Journalist keeps seeking accreditation in Mahiliou Regional Council of Deputies

Uladzimir Laptsevich, a correspondent for the BelaPAN news agency, has sent another petition to the chairman of the Mahiliou Regional Council Anatol Isachenka. In his address, the journalist asks to specify a particular item of a specific regulatory or legislative act, according to which journalists are obliged to apply for attending the public sessions of the Mahiliou Regional Council of Deputies.

In addition, Uladzimir Laptsevich asks to specify the deadlines for such application, its form, as well as the official who is authorized to accept such a request.

“During a trial on 21 January in the Leninski District Court of Mahiliou, which heard my complaint about the actions of officials of the Mahiliou Regional Council, namely the chairman Anatol Isachenka, and chief specialist of the executive committee Mr. Nalhichau, the latter repeatedly said that I was prohibited to attend open meetings because I had not applied for such an opportunity. Right now I’m trying to find out to whom, how, and under which form I should file such a request,” says Uladzimir Laptsevich.

The BelaPAN reporter faced problems with attending the open sessions of the Mahiliou Regional Council in 2014. Uladzimir Laptsevich was not allowed inside on trumped-up reasons, although he had had no such problems before. On this occasion, the journalist wrote a complaint, met with Chairman of the Mahiliou Regional Council, but after this turned out to be fruitless he was forced to go to court to fight for the possibility to carry out his journalistic activities. On 21 January, the District Court dismissed the journalist’s complaint, and on 31 January Laptsevich appealed against the decision to the judicial board for civil cases of the Mahiliou Regional Court.