BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

15/01/2008

Belarusian Authorities Jail Another Small-Business Activist

A district court in Minsk on January 14 sentenced Syarhey Parsyukevich, an entrepreneur based in Vitsyebsk, to 15 days in jail for his participation in a January 10 protest against restrictions on the activities of small businesses, Belapan and RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported. Police detained Parsyukevich on January 13 in Vitsyebsk. Dozens of other businesspeople in the town who learned of Parsyukevich's detention later arrived at the police station and submitted a petition protesting against his arrest. That evening, police took Parsyukevich to Minsk, where he went on trial the following day. The Belarusian authorities have recently jailed at least 20 people for their participation in or links to the January 10 protest organized by small-business owners (see "RFE/RL Newsline," January 14, 2008). Meanwhile, the Perspektyva small-business association has issued a statement pledging to fight to the bitter end for its right to continue functioning, Belapan reported on January 14. The Justice Ministry recently filed a suit with the Supreme Court seeking the closure of Perspektyva because of its leader Anatol Shumchanka's participation in an unsanctioned protest. "If the state has turned its back on the people and no longer needs entrepreneurs and their taxes, the authorities will surely make every effort to close down the organization, whose leader seeks to defend the economic and constitutional rights of small-business representatives at the price of his freedom," the statement read. Volha Krumina, the deputy head of Perspektyva, told Belapan that in the event of the organization's closure, its members will attempt to set up a political party or join an opposition political group. AM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2008/01/3-cee/cee-150108.asp