Babruisk: prosecutor’s office refuses to bring a criminal case concerning repressions against ‘Bobruiskiy Kurier’

The prosecutor considered the complaint of Anatol Sanatsenka (chief editor of the non-state newspaper Bobruisky Kurier) and found no corpus delicti in the actions of officers of Babruisk town executive committee.

The complaint was filed to the prosecutor’s office three months ago, on 18 December 2008. In it Mr. Sanatsenka stated that some of the state officers systematically violate the freedom of mass media and the rights of the editorial office. He also attached to the complaint a number of documents witnessing the violations, including creation of obstacles to distribution of the edition, denials of accreditation and restriction of access to information.

The plaintiff believes that by their actions the state officers grossly violated the law on mass media and Article 198 of the Criminal Code (‘creation of obstacles to the lawful professional activities of a journalist’). Later an investigator of the prosecutor’s office asked Anatol Sanatsenka for additional explanations on this case and the editor told him the exact dates of the violations and the surnames of the protractors.

Nevertheless, the senior investigator of Leninski district prosecutor’s office of Babruisk Siarhei Sharamet came to the conclusion that there was no corpus delicti in the actions of the local authorities.

At present obstacles to distribution of non-state press are created in many parts of Belarus. The worst situation is observed in Babruisk, Baranavichy and Baranavichy.