· July, 2009

Stories about Belarus from July, 2009

Belarus, Russia: Bloggers React to Graphic Chechen War Video

  29 July 2009

On July 3, Belarusian blogger Tatsiana Elavaya posted a provocative video showing the assassination of captive Russian soldiers by Chechen guerrillas during the 1999 war in Chechnya. The video had been available elsewhere before, but when Tatsiana posted it on her blog, the reaction of the Cyrillic blogosphere was unprecedented.

Lithuania: Russian charter challenges loyalty

  13 July 2009

Lituanica comments on news that a Russian NGO is starting to issue so called Russian charters – a certificate of allegiance to Moscow – to ethnic Russians outside of the country and sees it as a potential threat that state citizens of other countries may declare loyalty to Moscow.

Belarus: A Holiday, Sort Of

  4 July 2009

Mikhail Larchanka reviews what some Belarusian bloggers write about Belarus' three Independence Day holidays, including the official one, which took place on July 3.

Belarus: President Pardons Emanuel Zeltser

  3 July 2009

On June 30, a U.S. Congress delegation visited Minsk to meet with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. During this meeting, members of the U.S. delegation asked the president to pardon Emanuel Zeltser, an American lawyer who, in August 2008, was "sentenced to three years in prison on charges of 'attempted industrial espionage' and the use of fake documents." Lukashenko said he could do it and signed the pardon later that day.