A district judge in Mahilyow on December 20 sentenced Artur Finkevich, a leader of a youth opposition group called Malady Front, to 18 months in a minimum security correctional institution.

A criminal case (article 341) against 23-year-old Alyaksei Sarnou on fact of drawing graffiti on walls was brought in Grodna.
As Radio Svaboda reports, the guy was detained at 2 a.m. on Gorky Street. Paintcans were found during the search in his bag. Sarnou spent 10 hours in the Leninski District Internal Affairs, after that he was guarded to the October District Internal Affairs Department. He was explained that similar inscriptions written also in red were found out in the October District.
The detained was set free after 12 hours. He was handed a decree that he was a suspected in the case. Alyaksei Sarnou works as a circuit installer.

Two opposition youths were detained briefly for passing out leaflets protesting the abolition of state benefits in Brest on December 16.
Svyatlana Novik and Yawheniya Kohut were handing out the fliers on Astronauts Boulevard near Brest State University at the center of the city when several plainclothesmen approached them and ordered the girls to follow them to a police station, an opposition activist who asked not to be named told.

According to radio Racia the trial over youth activist Artur Finkevich will start on the 20th of December in Mogilev City Court at 10.30.
We should remind that on the 20th of November documents on his case were transferred to the court.
Finkevich is accused under article 415 of Belarusian Criminal Code. He is considered to be a malicious violator of the security regime.
On the 10th of May 2006 he was sentenced to two years of restraint of liberty under article 339 part 2. (malicious hooliganism).

If it wasn’t for the second criminal case, Artur Finkevich would return from the corrective labour facility on December 9. but more than a month ago a new criminal action was brought up against the activist for violation of the regime of serving the punishment.
Yesterday a public committee of solidarity with the political prisoner gathered in the Belarusian Popular Front head office. The main issue on the agenda is an action of solidarity with Artur Finkevich. A trial over Artur Finkevich could take place in the near future, Radio Svaboda informs.

Viktar Ivashkevich, deputy head of the Belarusian Popular Front, and detained leaders of entrepreneurs Viktar Garbachou, Viktar Kryval, Viktar Kalei, Alyaksandr Tsetsura, Alyaksandr Makaeu, democratic activists Barys Garetski, Krystina Shatikova and Alyaksei Kashkarou were detained till the trial, which is to be held on 11 December.

Alyaksandr Makayew, an organizer of sole entrepreneurs’ December 10 unauthorized protest, was grabbed by police and brought to the Maskowski district police department on Monday afternoon, his second arrest in one day.

A meeting between the US president and the delegation of the Belarusian opposition took place on 6 December. The talks with George Bush lasted for an hour Instead of 40 scheduled minutes. “Taking into consideration the significance of the meeting and time limit, it was difficult to choose topics of top priority. But the president starts up a discussion, he asked concrete questions, and demonstrated his good familiarity with the Belarusian situation. He said: imagine you are Bush and what you can do for Belarus,” Alyaksandr Milinkevich, head of the Belarusian delegate, leader of the “For Freedom” movement, said.

One of the arrested entrepreneurs was released.
One of the arrested entrepreneurs Ales Taustik who was sentenced to 7 days of administrative arrest for spreading leaflets devoted to planed strike of entrepreneurs which is to be held on the 10th of December was released.
On the 28th of November Ales Taustik and Ruslan Luzenko were detained in shopping center “Padzemnui Gorad”. They were spreading leaflets devoted to entrepreneurs’ action of protest. The next day he was sentenced to 7 days of administrative arrest and Ruslan Luzenko – to 10 days by Zavodskoi district court.

Ales Zarembuk was called to local Mastu milicia station to give explanations about citizens’ meeting with Alexander Milinkevich on the 4th of November.
On the 2nd of December captain Danilchich visited mother of the activist of movement “Za Svabodu” Ales Zarembuk.
We should remind that on the 4th of November Milinkevich was detained during his meeting with the citizens of Mastu for holding an unauthorized meeting. He was asked to write an explanation and after it was released.