The priority of international treaties over the national law will be approved.
The document does not mention the presidential terms, the redistribution of presidential powers or the strengthening of the role of parliament. Recently the deadline for accepting proposals on amendments to the Constitution was extended.
⦁ People are deprived of the right to strike as a way of expressing a political position.
⦁ People will lose everyone's right to free medical care.
⦁ People will lose the right to guaranteed annual paid leave.
⦁ Even more restrictions will be applied on political parties.
⦁ The priority of international treaties over the national law will be approved.
The document does not mention the presidential terms, the redistribution of presidential powers or the strengthening of the role of parliament. Recently the deadline for accepting proposals on amendments to the Constitution was extended.
“THIS IS NOT TRUE! THIS IS NOT TRUE! THERE WAS NO SUCH THING!”
Yesterday, the head of the Upper house of Parliament Natalya Kachanava met with representatives of strike committees and initiative students at the country's main university, the Belarusian State University.
During the event, Natalya Kachanava said: “The way the votes were distributed [in the elections] is true,” and regarding the injuries during the detentions in mid-August: “This is not true! This is not true! There was no such thing. There was no such thing. Listen to me guys. Everything you read on the Internet ... Not a single fact of rape, uterine rupture, or anything else was recorded. Not a single one! If you do not believe me, I will invite the Minister of Health to come to you,” Kachanava said emotionally.
Yesterday, the head of the Upper house of Parliament Natalya Kachanava met with representatives of strike committees and initiative students at the country's main university, the Belarusian State University.
During the event, Natalya Kachanava said: “The way the votes were distributed [in the elections] is true,” and regarding the injuries during the detentions in mid-August: “This is not true! This is not true! There was no such thing. There was no such thing. Listen to me guys. Everything you read on the Internet ... Not a single fact of rape, uterine rupture, or anything else was recorded. Not a single one! If you do not believe me, I will invite the Minister of Health to come to you,” Kachanava said emotionally.
On 3 November, Vladimir Astapenko was relieved of his post as Ambassador of Belarus to Argentina and in addition to Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru in connection with committing an offense incompatible with being in the diplomatic service. Astapenko himself twice asked to fire him due to Lukashenka's lack of international legitimacy. On taking the leave the diplomat spread a white-red-white flag and wished the Belarusians to win over.
The morning in Salihorsk (a mining town where Belaruskalii hosts) began with a solidarity chain rally of medical staff. They wrote their demands on posters: to restore all expelled students, stop detentions, and give truthful information about the situation with coronavirus in Belarus.