Belarusian journalist Iryna Khalip has been honoured as one of Time magazine’s 2005 European heroes, it was announced on 24 October at a ceremony in London. Khalip, who is deputy editor-in-chief of bi-weekly independent newspaper Delovaya Gazeta (BDG), has reported widely on corruption in Belarus, including on the conduct of president Alexsander Lukashenka.
The magazine, which has been honouring courageous individuals for over eighty years, also honoured Live 8 organizer and campaigner Bob Geldof and footballer Thierry Henry, among many others. Iryna Khalip was acknowledged as a ‘Brave Heart’, along with London tube driver Jeff Porter, whose quick response to the 7 July bombings in London saved many lives.
The public recognition of Khalip’s work and Belarus’ poor record on human rights has been widely reported by the free expression and human rights community. Khalip is regularly interrogated by the police, and Delovaya Gazeta was fined for damages in June 2005 for her criticism of the government’s conduct, and specifically with regard to its relationship with the largely state-run media. Khalip has recently been warned by Belarus’ Office of the Prosecutor General that she could face up to five years in jail for her articles exposing corruption. There have also been reports of violence against the journalist on several occasions.
‘My country today is the last dictatorship in Europe’, Khalip said in response to being presented with the ‘Brave Heart’ award. ‘Thank you for your support of our fight’. Time’s heroes range from activists to performers to individuals moved to act by a single moment , and include those who work to bring about change around the globe, continuously applying pressure on politicians, business, and the media.
Recent arrests
Highlighting the government’s hostility towards independent media oppositional politics has come at a crucial time: only days after the ceremony in London, police detained about 70 independent observers in Minsk, citing new regulations for the registration of associations and organizations. According to activist website Charter 97, meeting participants are to stand trial on 31 October, facing a possible fine or 15 days in jail.
