The Executive Bureau of the Assembly of Pro-democratic non-governmental organizations call organizations to join the campaign of protest against prosecution of the editor Viktar Ivashkevich.

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER EDITOR IS PUT UNDER TRIAL IN BELARUS!

Dear friends!

We call to you with the ask to join the campaign of protest against criminal prosecution of Viktar Ivashkevich, the editor-in-chief of the independent (non-governmental) newspaper by the Belarusian regime.
On September 11, at 10 o’clock the judge Uladzimir Kobyshau (Pershamaiski borough court of Minsk ) will start the consideration of the criminal case against Viktar Ivashkevich, the editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper “Rabochy” and one of the leaders of BPF party. He is accused in attempt of crime stated in the article 367 part 2 of the Criminal Code “Slander of the President of the Republic of Belarus”. For “distrubition of deliberate lies and humiliating information regarding the President in connection with the accuzation in heinous crime” the editor is threatened with the imprisonment for the period of five years.
Besides, Mr. Ivashkevich accused in crime stated in article 368 part 2 of the Criminal Code – public offense of the President, for that he can be imprisoned for three years.
The prosecutor office considers Mr. Ivashkevich wanted to humiliate and accuse the President in corruption? When he was going to publish the material called “A theft must be in prison”.
This article was published on the eve of the presidential elections of 2001. It was dedicated to the facts of possible corruption in the administration of A. Lukashenka and to the state trade of arms. At the same issue the pre-election program of the opposition candidate Ul. Honcharyk.
According to the Belarusian legislation slander is considered to be the crime only in case when at least one person got to know about it. But this issue was not distributed, as the prosecutor office after the demand of a cencor Uladzimer Hlushakou stopped the print of the newspaper and confiscated printed part (39 500 copies from 400 000) from the printing house. None of the copies ever reached readers. Therefore the prosecutor office accused the journalist not in slander proper but in “attempt of slander” as the crime had not been conducted yet. This is a first case in the country when a person was accused not in the slander itself but in the “attempt of slander” only.
Mr. Ivashkevich considers himself not guilty. He states that the facts that became the basis for the material were publically known from Mass media, Independent Radio Racia reports and Internet.
Mr. Ivashkevich is not the first Belarusian journalist, who is threatened prosecution under the articles 367 and 368 of the Criminal Code for critisism of Lukashenka. In summer the journalists of the prohibited newspaper “Pahonia” Mikola Markevich and Paval Mazhejka were sentenced to 1,5 and 1 year of imprisonment. They are in jail now. Amnesty International acknowleged them as political victims.
During the last 2 years 13 people were put under the criminal prosecution according to the articles 367 and 368 in Belarus, most of them– journalists, public activists, youth. None of the accused were proved not guilty by the Belarusian court. Though the victim – President never visited any of them.

Dear friends!
The Executive Bureau of the Assembly of Pro-democratic non-governmental organizations call You and Your organizations to join the campaign of protest against prosecution of the editor Viktar Ivashkevich. You may send Your letters or faxes to the following officials or bodies:

His Excellency Alaksandr Lukashenkа
President of the Republic of Belarus
Republic of Belarus
Minsk 220020
Karla Marxа Str., 38
FAX: 011-375-172-26-06-10
FAX: 011-375-172-23-58-25

Pershamaiski borough court of Minsk
Republic of Belarus
Minsk 220012
Talbuhina Str., 9
FAX: 011-375-172-66-28-55

Viktar Sheiman
Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus
Republic of Belarus
Minsk 220050
Internacyjanalnaja., 22
FAX: 011-375-172-26-41-67
FAX: 011-375-172-26-43-60

Pershamajski district of Minsk prosecutor office
Republic of Belarus
Minsk 220049
Praezd Chaicouskaga, 6
FAX: 011-375-172-66-13-98

Mikhail Padhainy
Minister of Information of the Republic of Belarus
Republic of Belarus
Minsk 220048
Masherava Av., 11
FAX: 011-375-172-23-92-31
FAX: 011-375-172-23-34-35