Police spent 2 months ‘looking’ for results of check-up concerning violations of journalists’ rights

The police officers cannot find the results of the check-up of violations of journalists’ rights, held by the main police department of Minsk city executive committee, for two months already.

Bear in mind that on 23 September the Belarusian Association of Journalists addressed the prosecutor’s office and the MIA with the requirement to investigate the facts of violation of rights of journalists during the opposition’s demonstrations in Kastrychnitskaya Square. On 30 October BAJ received a letter from the main board of MIA’s internal security department. In the letter, signed by the head of the head of its third section Vital Kistserny, it is stated that an exhaustive check-up has been conducted and BAJ was informed about it in conformity with the legal order.

However, BAJ still hasn’t received any answer concerning the results of the check-up.

In his interview to RFE/RL Mikhail Pastukhou, head of the Center for Legal Defense at BAJ, said: ‘In the answer that we received from the internal security department it was stated that the address to the prosecutor’s office and the MIA had been considered, an appropriate check up had been conducted and we would be informed about the results. However, BAJ still hasn’t received any information about the results of the check-up.’

As said by Mr. Pastukhou, Minsk police states that the results of the check-up were sent to BAJ on 9 October and they had no idea where they could be lost. They also promised to resend them by fax when they would have free time. However, they still haven’t done it.