Belarusian Association of Journalists launches a campaign for the release of journalist Anton Surapin
The Board of BAJ urges all who sympathize
with independent journalism to sign a petition to free the photographer.
PA “Belarusian association of journalists” calls all its members and all
sympathizing citizens to sign a special petition demanding to release Anton
Surapin. Besides, BAJ addresses international journalism organizations and
colleagues also join the campaign.
“Anton
has stayed in the KGB detention center since 13 July 2012 on charges of
assistance to illegal crossing of the state border, committed by an organized
group of people (Part 6 of Article 16 and Part 3 of Article 371 of the Criminal
Code of the Republic of Belarus). It seems that his fault was that he had
published on-line exclusive photos of the teddy bears, dropped from the
airplane which crossed the border.
We think that the criminal prosecution of A.Surapin is directly connected with
his professional activities and roughly violates the right to receive, store
and disseminate information, which is guaranteed by the Belarusian
Constitution.
We demand to release Anton Surapin unconditionally and stop the criminal case.
We urge Belarusian citizens, human rights defenders and NGOs to support our
demands, bearing in mind also the other detainee in the criminal case – realtor
Siarhei Basharymau."
PA “BAJ” asks all who will sign the petition for Anon Surapin
to send their petitions in registered mail at the address: Minsk, Kamsamolskaya
Street, 7-32 (office of the PA “BAJ”). We ask also to make a copy for yourself
(just in case).
You can also sign the petition in the office of PA BAJ from 10am to 6pm.
As the incoming petitions accumulate, PA BAJ will hand them over to the KGB, the
body which has made the decision to arrest the journalist.
TEXT OF THE PETITION
Source: http://baj.by
