Another Journalist Summoned to KGB
On November 27th, Mikola Kananovich, a journalist of a non-governmental periodical “Gazeta Slonimskaya”, received a phone call summoning him for a conversation “with no protocol” at the Slonim KGB branch. The reason for the “invitation” was his article in the last issue of “Gazeta Slonimskaja” titled “Druskeniki – a Town for Rest”.
The article is devoted to the Lithuanian town of Druskininkaj which Mr. Kananovich has recently visited to take part in a seminar for journalists.
During the conversation a KGB officer, introducing himself as Aliaksandr Iosifavich (not adding his surname), asked the journalist about the use of the seminar, what it was about as well as took interest in the amount of money Belarusian journalists received at the seminar to cover their costs.
Ending the conversation, the officer wished that the cooperation between the newspaper and the Committee of State Security be closer. According to Mr. Kananovich, he answered that the newspaper would willingly receive the information about high-profile cases investigated by the KGB but he could see no other ways for cooperation.
Later on “Gazeta Slonimskaja” journalists did not find a regional officer named Aliaksandr Iosifavich in the official KGB reference book.
