“Marat” Suit Not Satisfied

The editorial enterprise “Marat” complained against the order of the Ministry of Information (issued on 28 May) to suspend edition of the newspaper “BDG. Dlya Sluzhebnogo Polzovaniya” for publication of the articles “System Doesn’t Count Victims” about the suicide of the former transport Minister Aliaksandr Lukashow and “Magic Crystal” about manipulations at Minsk vodka factory.

The warning for the last article was partially abolished on the eve of this trial and representatives of “BDG” hoped that the order would be set aside as well, the more that at the trial Siarhey Pratasavitski repeated “Marat” position: the present transport Minister Mikhail Baravy didn’t attend the funeral of his predecessor, though for this very information the warning was issued.

Two “BDG” journalists testified that the Minister was absent and Lukashow’s relatives could confirm it as well. However, Judge had more respect to the letter of the vice-Minister who wrote that the Minister was at the funeral.

So, Judge Pazychuk rejected the suit against the Information Ministry and left the order in force. The suspension will last till the end of August.

We should remind that “Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta” has already lost three cases: concerning the warning of the Information Ministry for articles about usage of the Presidential plane and the trial of Mikhail Liavonaw, ex-director of Minsk Tractor Factory, whose millions of dollars, allegedly hidden at foreign accounts, according to “BDG” the Prosecutor’s office still can’t find.

The suspension order for “BDG” is in force, like three similar orders for suspension of other “Marat” editions – “Ekho”, “Predprinimatelskaya Gazeta” and “BDG. Dlya Sluzhebnogo Polzovaniya”. However, the last order will be considered by the Supreme Economic Court on 10 July.