“Nasha Niva” and “Narodnaya Volya” shut down for “inappropriate” coverage of terrorist act

The Information Ministry Aleh Pralyaskouski has explained why he advocates for shutting down of “Nasha Niva” and “Narodnaya Volya”.

Addressing the seminar of republican mass media leaders in Hrodna, Aleh Pralyaskouski told that this petition is “a right of the ministry and my personal position as a minister.”

“The fact that they dared to help some politicians to dance on the bones after the terrorist attack – such things cannot be forgiven,” he added.

As said by the minister, when covering the events of April 11 in Minsk metro, Belarusian mass media split into decent and indecent ones, not into state-run and independent ones.

“Some mass media had been marketing themselves, distorted facts, and it is unacceptable. That’s exactly what terrorists want: to sow fear and panic in the society,” Aleh Pralyaskouski underlined.

The human rights organization “Reporters without Borders” has condemned the suits of the Information Ministry of Belarus filed at the Supreme Court on stopping “Nasha Niva” and “Narodnaya Volya” newspapers’ publication.

“Reporters without Borders” underline in their statement that shutting down of these newspapers “would be an extremely harsh decision”, as :a loss of the newspapers which circulation is almost one half of the total circulation of all independent press would be a fatal blow at the limited pluralism of Belarusian mass media.”

The human rights organization reminded that the Belarusian law on mass media, which “is used as a main instrument of pressure on the independent press”, had been condemned many times.

“Reporters without Borders” has called upon the Supreme Economic Court to dismiss the motion.

Earlier the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic expressed concern over the suits.