Belsat TV channel denied accreditation again

The Foreign Ministry has not give permission to the independent TV channel Belsat to open a news office in Belarus.

On December 8 a representative of the channel Mikhail Yanchuk visited the Foreign Ministry. He was given a response to the application of “Belsat” concerning opening the news office. As Yanchuk told to BelaPAN, in the document signed by deputy Minister Valery Varanetski it is noted that according to the information of the Ministry in 2009 Belarusian prosecution agencies issued official warnings to a number of citizens of the country for work on behalf of “Belsat” TV channel without accreditation of the Foreign Ministry.

Thus, the answer states, the requirements of the Law on Mass Media and regulations on accrediting reporters of foreign mass media in Belarus. For this reason “Belsat” was denied opening a news office.

As charter97.org previously informed, the authorities of Belarus have denied registration to “Belsat” TV channel twice. This year in March the Foreign Ministry of Belarus decided that the application submitted by the TV channel needs additional documents. The ministry referred to “Regulations on the order of opening news offices of foreign mass media” rubberstamped by the Council of Ministers of Belarus on December 25, 2008, three days after the documents of the TV channel were received by the Foreign Ministry. This year in July the Foreign Ministry once again turned down the application by Belsat, stating that one more document is needed to register Belsat TV channel. Belsat sent documents again on October 9.

Denial to accredit the news office could mean further absence of accreditation for journalists, and serious hindrances in the work if the TV channel.

It should be reminded that in October 2008 the European Parliament called upon the European Commission to make the government of Belarus “speed up the process of official registration of Belsat TV channel in Belarus”.