EU follows "very closely" libel case against private paper Novy Chas

The European Union is following a libel case against the private newspaper Novy Chas, Cristina Gallach, spokesperson for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, told BelaPAN.

"We have been following this issue very closely, and with increasing concern. The importance of the freedom of the media is one of the key issues the European Union has repeatedly raised with the Belarusian authorities," she said.

Mikalay Charhinets, a senior member of the Belarusian National Assembly’s Council of the Republic, has filed the 600-million-rubel libel suit against the newspaper over a story that was run on September 24 under the headline "Senator General Charhinets."

"These demands are clearly excessive. They point at a politically motivated case, with the aim of closing down Novi Chas," Ms. Gallach said. "We will follow closely the court proceedings tomorrow, and hope that they will be conducted with Belarus' international commitments on the freedom of expression and the media in mind."

Mr. Charhinets branded as libel journalist Alyaksandr Tamkovich's remarks that he had been installed as chairman of the "right" union of writers, the Union of Writers of Belarus, and that the seat on the Council of the Republic meant not only a good pay but also foreign trips for him.

The chairman of the upper chamber's Committee on International Affairs and National Security seeks 500 million rubels in damages from the newspaper's founders and 100 million rubels in damages from the author of the article.

He also wants the bank accounts of the private Chas Navin publishing house that prints the newspaper to be blocked.

Editor in Chief Alyaksey Karol links the suit with Mr. Charhinets sole intention to close down the paper.