Avtoradio director: Supreme Economic Court confirmed we are extremists

On May 10 the Supreme Economic Court of Belarus dismissed a complaint of Avtoradio against the decision of the Information Ministry, thus in fact the status of “an extremist” radio station has been preserved.

- Our appeal against the decision of the Information Ministry has not been granted. The court has left us extremists, -- Yury Bazan, executive director of Avtoradio, told to Salidarnasts. – Now we are waiting for the decision in the second appeal against broadcasting suspension. But frankly speaking, we do not have hope for a positive solution any more.

We remind that Avtoradio submitted two appeals against the decision of the Supreme Economic Court. The first one concerns the warning of the Information Ministry which called ‘extremist’ pre-election advertisements of Andrei Sannikov, a presidential candidate, broadcasted by the radio station. The second one was the ruling to stop broadcasting of the popular radio station.

On March 29, 2011 Judge Dzmitry Alyaksandrau upheld the warning of the Information Ministry of Belarus and confirmed the ban on broadcasting for the radio station, despite of the fact that on March 9 the Supreme Economic Court found the ruling of the Information Ministry invalid.

May 15 marks the fourth month since Minsk FM radio station was not on air.

- The decision to shut down our radio station is outside of the law on mass media’s reference. Our appeals primarily demanded retrial of Avtoradio case, Yury Bazan commented on the situation. – However, this retrial has not taken place. The court has simply admitted our appeals to examination, and one of them has not been granted. We do not have illusions about the second one.

- The second ruling of the court copies the first one. Our appeal has not been granted, and the prohibition for broadcasting has not been lifted. Now we are to address the Supreme Economic Court’s supervisory agency, but even now it is absolutely clear for me that our case is viewed in the political dimension now, and decisions there are not adopted by the court, – Bazan said.

At the moment the radio station does not work in fact, however its owners continue to pay utility bills, pay for the frequency, in order to maintain the legal entity. The leadership of Avtoradio is looking for the ways and possibilities to reorganize and re-channel the work of the radio station.

- This year had been named the year of enterprise, and for our radio station it is held under the slogan “Try to survive!” – he concluded.