Working place of journalist Maryna Koktysh searched by police
At about 12.30 a.m. on 17 February the Belarusian Association of Journalists learned about the search in the editorial office of the Narodnaya Volia newspaper, at the working place of deputy editor Maryna Koktysh.
The search was conducted by four policemen headed by Aliaksandr Chui, major of the Leninski district police department in Minsk. They had a searched warrant dated 20 January and signed by colonel Paliashchuk, Chairperson of the police department of the Homel oblast executive committee, on sanction of Valiantsin Shayeu, Homel oblast prosecutor.
According to the BAJ information, having entered the office the ‘guests’ prohibited the present people to use mobile phones. Sometime later, using cell phones was allowed. The search ended at about 1.10 p.m. The policemen confiscated the system block of Koktysh’s computer.
On receiving information about the search, more than ten journalists, BAJ representatives and foreign diplomats arrived at the editorial office of Narodnaya Volia. The search is connected to the so-called ‘case on hunting’, within the frames of which a number of duty officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are suspected in abuse of the official powers. Maryna Koktysh says that this search came as a complete surprise to her. She says that Narodnaya Volia has published just one small article about this case, and she has never paid much interest to such showdowns between the police and the KGB.
