BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

08/04/2006

Journalist imprisoned in Belarus to return to Que. Monday

SAGUENAY, Que. -- A young Quebec freelance journalist was to be freed from a Minsk prison Saturday, 15 days after he was arrested during demonstrations against the Belarus president.

The Canadian consular general from Poland was to escort Frederick Lavoie from jail.

The 22-year-old reporter, who has worked for the Quotidien in this northern Quebec city, will then travel by train to Kiev, Ukraine.

He will return to Montreal on Monday.

Rejean Lavoie said he was relieved that his son's ordeal is nearly over.

Canada officially asked Belarus to free Lavoie on humanitarian grounds and allow him to leave the country.

Nearly 1,000 activists have been arrested for participating in demonstrations against President Alexander Lukashenko's re-election to a third term. The March 19 vote has been widely derided as fraudulent.

Some 50 to 60 protesters were arrested Friday on the eve of Lukashenko's inauguration.

Source:

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=87390b35-fcae-45b7-acef-03cec268db6a&k=7814