Belarusian Association of Journalists urges to stop crackdown on journalists

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) has made a statement demanding to stop persecution of journalists in Belarus.

“The governmental authorities attempt to make use of any pretext in order to make silent the few remaining free voices in Belarusian media field. Unfortunately, the tragic event of April 11th in Minsk wasn’t an exception to the rule either,” the statement reads, BelaPAN informs.

In particular, the document stresses that over the last 10 days the Belarusian Ministry of Information issued official letters of caution to the “Nasha Niva” independent weekly (April 14, 2011) and the “Narodnaya Vola” newspaper (April 15, 2011). The Belarusian Public Prosecutor’s Office and the KGB issued official warnings to the independent newspaper “Nasha Niva” (April 19, 2011) and the newspaper’s Editor-in-chief Andrei Skurko (April 18, 2011), the “Salidarnasts” on-line newspaper’s Editor-in-chief Alyaksandr Starykevich (April 12, 2011), the “Bobruyskiy Kuryer” regional newspaper’s Editor-in-chief Anatoly Sanatsenka for his publication in the bloggers’ section on www.belaruspartisan.org (April 12, 2011), and to “Volny Horad” (Krychau, Mahilou region) small-circulation newspaper’s Editor-in-chief Siarhei Nyarouny (April 19, 2011).

Besides, the BAJ members from Vitsebsk Volha Karach, Pavel Lyavinau and Aleh Barshcheuski, the “Vitsiebskiy Kuryer” newspaper’s Editor-in-chief, were taken into custody on farfetched charges and prosecuted under administrative law (April 19, 2011). According to police records, some of the detainees were “suspected in carrying out the act of terror in Minsk metro on April 11th.”

“The governmental officials continue to address threatening statements to journalists with promises to sue them for “the dances on the bones.” Obviously, the authorities regard any comments and versions they dislike this way,” the statement reads.

Besides, the BAJ informs that there exists a real threat that the governmental authorities will make use of this situation to restrict circulation of information on the web. The first alarming signals included restriction of access to the web-sites of “Charter’97” (www.charter97.org) and “Belorusskiy Partisan” (www.belaruspartisan.org). The Minister of Information of Belarus Aleh Pralaskouski has stated lately it is high time “to get rid of irresponsibility in blogs, social networks and at other web sites,” the members of the association note.

The organisation believes that these events “should be considered in context of the wave of repressions against journalists that started in the country after December 19, 2010.” They remind that six members of BAJ, including Iryna Khalip, Natallya Radzina, Alyaksandr Fyaduta, Syarhei Vaznyak, Pavel Sevyarynets, and Zmitser Bandarenka, are accused of committing criminal offences. Particularly, have been preliminary charged with taking part in “mass riots” as well as in “the actions that blatantly violate the public order.” Another journalist Alyaksandr Atroshchankau has already been sentenced to four years of imprisonment in a reinforced regime colony. A BAJ member Andrzej Poczobut has been accused of defaming the Belarusian President and taken into custody until the trial, the Belarusian Association of Journalists underlines.