OSCE against decree on internet censorship in Belarus

The new law shouldn’t become a restrainer for freedom of expression on the web.

Such an opinion has been expressed by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Miklos Haraszti.

It is good that over the last two or three years Belarusian authorities tried to abstain from any actions aimed against journalists, closure of newspapers, excessive use of powers of the Information Ministry, Haraszti noted in an interview to BelaPAN. But one shouldn’t forget that the laws allowing such things are still in force, though they are not applied at the moment, he said.

Miklos Haraszti underlined that cancelation of the laws which could be used for exerting pressure on journalists, would become “evidence of real progress”. So far it is a breathing space, but in no way progress, he underlined.

Miklos Haraszti has also noted that the OSCE is concerned by the draft law on regulation the Belarusian sector of the Internet. As in many other countries, the Internet in Belarus is in fact the only source of multifaceted information, he said. TV in Belarus does not allow pluralism of opinion, the situation of independent newspapers is rather shaky, so the OSCE is extremely concerned by possible restrictions on the web.

As said by Miklos Haraszti, he had sent a letter to Belarusian Foreign Minister Syarhei Martynau, with an appeal to do everything possible for the new law not to become a restrainer for freedom of expression in Belarus.

Speaking that year 2010 in Belarus is the year of election campaigns, Miklos Haraszti underlined that he recommends Belarusian authorities to guarantee “access to TV” for representatives of all political parties. “TV is the source of information for most citizens in Belarus, so all the political parties should have a possibility to convey their point of view with its help, he said.

We remind that on December 14, 2009 Belarusian media received a draft decree “On measures for revising use of the national segment of the World Wide Web”. The decree makes authorities control over internet users significantly more strict, and imposes a number of new conditions of ByNet functioning.

The scandalous document includes blocking of websites under a decision of state authorities, identification of internet users, responsibility for dissemination of information on the web, as well as state registration of online media.

According to the initial version of the decree, hosting of Belarusian web resources should be transferred to Belarus compulsorily, and in order to browse the web even in dial-up mode, Belarusians would have to go to a provider with a passport.