News on the topic: freedom of expression
02.09.2008 Newspaper is blacklisted because of journalist’s engagement in the elections
the Ministry of Information issued two official warnings to a non-state newspaper Bobruiskiy Kurier at once. One more warning had been issued to it on 7 November 2007. Having three warnings, the newspaper can be closed down by the court.
08.08.2008 Journalists detained near House of Parliament
A photojournalist of Belhazeta Vadzim Zamirouski and another photojournalist have been detained near the House of Government in Independence Square today.
04.08.2008 Vitsebsk: occupation and party affiliation of future candidates are concealed
Maryna Zdolnikava, secretary of the electoral commission of Vitsebsk village electoral district #21, refused to inform journalist Valery Shchukin about the occupation and party affiliation of the pretenders to candidates, whose initiative groups had been registered by the commission. She only told him their names and surnames. Zdolnikava explained her refusal to give more information by saying that the requested information was not allowed for publication in mass media.
11.07.2008 Vitsebsk: Barys Khamaida gets imprisoned as a result of provocation
On 8, 9 and 10 July the police detained Barys Khamaida for handing out independent press. Each time he was detained for two hours and then was released.
08.07.2008 ‘Reporters Without Borders’ oppose adoption of new law ‘On mass media’
The international organization Reporters Without Borders has once again expressed its concern related to adoption of the new law On Mass Media in Belarus, which is to be signed into law by Alexander Lukashenka.
04.07.2008 Trade union activists against Hrodna police
The administration of the Belarusian trade union or radio electronic industry demands that Leninski district procuracy of Hrodna take the necessary measures in connection with the illegal confiscation of copies of the Haradzenskaya Salidarnasts newspaper from the member of the trade union Uladzimir Tabola.
04.07.2008 ‘Hazeta Slonimskaya’ wins the trial
The court confessed that the article published by the newspaper concerning the doctor Natallia Kiman was based on real facts which were confirmed by the investigation.
12.06.2008 .by zone: registration impossible?
The State Center of Information Security under the auspices of the Belarusian president has temporarily suspended issuing certificates of domain names’ ownership to their owners.
04.06.2008 State officials speak for increased control over internet
Aleh Praliaskouski, director of the Informational Analytical Center at the Presidential Administration, insists on ‘strengthening of responsibility for wrongful information on the Internet’. The official said it in an interview to the Belaruskaya Dumka magazine.
15.05.2008 Journalists of Hantsavitski Chas are denied accreditation again
The journalists of the non-state newspaper Hantsavitski Chas were again denied accreditation at Hatsavichy district soviet of deputies. The first denial was issued by the presidium of the soviet of deputies and the second one – by Brest oblast soviet of deputies. Its chairman Ashmiantsau insists that ‘state organ is not obliged to give accreditation to journalists’ and refers to some ‘discrediting of the state organs’ and ‘misinformation of the population in mass media’ as the reasons for which a state organ can refuse to accredit media correspondents.
13.05.2008 Prosecutor’s office interrogates BelSat coordinator
Recently the coordinator of the BelSat satellite TV channel for Belarus Eduard Melnikau has received summons to the prosecutor’s office of Minsk. However, the reasons were not specified in the document. When Melnikau phoned to the investigator and asked him, the investigator seemed to be surprised. ‘Don’t you know yet?’ he asked.
08.05.2008 Prosecutor’s office upholds KGB actions against independent journalists
Homel oblast KGB office found no law violations in the actions of the persons who had conducted a search in the apartment of the journalist Anatol Hatouchyts, member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, and took away his instruments of labor. The return of the confiscated items depends on the ‘organ by which the criminal investigation is lead’.
08.05.2008 Reporters Without Borders stands for Hazeta Slonimskaya
Reporters Without Borders condemns an eviction order and other efforts by local authorities to harass the weekly Hazeta Slonimskaya, the only independent newspaper in the western region of Hrodna. Its editor, Uladzimir Valadashchuk, appealed to readers for support on 30 April.
08.05.2008 Harassment of Hazeta Slonimskaya going on
The head of the psychoneurologic department of Slonim central district hospital received a letter signed by the head of the local branch of the KGB Aliaksandr Mazalkou with an order to check the editor-in-chief of an independent newspaper Hazeta Slonimskaya Viktar Valadashchuk and his relatives, whether they are listed in databases of psychoneurologic and narcological dispensaries.
05.05.2008 Police prohibit handing out non-state press
3 May is celebrated as the Universal Day of Press. At 12 a.m. representatives of the United Democratic Forces (including members of the Belarusian Popular Front party, the United Civil Party, the Party of Communists Belarusian, etc.) gathered near the Main Post Office in Minsk to mark this day by handing out to passers-by the officially registered non-state newspapers: Narodnaya Volia, Nasha Niva and Tovarishch. Bear in mind, that the state retail and subscription monopolist on press Belsayuzdruk, neither sells these newspapers, nor provides subscription to them, all because of their ‘oppositional’ content.
