During a working visit to Minsk the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, expressed the view that reforms of the Belarusian law on mass media should be carried out. “I think that there is an urgent need to address the issues of media freedom in Belarus, implementation of reforms and changes in the law in this area,” – said the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović on 4 June at the meeting with members of the House of Representatives in Minsk.

Mijatović drew attention of the Belarusian side to several important questions among which was the current law on mass media. “”It needs to be revised.  My office had previously prepared a legal assessment of the law.  In my opinion, it is necessary to begin the process of its reform,” –  she said .

It is to be recalled, that the law “On Mass Media”, which for the first time considered the Internet as one of mass media, became valid in Belarus in February 2009.The law introduced a registration of “mass media distributed through the Internet global computer network.” Activities of any non-registered Internet media may be suspended.This law also prohibits the registration of mass media, the share of foreign capital in which is more than thirty percent. The distribution of foreign publications in the country now requires a special permit. Mandatory accreditation of foreign journalists on the territory of Belarus was introduced as well.

I say this with full respect of the Belarusian authorities, but at the same time, my role it to emphasize and remind the authorities of their OSCE media freedom commitments,” she said.

Mijatović said that a meeting with parliamentarians and parliamentary committees dealing with the media is an integral part of her work.

“It’s very important to be sure that the commission and its members will use their expertise in order to push media reforms in a right direction. As the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media I always note that all legislative acts connected with the media, should be friendly towards the media and encourage not to limit its work, “- said the representative of the OSCE.

On 3 June, during a speech at the opening of the training workshop for Belarusian journalists “Internet media: freedom, professionalism and sustainable development” Dunja Mijatović expressed its principled position on Internet censorship: “Internet freedom is being discussed in all countries across the world today.  The internet determines our communication for the nearest decades.  We mustn’t make mistakes and wrong steps in this sector. Internet media mustn’t suffer from persecution.

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Dunja Mijatović visited Belarus in October 2010. She also wanted to come to Minsk after violent break up of the protest against the official results of the presidential elections held on 19 December, 2010. Independent journalists including Iryna Khalip and Natallia Radzina were among the hundreds of detained demonstrators.

They were held as suspects in a criminal case on the mass riots and were kept in the KGB detention centre. Mijatović sent letters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus twice to help organize her visit to Minsk, but there was no response to her letters.

Mijatović has repeatedly criticized the official Minsk for the situation with freedom of speech in Belarus and the harassment of independent journalists.

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