“Council of republic” approved Draft Law on Media

The “council of the republic” of the “national assembly” of Belarus approved the Draft Law on Mass Media.

The document passed two readings in the “house of representatives”. It will come into force after Alyaksandr Lukashenka signs it.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists received the text of the draft law only on the eve of the debate on it. The BAJ lawyers analyzed the text of the law and made a conclusion that in case the present wording of the law would be adopted, an irreparable blow would be made on independent mass media, which would put them on the verge of disappearance, and in fact would end in total destruction of independent media in the country.

The greatest concern is caused by the fact all online editions which are not registered in Belarus as mass media could be blocked by the regime.

Under the draft law on mass media, the list of violations for which an official warning could be made to the editorial office, is imprecise and not defined clearly, and it is possible to suspend issuing a mass media even after one warning. And not only the Information Ministry, but any judge, prosecutor of official of any district capital could issue warnings to mass media.