Belarus: Journalist begins serving two-year term. Viktar Ivashkevich,
editor in chief of the independent newspaper Rabochy and deputy chairman of
the Belarusian Popular Front party, has been ordered to report to a labour
camp by 17 December to start a two year sentence for defaming President
Aleksandr Lukashenka, the Belapan agency reported on December 13 as relayed
by RFE/Radio Liberty.
Ivashkevich's case stems from an article titled "A Thief Must Be In Prison"
in a special edition of the newspaper published during last year's
presidential campaign. The edition never reached readers, since all copies
were seized by police. The story implicated Lukashenka and his entourage in
serious economic crimes.
RFE/Radio Liberty archive.
http://www.indexonline.org/indexindex/20021217_belarus.shtml
There was a show on SBS last night on Chechnya,the entire nation was
Gulagged for 50 years and now there is one soldier for every 5 locals.
