Journalist in Hrodna given sixth accreditation ban

Viktar Parfionenka,a member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists from Hrodna, has received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus a sixth denial of accreditation. The officials stubbornly preventthe freelance reporter to work legally.

The sixth refusal from the MFA refers to the law on mass media and the accreditation rules for foreign journalists. The independent journalists in Hrodna have faced a situation of a vicious circle, as they periodically receive warnings from the prosecutor;now they face a wave of administrative trials and penalties for alleged “illegal production and distribution of information”. Essentially, this means a de facto ban on their profession. As a result, journalists are targeted for cooperation with the Belarusian Radio Racyja and the television channel Belsat.

In this situation, Viktar Parfionenkais going to appeal for accreditation again and does not rule out complaining to the court, since the journalist is convinced that his constitutional rights were violated.