Editor of charter97.org addressed PA OSCE observers

Today the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCRE has met with representatives of independent mass media of Belarus.

Among the participants of the meeting with the PA OSCE monitors there were the editor-in-chief of charter97.org website Natalya Radzina, the chair of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zhana Litsvina, the head of the BAJ monitoring group Ales Antsipenka and editor-in-chief of “Narodnaya Volya” newspaper Svyatlana Kalinkina.

First it was planned that the PA OSCE deputies would held the meeting with journalists of both state-run and independent mass media of Belarus. However, Natalya Radzina refused to sit at one table with representatives of the state-run Belarusian TV and Radio Company and the newspaper of Lukashenka’s Administration, “Sovetskaya Belorussiya.”

“I told that it is degrading for me to sit atone table with scum. Finally, organizers of the meeting divided the event into two parts. The meeting with state propagandists was held separately,” the editor of charter97.org told.

Zhana Litsvina and Ales Antsipenka told about the general situation with freedom of the word in the country, noting that the situation of independent mass media in Belarus has not changed. The regime’s monopoly in informational space still exists; about 90% of the time on air is dedicated to Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and independent mass media experience crackdown.

Svyatlana Kalinkina told that “Narodnaya Volya” newspaper entered the election campaign period with 4 warnings of the Information Ministry and is on the verge on closure.

Natalya Radzina reminded that 3 criminal cases had been initiated against charter97.org website by now. Two cases had been opened for “libel,” for an article about a KGB general and comments of readers, and a new one criminal case had been initiated by the office of Minsk prosecutor office on the grounds of information seized in the computers of the journalists 10 months ago.

The journalist has also told about the death of the founder and editor of charter97.org website Aleh Byabenin (Oleg Bebenin), underlining that the so-called expert examination of his death held by the visiting OSCE experts is “a shame for Europe.”

“It is good that in their conclusion the experts at least noted that they had not been able to hold additional investigation of Aleh Byabenin’s death. But how one can agree to conclusions of law-enforcing agencies of the totalitarian country, who in reality had not held any investigation, but simply made the results of the investigation fit the story which is convenient for them? You all know that politicians and journalists were murdered in this country before. You know about the fate of Viktar Hanchar, Yury Zakharanka, Anatoly Krasouski, Zmitser Zavadski, Henadz Karpenka, Veranika Charkasava… It is a long list. If today you shut eyes to the total lawlessness in Belarus and recognize this “election”, tomorrow this list is to be continued. I appeal to your conscience and solidarity,” Natalya Radzina said.