Belarusian journalists instructed to write “correct” articles about crisis

Belynichy district executive committee is alarmed by the independent newspaper “Pahodnya” writes about problems with wage payments.

As informed by Radio Svaboda, Belynichy district executive committee charges the editor of the independent socio-political newspaper “Pahodnya” Barys Vyrvich in dissemination of false information about the economic situation in the country.

On January 19 in the morning a local police officer visited him and demanded a written explanation.

“Senior lieutenant Alyaksandar Rusetski came to me. He informed that an appeal was received by the district police department from the district executive committee concerning the article under the title “Problems with wages payments in the district” in “Pahodnya” in November 2009,” Barys Vyrvich told.

According to the appeal, the information in the article was not true, as wages are paid on time, as the executive committee states. The policemen wanted to know where the journalists had found facts for his article.

“I answered that I had been searching for them all over the district. I told about concrete enterprises and organizations with problems of salaries payment,” Barys Vyrvich said.

“Having received answers to his questions, he left,” Pahodnya’s editor said.

The journalist believes that the district executive committee’s ideologues had been ordered by regional executive committee to liquidate the independent newspaper, as its articles elicit response both in the district and outside.

“Pahodnya” newspaper is published since 1993. It is distributed in Byalynichy district (Mahilyou region). Its circulation is 299. Beside journalists, local businessmen are engaged in its distribution.