Lithuanian journalists can’t take back their unlawfully seized video tape

“As for today we haven’t received any response from the Belarusian side on the demand of the National Lithuanian Television (LTR) to give them back videotape footage and compensate for repair of damaged during the detention camera,” said TV correspondent Ruta Ribaciauskiene said on 2 April.

“The ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania hasn’t received an answer to its note, presented just after the incident to Belarusian Ambassador in Lithuania Uladzimir Drazhyn,” the LTR representative said to the press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

A production unit of Lithuanian journalists were detained when performing professional duties on 25 March during the action, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian national Republic. They spent about two hours in the Tsentralny district internal affairs department and were released after verification of identity. A video cassette with shooting of Minsk events was seized from the journalists. A video camera was damaged during the detention.

Belarusian ambassador Uladzimir Drazhyn was summoned to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on 26 March and presented with a note regarding the detention of accredited in Belarus Lithuanian TV journalists. The official note called for a detailed investigation of the incident, as well as an explanation and return of the unlawfully seized videotape.