Belarus journalists persecuted in run-up to elections

According to Zhana Litvina, the warning issued to the Belarusian Association of Journalists by the Justice Ministry is nothing but an attempt to switch attention to from problems of mass media to defence of the organisaton.

This opinion of the BAJ chairperson Zhana Litvina was expressed at a session of the organization on January 19.

“I think in this way they are testing us, and it is directly connected with the upcoming elections to local councils and preparation to presidential elections,” Zhana Litvina believes. “We must pass this test”.

We remind that the Justice Ministry has claims to the certificates issued by the BAJ, to activities of the Centre for Legal Assistance to mass media, and to the aims of the organisation stated at its website. The fact which should be noted is that these certificates had been issued by the BAJ for 10 years, the Centre for Legal Assistance to Mass Media works since 1999, and he website since 2003.

“I would like to note that sanctions of the Ministry are aimed at the three important “service” offered by the BAJ: a certificate, legal assistance and informational support to Belarusian journalists. That is why this warning concerns not only the organisation, but all its members,” the deputy chairman of the BAJ, a lawyer Andrei Bastunets said.

The leadership discussed the order to issue the official warning signed by Justice Ministry Alyaksandr Simanau on January 15 item by item, and unanimously supported challenging it in the Supreme Court.