5 Years in Prison for Satirical Flash Films About the President of Belarus

They do not allow the criticism of the president in any kind, whether it would be an animated file, a joke, the poster or the broadcast. So they believe in Minsk and don't understand humour.

For the first time in the world, they threaten creators of flash with 5 years in prison if authorities prove that hero of films and the president of Belarus is the same person. Public Prosecutor has brought criminal case on the fact of distribution on the Internet site: www.mult.3dway.org cartoon films (translated to the English too), discrediting honor of the president of Belarus.

The animated films are small plots of satirical character which main hero looks like Alexander Lukashenka. The criminal code provides punishment for a similar crime (slander concerning the president of Belarus) up to 5 years' imprisonment.

Site Multclub became popular the last year after a referendum in Belarus. The majority of citizens on the official information supported Lukashenka granting him of an opportunity to take part in presidents' elections once again. This site offered rather severe flash cartoons. Their authors directly accused the head of the state in every possible sins - from a trickery of voters until stealing of state capital and a genocide of own people.

They called hero in cartoons Batka. Here he lays on the money stolen at citizens as devil, here he commands to break up demonstration, here he looks at a brotherly cemetery into which Belarus has turned, here he forges results of a referendum and cooks false attempt at own life and so on. Though it is written on main page of a site, that "coincidence of working characters of a flash serial to real persons is casual coincidence", all this in situation of modern Belarus looks rather fearlessly.

The most ridiculous in cartoon films are citations. The citations taken from official sources like the state TV. Here, for example the description of a plot of one of flash begins with the known citation made by Lukashenka:

- In the storming sea, there is quiet Small Island...

So once Lukashenka explained where Belarus is situated. Among waves and ships, there's island with outlines of Belarus. Here sounds the Song Island of bad luck. On perimeter of island, there's a barbed wire and watchtowers, in the middle of island - the big monument - Alexander Lukashenka on the cow.

Moreover, on the fence from a barbed wire there're posters with Lukashenka's citations:

- We are in an enemy environment as in 1941.

- I will not lead the state to the civilized world.

- The monstrous monster, the NATO, has crept to our blue-eyed Belarus

- It is not for us the Europe. The West is not ours!

- All have fallen upon us, in the West and in Russia not because we make something wrong. Because of envy?

On this background, inhabitants drag bamboo stretcher with hero in a loincloth to a hut with inscription Presidency.

Don't think, that 28 series flash serial is devoted only to one hero. These are animated cartoons about the country and a life. - The most ridiculous in our films is a life in Belarus, - the coordinator of the project Paul Morozov speaks.

Authors of this site are members of youth movement The Third Way, which idea is more freedom and less Lukashenka. Members are mostly students. They claim, that members of virtual community which names they do not know created this cartoon films.

- We were in touch with authors only by e-mail. I found the first flash on the Internet, contacted the author and offered our technical support. Besides, people leave the wishes and ideas visiting a forum of our site. Actually all scripts are thought out with people. They are ridiculous but who take offence on clowns? In middle Ages, they were especially at court!

Last days they interrogated the manager of a site Andrey Obuzov and the coordinator of the project Paul Morozov. KGB made a search in their apartments. 12 items of PC equipment and tens disks and papers are withdrawn.

The representative of OSCE recently emphasized, that Belarus is unique country where they sentence citizens to imprisonment for slander of the president. For last year, two have been condemned under similar clause. One of them is still not free.

All over the world have popularity cartoons on political themes, but no one country start criminal case against their authors. American brothers, cartoon's authors about Bush and Kerry at which laughed all America, stated that their site have overtaken all mass media on popularity. Nevertheless, heroes of flash have not counted themselves offended.

The coordinator of the project Morozov told that for a long time felt steadfast attention of special services. - When some times per diem you see the same persons and the cars at various times and in different places, it is not without purpose.

According to authors, at the Belarus forums it is possible to find so much discrediting honor of the Belarus president, that their animation is simply harmless.

Audience of site Multclub has increased until 50 thousand visitors per day. For two days after scandal, popularity of a site has grown in 55 times. Struggle against animated cartoons has turned back their free-of-charge advertising. Founders of a site are even grateful to authorities for this.

Many other websites are showing scandal flash films now. In case, authorities will block Multclub. The Russian TV channels twisted with pleasure in news fragments from cartoon films.

Michael Garmahis (27) is journalist working in one of the Belarusian newspaper. Some time was engaged in NGO's social work and also worked as a tutor of German and English in college.

For further information, please visit his web site: http://garmahis.worldfreeweb.com (Michael Garmahis-My stories, jokes, drawings, photos, links from Belarus)

---

Gone With the Wind Almost Did Not Make It

Corporate America has been shaken recently by lawsuits and criminal... Read More

What Did You Do In The War Daddy?

This is the first of a series of four articles... Read More

Prison Abuses on Good Muslims

Well we have certainly been reading a lot about prison... Read More

George Bush--A New World Order

When this president's father was in the Oval Office, he... Read More

Mexicanizing America

A friend of mine, who lives in the thick of... Read More

California Car Wash Fundraisers and Environmental Law

Many non-profit groups are feeling upset that they are allowed... Read More

Public Schools Are Un-American

Compulsory-attendance laws force parents to send their children to public... Read More

Emerging Markets, Property Law

I read an interesting article in foreign Affairs magazine last... Read More

Bird Flu may kill you and your family

We have heard a lot about the coming bird flu... Read More

The Gay Male Agenda for Political Dominance

I would like to pose a question. I am unsure... Read More

Army Recruiting Dilemma Discussed

Currently the US Army is having trouble recruiting. These problems... Read More

Oil Pipelines and Rates of Flow

How much oil can travel through a pipeline? It depends... Read More

The New Goo Review is Coming Right At You

Non-lethal Goo Concepts have been tossed around by many war... Read More

NASA Budget Space Shuttle Thoughts

Regarding the issues with the Space Shuttle and the in... Read More

China has the Answer to Environmental Dead Zones

Recently scientists have been watching the exponential growth of marine... Read More

Cops Want To Increase Marijuana Punishments?

Leave it to the Columbia City Police Officers Association in... Read More

The Mother of All Political Battles Has Begun!

News is spreading of the retirement of Supreme Court Justice... Read More

The Bush There Or Here Fallacy and the War in Iraq

Today we wish to examine a fallacy, or error in... Read More

Boston Bankers

Many people make a lot of money in war. In... Read More

Are American Twins - Majority Rule and Public Opinion, Sometimes Just a Couple of Dumbbells?

The idea that the majority shows the will of the... Read More

Battling Societys Cancer: Unemployment

The official figures are staggering: 35% of the workforce -... Read More

Responding to Article: Logic Class 101 Applied to the Minuteman Project

In response to Douglas Bower's article; Logic Class 101 Applied... Read More

Colts? Stadium Short on Horse Sense

The predominant discussion in the Indianapolis media over the proposed... Read More

Delta

As you know Delta Airlines is close to bankruptcy. Their... Read More

The Unborn and Cloning

The UnbornWith all this cloning in the news one can't... Read More

Electronic Commerce Taxaton: Emerging Legal Issues - Part II

UNAUTHORIZED HACKINGThe term "computer hacking" traditionally describes the penetration into... Read More

Arson Neighborhood Mobile Watch Program for Summer Fire Season

Due to the bizarre weather patterns this winter California got... Read More

Ex-CIA Folks are Problematic

Those who are above the law or act as such... Read More

Liberal Agenda and Communism; Lance Rants

If we go hog wild towards the liberal agenda where... Read More

Paper Industry

The paper industry in the US is hurting. Due to... Read More

All There is, is dust in the wind; Dust Particulate Traveling The Globe

Dust from Deserts and Particulate ControlThe greatest contributor to particulate... Read More

Lack of Peace, Reaching Critical Mass

You have in front of you two buttons, one is... Read More

Monetary Flows, Retained Earnings, Over Regulation and Abundant Resources

All countries have specific things that are abundant in the... Read More