Ten days before presidential elections Belarusian regime applies tougher measures against opposition. Yesterday, Minsk court sentenced Vincuk Viachorka, a leader of one of the biggest oppositional parties, for 15 days of imprisonment for the organization of unsanctioned meeting with voters.

Viachorka is a right hand of opposition’s presidential candidate Alexander Milinkevich, who told yesterday at the meeting with voters: „This electoral campaign is cynical and not based on law, but this will not stop us!“

Yesterday in Bratislava, Slovak Pontis Foundation organized an auction of cartoons picturing dictator Lukashenka - these cartoons have recently been published in four Central Europan daily newspapers, including SME.

One of the most expensive pictured drawn by SME caricaturist Shooty, became a subject of tough competition between the leader of the Hungarian Coalition Party Béla Bugár and U.S. Ambassador Rodolphe Vallee. Bugár won and bought the picture for 30.000 SKK. He commented that he would give it as a present to British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a joint dinner the same day. Bugár also got the next picture on auction – to give it as a present to the USA President George Bush next week.

Other cartoons were bought by the speaker of Western Slovak Energy Company, Ján Orlovský and the director of the publishing house of SME, Alexej Fulmek.

All together, Pontis Foundation received around 85.000 Slovak Korun. The money will be sent to Minsk to support Pavel Morozov, a local cartoon-maker currently under the threat of up to five years of imprisonment for his cartoons.

Source: SME - http://www.sme.sk/c/2625392/Bugar-kupil-pre-Blaira-Lukasenka.html [1]

For more information and ready for publication cartoons on Lukashenko cartoons, please visit www.svoboden.org [2]