BELARUS: Opposition Activist Claims Torture; UN Charges Arms Violation With Attack Helicopter Sales To Ivory Coast; Also Recent Libya Arms Supplies Claimed.

BBC /

    Former opposition candidate Ales Mikhalevich, 35, (pictured) told the BBC that he was tortured mentally and physically while imprisoned since December for his role in a post-election protest.
   He said he still finds it difficult to walk and has eyesight problems.
    Thirty-three opposition activists of the 42 arrested in December remain in detention and some have not been seen since.

AND:   Russia  is criticizing the UN for charging that Belarus has recently sold three and delivered at least one MI-24 attack helicopter to the embattled Ivory Coast government of Laurent Gbagbo in his effort to retain the presidency...and in violation of  an international arms embargo.
    The copters, aka the Hind and "Satan's Chariots" for their withering firepower, were used extensively by the Soviets in Afghanistan.
 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-01/russia-says-ban-was-wrong-to-accuse-belarus-of-arming-gbagbo.html
 
ALSO:  A watchdog group believes that Libya received a shipment of military equipment from Minsk before the UN imposed an arms embargo.
  The Swedish group called SIPRI says that a Libyan executive jet flew to Belarus last week, possibly taking gold and diamonds.
"The( Belarus plane) Ilyushin came from a dedicated military base that only handles stockpiled weaponry and military equipment.
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/01/libya-received-belarus-military-shipment