Vitebsk journalist accused of collaboration with foreign media

However, this media was closed 10 years ago.
Member of the "BAJ" Alena Stsiapanava  was accused of collaboration with the foreign media, which does not exist since 2002, reports the press service of BAJ.

On August 20 the journalist visited Vitebsk district prosecutor's office where prosecutor Zaitsev "interviewed" her and then gave her a written notice, signed by the deputy prosecutor of the region, senior justice advisor G.A. Karenko.

According to the document, the prosecutor's office caught the journalist on "persistence in committing preparation of audio and video material, as well as interviewing people in order to prepare reports that are published on behalf of the foreign media - the Czech office of "Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty" at the corresponding website".

Who carried out the check and how the information was extracted, the prosecutor Zaitsev refused to explain to journalists, stating that this information is for internal use. The only material, printed copy of which has been shown to Stsiapanava,  was a survey in 2008, where she, a freelance journalist was sharing with colleagues her own opinion on some topic. "He said that it is a proof of cooperation with foreign media", - said Alena.

Alena Stsiapanava is going to appeal against the official notice in the near future. "The Czech service of Radio Liberty, as far as I know, ceased operations in 2002. So I physically can not work for it", - she said.

Alena became the 11th in a row of journalists who were officially warned by prosecutors this year. Three journalists have been warned in August alone - before Stsiapanava it were Tatsiana Belashova and Gennady Barbarich.