BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

16/01/2008

Belarusian Courts Jail More Small-Business Activists

A Minsk district court on January 15 sentenced Alyaksandr Talstyka, a small-business activist, to 15 days in jail for his participation in a January 10 unauthorized rally against government restrictions on the activities of small businesses, Belapan and RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported. Police detained Talstyka near his home in Minsk before taking him to court. The Belarusian authorities have recently arrested and jailed at least 20 people for their participation in protests against a presidential decree, effective as of January 1, that bans certain small-business owners from hiring employees other than three family members. AM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2008/01/3-cee/cee-160108.asp