The Belarusian authorities continue to put pressure on independent journalists. The wave of detentions of journalists struck Belarus before the Freedom Day, which is celebrated on March, 25. Ales Asiptsou was detained in Mahiliou, east of Belarus. He was blamed for disorderly conduct and sentenced to three days of arrest.
Uladzimit Laptsevich, BelaPAN journalist from Mahiliou, was detained on March, 25 too. On March, 28 he was sentenced to seven days of administrative arrest for “resistance to police worker and disorderly conduct”. On March 25, Uladzimir Staraverau, a journalist from Viciebsk, northern-east of Belarus, was detained for several hours.
According to BAJ, all these people were detained for far-fetched reasons.
Foreign journalists targeted
On the night of March 24, the Russian journalist and human rights defender Alexander Lashmankin was taken into custody.
Lashmakin was put off from the train going from Russia to Belarus, because of anonymous information about him trying to smuggle drugs.
On March 24, he was found guilty of disorderly conduct by the Orsha city court and sentenced to three-day detention. The following day the it was decided to withdraw his journalist accreditation in Belarus. Lashmakin is now planning to appeal against that decision to the MFA.
President offended
On March, 28 it became known that a 
criminal case for “insulting the President of Belarus” was initiated against famous journalist and a Polish minority activist Andrzej Poczobut (Andrei Pachobut), right.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Lukashenka was insulted by Poczobut on the pages of a major Polish newspaper “Gazeta Wyborcza”, on the web-site “Bielaruski Partyzan” (“The Belarusian Partizan”) and on his blog poczobut.livejournal.com during the period of 2010-2011.
As BAJ states, the colleagues of Poczobut from Hrodna city have already prepared a request to stop the criminal proceeding.
Warned for the “we”
On the same day – March 28, the Supreme Economic Court declined the complaints of “Autoradio” station and “Narodnaya volia” newspaper who attempted to appeal against the warning issued by the Ministry of Information.
The reason for the warning issued on January 14, 2011 to “Narodnaya volia” was the article of Liubou Luniova “Who will hear “Go away!” slogan?”. The Ministry of Information also found the contravention in an extract from the interview with Dzmitry Dashkevich, leader of a non-registered youth organisation “Malady Front” (“Youth Front”). The case is that Dashkevich used pronoun “we”, which was considered as a statement on behalf of the non-registered organisation.
Activities on behalf of unregistered organizations are banned in Belarus and are punushable by imprisonment.
Broadcasting silenced
The warning to “Autoradio” issued by the Ministry of Information was one of the reasons to shut the popular station down.
The reason for warning and shutting down the broadcasting station was the information that appeared on the air which allegedly contained “public call for extremist activity”.
That was how the authorities interpreted the phrase of 2010 presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau “the fate of the country will be decided on the square, not on the kitchen”.
Evening interrogations in KGB
In the evening of March 31, the KGB summoned up the journalist of “Narodnaya Volia” Maryna Koktysh, and chief editor of “Nasha Niva” Andrei Skurko.
Both journalists were interrogated about the sudden disappearance of another journalist, chief editor of “Charter’97” web site Natallia Radzina, who is accused in organisation and participation in mass riots on December 19, 2010 in Minsk. Natallia was supposed to turn up to the KGB questioning on March, 31, but she did not appear there. Radzina’s telephone was switched off, and there were no exact information of her whereabouts. Few days ago it was revealed, that she successfully escaped for London.
Belarusian journalists protest
ing
The Belarusian Association of Journalists published a statement, expressing strong protest in regard of prosecution of their colleagues and demanding to stop the pressure on the journalists and independent mass-media immediately. The text of the statement is published below.
STATEMENT
THE BELARUSIAN ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS ON THE SCORE OF TIGHTENING OF PRESSURE ON JOURNALISTS AT THE END OF MARCH 2011
Situation with freedom of journalistic activity in Belarus has deteriorated dramatically since recently. The BAJ members from Mahilou – Uladzimir Laptsevich, Ales Asiptsou, and Dzmitry Salauyou – were detained and sentenced to 3 – 7 days of arrest under administrative law on the eve of the Freedom Day, celebrated on March 25th. A TV cameraman Uladzislau Staravierau was detained for several hours in the city of Vitsiebsk. All the media workers, mentioned above, were detained upon far-fetched pretexts. Once again, the police and the plain-clothes men prevented journalists from reporting on street actions on March 25, 2011.
The day of March 28, 2011 appeared to be highly indicative. Apart from the abovementioned sentences, passed upon Uladzimir Laptsevich, Ales Asiptsou, and Dzmitry Salauyou,
— the Supreme Economic Court dismissed two complaints against the Ministry of Information, lodged by the “Narodnaya Vola” newspaper and the “Autoradio” FM radio, which tried to appeal against official warnings, issued by the Ministry;
— it became known that criminal proceedings had been instituted against Andrzej Paczobut, a journalist from Hrodna, for defaming the President of Belarus (article 368, part 1 of Belarus“ Criminal Code);
— the Editor-in-chief of “Svaboda” News Agency (Russia) Alexander Lashmankin was deprived of his press accreditation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus following his removal from the train in Vorsha (Vitsiebsk region) and 3 days” arrest on the alleged charges of hooliganism.
One can’t help regarding these events as a hunt for media workers. Thus the state shows complete disrespect to journalists“ professional rights as well as to the freedom of speech and the liberty of the press.
All these events follow a wave of repressions against journalists that commenced in the country after December 19, 2010. Consequently, seven journalists and BAJ members were presented criminal charges of arranging and taking part in mass riots. One of them, Alaksandr Atroshchankau, has already been sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment in a high security colony. (The court verdict hasn’t come into effect yet.) The remaining six journalists – Iryna Khalip, Natallia Radzina, Alaksandr Fiaduta, Siarhei Vazniak, Pavel Seviarynets, and Dzmitry Bandarenka – are waiting for trials. They are threatened with up to 15 years of jail.
The legal investigators haven’t returned the professional technical equipment, seized from editorial offices and journalists” private apartments after the searches.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists:
— declares a decisive protest in connection with prosecution of our colleagues;
— urges the state authorities to terminate immediately the pressure on journalists and mass media;
— reminds that apart from being a fundamental liberty, the freedom of speech makes a criterion for preservation of other rights and liberties.
Adopted by the BAJ Board on March 29, 2011
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