Svetlana Alexievich About Interview To Regnum: I’ve been Deceived

The Belarusian writer states that she has not given an interview to the propaganda site.

The Russian agency Regnum published an interview with Svetlana Alexievich, which she has banned from publishing. According to the writer, the interviewer behaved not as a journalist, but as a propagandist, Radio Svaboda reports.

In addition, she claims that she agreed to have a conversation with a Delovoy Petersburg representative, and is now trying to find out how the text found its way to the blackhundredist resource.

"As soon as this journalist asked me three or four questions, I said that I refuse to answer them and forbid publishing, – Alexievich explained to Svaboda’s correspondent. – And I warned my literary agent, who had offered the interview and arranged the meeting, to call and inform the management. The fact is that I saw his aggressive orientation. If at the beginning it seemed that I could argue about something, then after the question – why are you defending Ukrainian bandits – everything became clear. And since such people cannot be persuaded at all, so I refused to talk."

What measures should Alexievich take in this situation? Can the case really get to court?

"Naturally, I will contact the organizers of the conversation, I will consult my literary agent Saladounikau. Unfortunately, I do not believe that anything can be done in this situation... It's disappointing that this is an absolutely young man – that’s why I hoped that after the first remarks it would still be possible to ride out to a really fruitful discussion. But it was the case, when there was no way to persuade. There was blood in Donbass, ours are being beaten, etc. I answer: and what do you want? To come there by tanks and be loved? Like talking to a brick wall, in vain. I do not even have to comment on it, everything is clear."

"The man, who organized all that, then was dumbfounded himself. How did it happen that an unagreed material was published. It is evident that Delovoy Peterburg refused to publish the text, since I had banned it, and then my representative confirmed that. Then the journalist published it somewhere. I did not give an interview to any agency. It seems that they got to know about it there and decided to take advantage of the situation."