Grotesquery of the Belarusian regime has crossed any conceivable boundaries. The closed trial of Partnership leaders has ended with a shameful verdict locking up Mikola Astrejka for two years, Cimoch Dranchuk for one year, Enira Branickaja and Alaksandar Shalajka for six months.
The most horrible thing here is that these people are absolutely innocent. They have been sentenced for running an unregistered organization. Actually, they had tried to register Partnership multiple times, but received a no go response from the ministry. And when they attempted to conduct a congress to establish the organization and reapply for registration, the get-together was dispersed and the leaders got arrested. Yet, Partnership continued to conduct its activities regardless the never-ending problems with the regime which got tremendously nervous about the independent pall watchers.
So when the presidential campaign was going in full pelt, the authorities attacked isolating the Partnership leadership, paralyzing the work of the organization. And here came the trial – covertly and lawlessly judging the young guys for their noble mission to monitor the elections.
Now they are in jail, and our solidarity is needed. Cimoch Drancuk has a birthday today. He turned 25. It is horrible for anyone to celebrate a birthday in such a way. I think it is vital for him and other political prisoners to know that the world is not just watching. The regime is going to get pounded very severely for this bestial act of brutality. I am sure that the executors will be punished soon. And freedom will shine on not only them – but on all our tortured land.

Contrary to what I had thought, Yushchenko announced tonight that he would propose Yanukovich’s candidacy for the prime minister’s post. I listened to his emotional speech, and my heart sank as he spoke.
Theoretically, he will try to unite the nation and reconcile the east-west divide which had put the Ukrainian parliamentarians, if not the entire nation, to a standstill. But will it work? Does it mean that the Orange Revolution is officially over and can be declared a failure? But most importantly, how bad will it play along the Belarusian regime? And will our opposition draw some important conclusions from the Ukrainian dilemma? If Yanukovich and Yushchenko had guts to become allies, shouldn’t Milinkevich and Kozulin have done the same? Or maybe fragile unities, like the Orange one, eventually lead to disintegration and political failure, and Belarusian opposition leaders should be cautious whom they befriend. The discussion is open.

Today Yushchenko may dissolve the parliament. He announced that the round table talks did not yield a result – Universal of National Unity was not signed. The Ukrainian president is going to address the nation later in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Wolny, a Belarusian American blogger, found a striking similarity between Tymoshenko and Mary J. Blige. Seems like she - Yula- will have a second chance to become a Ukrainian prime minister.

AC is on, but I slightly feel the heat penetrating through the half-opened window. It is extremely hot on the East Coast now, but definitely this heat is nothing like the pressure Partnership leaders must be feeling now, as the closed trial continues.
The news came that the prosecutor demanded a three-year prison term for Mikola Astrejka and two years for Enira Branickaja, Alaksandr Shalajka, and Cimoch Dranchuk.
Covertness of the trial is appalling. Not even relatives of the defendants are let in.
Charter97.org published a selection of pictures. Two of them caught a glimpse of Enira and Cimoch.