BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
06/02/2008
Czech embassy in Minsk probably damaged by vandals
By CTK / Published 6 February 2008
Prague, Feb 5 (CTK) - The building of the Czech embassy in the Belarussian capital city Minsk was slightly damaged on Saturday, probably by vandals, Czech Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Opletalova told CTK Tuesday.
Somebody broke an embassy's window and tore the Czech flag with a metal parking barrier. The barrier also broke the windscreen of an embassy service car.
The total damage caused is estimated at 1000 euros.
Opletalova said nobody was inside the building at the time of the incident. The embassy's staff received the bad news from the Belarussian diplomatic service that got the information from the police, she added.
She said the ministry expected the Belarussian authorities to promptly investigate the incident and catch the yet unknown perpetrators.
The Czech Republic has been one of the loudest critics of the Belarussian authoritarian regime for some time. The Belarussian opposition has been supported not only by Czech NGOs, but also by government institutions.
The relations between the Czech Republic and Belarus are reserved and they are accompanied by disputes from time to time.
Czech diplomat Pavel Krivohlavy was expelled from Minsk based on an accusation of sex with underage boys. The Czech Foreign Ministry dismissed the accusation and reciprocated with the expulsion of a Belarussian diplomat from Prague.
Ahead of the 2006 presidential elections in Minsk, Belarussian authorities accused Czech diplomats of interfering in the country's internal affairs by issuing brochures. Prague dismissed the accusation.
Shortly afterwards, a Czech journalist was beaten at an opposition demonstration in Minsk, allegedly by Belarussian secret policemen.
In January 2006, Minsk denied visas to two Czech senators who wanted to meet representatives of Belarussian NGOs and the political opposition.
In 2002, the Czech Republic refused to grant a visa to Belarussian dictator Alexander Lukashenko who wanted to attend the NATO summit held in Prague.
Source:
http://www.praguemonitor.com/en/267/czech_national_news/18221/
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