Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova Report 6/21/2011 5:11:31 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova. For more stories on Eastern Europe, please visit and bookmark our Eastern Europe page .

 

Belarus New Finnish Government Could Reshape EU Neighborhood Policy Finland has finally announced its new six-party coalition government after months of negotiations. The Euroskeptic True Finns party was left out, but two appointments to the new government might nonetheless have an impact on how the European Union is run. More   Belarus: Bailiffs Sent To Poczobut Home Officials have tried to survey the property of Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut, who is on trial for insulting President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. More   EU Tightens Belarus Sanctions Brussels has added four more people to its black ist of Belarusians associated with Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s regime. At a meeting in Luxembourg today, EU foreign ministers also put three Belarusian companies on the sanctions list for the first time and imposed an arms embargo on Belarus. More   Lukashenka: 'There Is No Crisis -- Only Panic And Anxiety' Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has been under pressure recently as his country grapples with a major economic crisis that has led to a 36 percent currency devaluation and soaring inflation. More   Belarus: Activists' Convictions Upheld A Minsk city court has upheld the convictions of two Belarusian activists sentenced on charges of "hooliganism" ahead of December's presidential election. More   Belarus: Journalist's Trial Postponed The trial of Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut on charges of insulting Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka resumed in the western Belarusian city of Hrodna on June 17 but was postponed until June 23 More   Podcast: Belarus Sinks Deeper; Top Obama Adviser Talks Russia; Plus, 'You Singin' To Me?' -- Uzbek Taxi Driver Serenades Chicago On this week's show, the deepening financial crisis in Belarus, an interview with U.S. President Barack Obama's top Russia adviser, and a Chicago cab driver who sings for his fares -- in Uzbek. More   Jailed Belarusian Activist 'Tortured' The Belarusian opposition Youth Front has said that a jailed activist has been "tortured" in the prison where he is serving a 3 1/2 year jail term. More   Belarus: Activist Starts Hunger Strike A member of the embattled Union of Poles in Belarus (ZPB) who was sentenced to five days in jail on June 15, has started a hunger strike. More   Minsk Police Break Up Flash Mob Police in Belarus have used batons to disperse an opposition rally in the capital, Minsk, organized through social-networking websites. More   Journalist Charged With Insulting Belarusian President Goes On Trial The trial of a prominent Polish-Belarusian journalist charged with insulting Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka began on June 14 behind closed doors in the western Belarusian city of Hrodna. More   With Economy In Free Fall, Belarusian President Running Out Of Options Facing escalating inflation, depleted hard-currency reserves, and a rapidly devaluing currency, Belarus has turned to the IMF and Eurasec. It seems likely that any offer of aid from either group will also come with unsavory conditions for Belarus's authoritarian president. More   Belarusians Brace For Hardship As Crisis Deepens Belarusians are struggling to make ends meet amid a deepening financial crisis that has sent consumer prices soaring. While their government scrambles to secure a bailout loan, Belarusians are eyeing the future with growing anxiety. More   Belarusian Drivers Block Border Post Belarusian security forces used force on June 12 to disperse a protest by car owners against new gasoline restrictions on the Belarusian-Polish border. More   Prominent Russian Activist Concerned With Situation In Belarus Veteran Russian human rights activist Lyudmila Alekseyeva said in Minsk that she is very concerned about the human rights situation in Belarus. More   Belarusian Union Activist Briefly Detained Without Explanation Belarusian police have detained an independent trade union leader for almost three hours without explanation. More   Belarusian Market Vendors Plan Strike Vendors at a major Minsk market announced on June 7 that they will hold "a warning strike" on June 15 to protest the market owner's decision to annul its contracts with the stall-keepers. More   Belarus: In Camera Trial For Journalist A prominent Polish-Belarusian journalist charged with insulting Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka will go on trial next week behind closed doors. More   Moldova Chisinau Mayoral Race Dispute The Communist Party contender for the key job of mayor of the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, says he will not recognize his defeat to a pro-Western candidate in the June 19 runoff election and will fight against it using "all legal means." More   Moldova Appeals To U.S. On Conflict Moldova’s ambassador to the United States says Washington should give higher priority to resolving the separatist conflict in Transdniester in its relations with Moscow. More   McCain Backs Russian Moldova Pullout U.S. Senator John McCain said during a visit to Chisinau that Washington supports calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Moldova's breakaway Transdniester region. More   Romanian FM Touts Moldova Ties Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi says the European Union no longer suspects Bucharest of promoting a "hidden agenda" in regard to Moldova. More   Ukraine 'Shoelace Suicide' For Ukraine Suspect Officials in eastern Ukraine say a murder suspect has committed suicide by hanging himself with his shoelaces. More   Ukraine: Ex-Minister's Release Refused A court in Kyiv has refused to release from detention a former Ukrainian interior minister on trial for abuse of office. More   Tymoshenko Charges 'Not Fact Based' Two firms retained by former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to examine the charges of abuse of power and improper use of budgetary funds brought against her by the Ukrainian government have said there is no factual basis for the accusations. More   Ukrainian Activists Want Sanctions Against Officials For Rights Violations Ukrainian rights activists have called on "democratic countries" to introduce sanctions against Ukrainian officials that they claim are involved in human rights violations. More   EP Raps Ukraine Over 'Selective Justice' The European Parliament has warned Ukraine to stop using criminal law as an instrument of pressure on the opposition. More   AIDS At 30: From Death Sentence To Chronic Disease Thirty years ago researchers first identified AIDS as a disease caused by the HIV. Now a pandemic, AIDS has been recognized as a major threat to humanity. But if early on catching AIDS was viewed as an automatic death sentence, now that is no longer the case, and overall new HIV infections rates are declining. More   They Didn't Eat Cake From a U.S. perspective, press freedom in Ukraine still looks half-baked More   Yanukovych Relies On Soviet Nationalism To Stay In Power During, and since the 2004 presidential elections, the inciting of inter-regional conflict has been a strategy forged by Ukrainian and Russian political consultants (“technologists”) working for Yanukovych and the Party of Regions to ensure they remain in power. More