International Confederation of Journalist Unions Uphold “Pagonya” :: Charter'97 :: News

Participants of the international conference “Independence of media in post-communist states”, which took place in Moscow under the auspices of the International confederation of journalist unions, have unanimously passed a special resolution over the criminal persecution of journalists of the Belarusian newspaper “Pagonya”, shut down by the authorities. The text of the resolution reads that “the prison incarceration cannot be applied against journalists, who carry out their professional duties”.

BelaPAN reports that the delegates of the international conference addressed the world community, represented by the UN Committee for human rights, the Council of Europe and the European Union with a request to “demand from the Belarusian authorities to deal with the Belarusian press in accordance with the international norms and to immediately halt persecution of the newspaper “Pagonya” and its reporters Pavel Mozheiko and Nikolai Markevich”.

Professor of the Grodno University Ivan Lepeshev testified that “Pagonya’s” publications contained no libel of Lukashenko. The experts’ conclusion was signed by him and another two professors. Attorney Sergei Tsurko again petitioned the court with a request to nullify the Supreme Economic Court’s ruling on termination of the newspaper’s activities. However, judge Tatiana Klimova turned down the petition, as far as the SEC’s decision appeared already after the institution of criminal proceedings against Markevich and Mozheiko. So, the judicial investigation is now complete and on June 18 we will see the start of the court debates.