Freedom Of Speech In Our Countries Needs To Be Protected More Than Ever

But instead of this, we see the reduction of assistance to independent media.

Journalist Pavel Sheremet’s assassination has a wide resonance in Belarus – the country where he was born, grew up and matured as a journalist. Despite the forced departure from Belarus, resulting from his friction with the authorities, Sheremet continued to participate in journalist and public life of his country. In particular, he founded two prominent media projects – the Belarusian Partisan and the Historical Truth. Working in Russia and then in Ukraine, Sheremet continued to follow developments in Belarus and cover them.

Novaya Gazeta journalist Iryna Khalip, commenting on the news, drew attention to the difference in the perception of journalists’ murders in comparison with other well-known people.

“I noticed a long time ago: when politicians, rock stars, officials, businessmen, top models, lawyers, thieves are killed – everyone is wondering “why?” and “who benefits?.” When journalists are killed, no one asks such questions. Because journalists get killed simply as a part of their profession. Especially good journalists. “Are you a journalist? Get your bullet”. That's all. Being a journalist means being a voluntary target. Sheremet knew that, perhaps better than anyone else. Farewell, Pasha,” – Khalip wrote on her Facebook page.

Belsat TV channel journalist Kalinkina, a former Sheremet’s Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta colleague, called Pavel Sheremet’s murder the biggest loss for Belarus in her comments to the Russian service of Voice of America.

“In my opinion, this is the biggest loss for Belarus, because now it is not clear what will happen to the important and popular Internet resources Belpartizan and Historical Truth, which Pavel was personally dealing with – Kalinkina explained. – With regard to Russia and Ukraine, it is obvious that the aim of such demonstrative killings is intimidation. I hope that this aim will not be achieved. That this terrible tragedy will not frighten, but infuriate Pasha’s colleagues. At least, Sheremet did everything possible and impossible for journalists to remain faithful to their profession no matter what it takes.”

Earlier Kalinkina, who in 2004 together with Pavel Sheremet wrote the book ”The Accidental President” about Aliaksandr Lukashenka, posted an essay titled “The Way Back Home” on her Facebook page.

Kalinkina, in particular, recalls how she tried to talk Sheremet out of leaving Belarus, but, as he said, he had “either to give up the profession or to leave the country.”

“Now, after his death, it has become clear what exactly our three countries have in common – it’s deadly dangerous to be honest, principled and non-conformist in all three of them,” – this is how the journalist describes the general features of Sheremet’s work in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.

"Pavel’s death shocked everyone. Both in Ukraine and in Russia Pavel’s colleagues and friends are discussing the terrible tragedy. But for many people in Belarus his death is a real grief. It’s a grief for those who knew him, and even for those who did not know him. An irreplaceable loss, which can’t be made up for, a disaster ... This explosion has torn off a part of our heart..." – she wrote.

Charter-97 chief editor Natallia Radzina noted in her comments to Voice of America that Pavel Sheremet’s journalistic activity has earned him a lot of enemies. Along with the point that it’s Russia that benefits from his death, the journalist does not exclude the Belarusian trace:

“It’s hard to talk about the motives, but Pasha challenged everyone and he definitely had a lot of enemies. It is strange that a television channel, which is considered in Ukraine to be a pro-Russian one, has filmed the moment of Sheremet’s death. I paid attention at what the Russian propaganda was doing today – they were persistently focusing on the subject, using Sheremet’s death for another attack on the Ukrainian authorities. So, as of today, this death is very beneficial only for Russia. However, the Belarusian trace shouldn’t be excluded either, taking into account a well-established practice of killings of journalists here.”

Radzina also noted that the killing of Sheremet demonstrates: “Freedom of speech in our countries needs to be protected more than ever. Instead, we see a cutback of aid for the Belarusian independent media. This leads to disastrous consequences.”

Natallia Radzina called Sheremet a Belarusian-Russian-Ukrainian journalist in her comments to the Charter-97 and noted on his professional success.

“He was famous in all the three countries: he started his career in Belarus, working in the independent media, became Lukashenka’s personal enemy (he liked calling himself this way and it was true), he was jailed as an ORT reporter, he moved to Russia after his release, and when they started cracking down there, he moved to Kiev to work.”

Radzina reminded that the Sheremet’s colleague, the ORT camera man Dzmitry Zavadski was kidnapped in Belarus 17 years ago.

“As for me, after the death of the founder of the website charter97.org Aleh Byabenin, staged as a suicide, I don’t believe in any criminal versions of journalists’ deaths. In our countries, journalists are killed for their words,” – Radzina summed up.