04.11.2009 Authorities threaten to mass media for writing about swine flu in Belarus

Officials of the Information Ministry will keep a close watch on what is written about flu outbreak by registered media outlets and their websites.

15.10.2009 Pukhavichy authorities create obstacles to ‘Maryinahorskaya Hazeta’

KGB presses on entrepreneurs cooperating with independent mass media. A private entrepreneur from Maryina Horka (the Pukhavichy district) has to cancel the rental contract with Maryinahorskaya Hazeta under pressure of the local authorities. On 2 October the newspaper submitted the document for registration to the Ministry of Information.

07.10.2009 Barysau: independent journalist lost the trial

On 7 October in the morning Barysau district court pronounced the verdict on the honor and dignity protection lawsuit of V.Pratasevich, editor of the newspaper of Barysau executive committee Adzinstva against the Bukas Media Center enterprise and the journalist V.Nikitski.

07.10.2009 Belarusian-language program dropped from air on 'Unistar' radio

The leadership of Unistar radio decided to take off the air Viktar Syamashka’s program Novaya Ziamlia, the only Belarusian-language program on this radio that could be heard since 1995, udf.by reports.

06.10.2009 ‘Autoradio’ gets warned for joint project with European Radio for Belarus

On 30 September 2009 the management of Autoradio FM-radio station from Minsk received an official warning from the Ministry of Information for ‘non-fulfillment of creative concept of broadcasting’.

01.10.2009 Minsk: journalists are detained while performing their professional duties

The leader of the Communist Party of Belarus Siarhei Kaliakin was detained while handing out Tovarishch newspaper near the entrance of Minsk Tractor Plant.

29.09.2009 Reporters Without Borders call on Belarusian authorities to stop obstructing work of journalists

Four days after a joint international press freedom mission to Belarus, Reporters Without Borders today called on the Belarusian government to stop obstructing the work of journalists working for foreign news media.

The press freedom organisation has signed a statement issued by the mission at the end of its five-day visit noting that: “Accreditation of journalists working for Belarus or foreign media, as well as the registration of offices of media, are restricted by non-transparent and discriminatory decisions of the authorities.”

29.09.2009 Masty and Shchuchyn district authorities ban opposition meetings

Masty and Shchuchyn district authorities have imposed another ban on holding local constituent assemblies of the Belarusian European Forum, due on 14 November in Minsk, saying that the applicants violated the provisions of the Law on Mass Actions, namely they failed to present documents certifying the organizers’ legal responsibility for the meetings. According to Ales Zarembiuk, For Freedom member and one of the applicants, the decision had different underlying reasons: ‘After all the attempts of obtaining legal permission to hold a meeting, it becomes clear that the authorities do not want the Forum to be known among the general public.’

28.09.2009 Authorities afraid of people’s protests

Brest activists of the democratic forces were banned to hold 52 pickets against decline in material standing of people.

It was planned to hold pickets in Brest on September 30. The objective was attracting attention of public and governmental bodies to the decline in material standing caused by consumer goods price increase, decrease in purchasing power and actual wages, and consolidating the efforts of people in their struggle for social and economic rights.

24.09.2009 Experts on freedom of speech didn’t believe Pyatkevich

The international journalistic mission has a negative general impression of its visit to Belarus.

The international experts will make an official statement later, “”Yezhednevnik” reports.

Though representatives of international organizations dealing with mass media and freedom of press issues have repeatedly emphasized the aim of the visit wasn’t proving the Belarusians necessity of democratic reforms, but just lending support to national media, the guests have a negative general impression.

It especially concerns meetings with Belarusian officials. European director of the International Federation of Journalists Marc Gruber said telling about the meeting with first deputy head of Lukashenka’s Administration Natallya Pyatkevich they had failed to understand each other.

22.09.2009 Vitsebsk BPF office members protest against rally restrictions

Kastus Smolikau, head of the BPF’s Vitsebsk regional office, has lodged a complaint with Vitsebsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office, urging the local authorities to reverse the restrictions on demonstrations procedures. The activist says the decision by Vitsebsk city authorities is unlawful, since it restricts the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, by limiting the number of authorized locations for holding mass actions to three places on the outskirts of the city. Besides, the decision fails to regulate indoor meetings, which, in reality, is a ban on holding such assemblies.

22.09.2009 Foreign human rights activist refused Belarusian visa

Joanna Kurocz, member of the Civil Rights Defenders international organization, has not been allowed to receive a Belarusian visa, say representatives of an international journalists’ mission, currently on a visit to Belarus. During their stay in Minsk, the journalists have had a number of meetings with representatives of Belarusian mass media, both independent and state-owned ones. They were also invited to a meeting with Deputy Chair of the President’s Administration Natallia Piatkevich. The results of the visit will be reported during a final briefing at the International Education Center on 23 September.

10.09.2009 Ivan Kruk continues appealing against fine for distribution of newspapers

Astravets activist Ivan Kruk has filed a review complaint with the head of Hrodna oblast court Hrynkevich. Mr. Kruk believes that the huge fine (700 000 rubles, about $250) was imposed on him for publishing in the bulletin some information about the danger of the construction of a nuclear power station.

28.08.2009 Opposition rallies not welcome in downtown Vitsebsk

Vitsebsk city authorities have arrived at a decision to restrict the number of locations for holding pickets and rallies to three places on the outskirts of the city, thus putting a ban on organizing mass actions in downtown Vitsebsk. The same decision also regulates the procedures of holding demonstrations, including permits by local police, medical and utility departments. Local pro-dem activists have repeatedly called upon the city authorities to authorize holding rallies in the city center. However, the officials are still afraid of letting opposition activists hold actions in downtown Vitsebsk.

24.08.2009 Russian HR activist not allowed to enter Belarus

Nikolai Zboroshenko, Chair Assistant of the Moscow Helsinki Group, was not allowed to enter Belarus as he was crossing the Lithuania-Belarus border due to a travel ban. The ban must have been caused by Mr.Zboroshenko’s detention during a protest demonstration in 2006.