BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

23/07/2007

Unconfirmed Reports Say Belarusian Premier Sacked, Former KGB Chief Arrested

The "Kommersant" daily on July 21 reported that President Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed a decree dismissing Prime Minister Syarhey Sidorski, citing a "well-informed source in the Belarusian leadership." According to the daily, the decree may be published "within the next few days." However, Sidorski's spokesman, Alyaksandr Tsimashenka, told Belapan that "Syarhey Syarheyevich [Sidorski] is in his office. We are working as usual," adding that false rumors about the prime minister's dismissal have emerged in the past. Meanwhile, the Belarusian opposition web site "Belorussky partizan" (http://www.belaruspartisan.org) reported on July 21 that Stsyapan Sukharenka and Vasil Dzemyantsey were arrested on July 20, after they were fired on July 17 from the posts of chairman and first deputy chairman of the Committee for State Security (KGB) (see "RFE/RL Newsline," July 18 and 19, 2007). When asked about the alleged arrests on July 21, an Interior Ministry spokesman said he had no such information, while KGB spokesman Valery Nadtachayeu declined to comment on the report, according to Belapan. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/07/3-cee/cee-230707.asp

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