A strike of sanctions should follow for repressions against journalists

Violations of freedom of speech in Belarus have acquired a systematic character.

It has been stated by Johann Bihr, who is in charge of the Europe and ex-USSR countries’ desk for Reporters Without Borders.

- We see that the use of political repressions against journalists in Belarus is getting more and more widespread. Court proceedings are held without any grounds, journalists are imprisoned, fined,” Johann Bihr stated in an interview to the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists. – It is alarming that these are not just isolated cases, but a tendency.

Johann Bihr has stressed that Reporters without Borders are keeping a close watch on this tendency, and are greatly concerned by the developments.

- Last year Belarus was on the 154th position in the world press freedom rating. This year the position of Belarus is sure to be even lower, as the crackdown which started after December 19, 2010, has intensified over the recent period.

All the cases of freedom of speech violations in Blearus are recorded by Reporters without Borders, Bihr underlined.

- We spread this information all over the world, and bring to the attention of the European Union leaders the opinion on expanding sanctions against the Belarusian establishment.

Johann Bihr emphasized the cases of repressions by Belarusian authorties against citizens of other states.

Among such cases he recalls cancelling by Belarusian border guards the entrance visa of the Polish citizen Yauhien Vapa, Board Chairman of Radio Racyja, and hindering the work of Russian journalists.

- It demonstrates that Belarus has its own “black lists”, and that totally unlawful, on political grounds only, everything is possible: a journalist could be banned entry to the country, a person could be tried and imprisoned.