Belarusian Association of Journalists Receives Answer to Its Complaint

According to the BAJ press service

On 21 January the Belarusian Association of Journalists filed with Vitsebsk regional prosecutor’s office a complaint about a violation of the election legislation by chair of Vitsebsk polling station commission # 52 who limited the stay of a journalist Valery Shchukin at the polling station to 1 hour during the election to local deputy soviets. In the answer it is said that the complaint has been passed for consideration to Vitsebsk Pershamaiski borough prosecutor’s office, to the senior justice adviser V.Iahorau.

We should remind that on 12 January 2007, during early voting the chair of Vitsebsk polling station commission #52 Nina Shubina handed to the journalist Valery Shchukin a document that was signed by her. In the document it was stated that the commission decided to limit V.Shchukin’s stay at the polling station to 1 hour. As a result Mr. Shchukin was lead out of the polling station and wasn’t admitted to it during the following days.

In its complaint the BAJ pointed at illegality of such a limitation and stated that polling station commission #52 and it chair violated the Election Code and journalist rights (guaranteed by the Law on press).