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Journalists from Homel fined for interview

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Journalists from Homel fined for interview
Kanstantsin Zhukouski
Photo: Radio Svaboda

Aliaknsadr Krainikau, a judge of the Rahachou district court, found Kanstantsin Zhukouski and Natallia Kryvashei guilty of illegal production of media products.

They were fined 35 basic amount each (6.3 million rubles) for violating part 2 of article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offences. The journalists were found guilty on the ground of a police report made by lieutenant colonel Yury Astapovich, the head of the order and crime prevention division of the Rahachou police department, the press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reports.

The report says: “Not being accredited in Belarus as journalists of a foreign media outlet, Kanstatsin Zhukousk and Natallia Kryvashei were interviewing people near Promdiks store on May 12. It is regarded as the illegal production of mass media products, in particular, a video story titled 'Not Sweet Taste of Crisis. Why does Rahachou skimmed milk remain in warehouses?' The story was aired on Belsat TV (Poland) in the programme Objective on May 14 and published on the official website of the TV channel.”

It was interpreted as a violation of part 4 of article 35 of the law on the mass media.

Zhukouski and Kryvashei were not present at the trial on July 2. They didn't receive summonses. As judge Krainikau explained to the BAJ monitoring service, the court has the right to notify people about a trial with an SMS message.

“We can expect nothing but fines from our courts,” Natallia Kryvashei says. “The country is in crisis. Secret services, police and courts have found an easy way to collect money for the state budget by means of fines from activists and freelance journalists.”

She noted that part 4 of article 35 of the law on the mass media says about professional journalists of foreign media working in Belarus without accreditation, but she doesn't have a contract with Belsat or other media. Being a citizen of Belarus, she collects and distributes information in accordance with the right guaranteed by the Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that was ratified by Belarus.

It has been the fourth trial for Natallia Kryvashei for the same offence this year. Kanstantsin Zhukouski has been tried seven times this year (six times in connection with part 2 of article 22.9 and one times in connection with article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences). In total, Natallia must pay 24.3 million rubles and Kanstantsin – 31.5 million rubles.

Freelance journalists have been tried 24 times this year in Belarus for violating article 22.9. The total amount of fines exceeded 129 million rubles.

The BAJ Board released a statement, saying that “despite the law on the mass media, police and courts extend the duty to get accreditation at MFA to freelance journalists, who are not staff members of foreign media. They also regard work without accreditation as violation of the order of making and distributing media products.”

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