Daring to criticise Belarus' president (BBC)

[mogster]

By Steve Rosenberg
BBC, Belarus

Next week, the people of Belarus go to the polls to vote for a president. But opposition candidates face a tough battle if they are to prevent the incumbent, Alexander Lukashenko, from winning a third term in office.
(...)
Judging from the selection of newspapers on sale in Minsk, the independent press has already been banned.

The only papers I could find were government ones.

That is because in the 12 years that President Lukashenko has been in power, he has turned Belarus into a police state which, among other things, has cracked down on criticism and public displays of dissent.

Most independent newspapers are denied the right to publish and circulate.

Some still exist online, others have gone underground.

More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4790912.stm
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Fact container, Belarus:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1102180.stm

[wakeme2008]

1. Gee sounds like Bush Heaven......

:grr:

[mogster]

2. Yeah, ain't that a point?

You'd think he'd be interested in picking up some tricks from mr. Lukashenko, if he hasn't already.

See also this:
Belarus blocks EU monitors' entry

A delegation of European Union MPs has abandoned plans to go to Belarus to monitor the presidential election after its members were refused visas.
The head of the European delegation told the BBC he feared the Belarussian government would use force to suppress popular protests.

A group of monitors from the European security organisation, the OSCE, has also been refused entry.

President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking a third term in office.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4810584.stm

[David__77]

3. US and EU should not interfere in Belarus' internal affairs.

I tired of small countries that won't fall in line with "Western consensus" being sanctioned or bombed and destroyed.