Oslo: The Human Rights House Foundation and Norwegian P.E.N. have condemned the decision by the Belarusian state-owned newspaper distributor Belposhta to cease distribution of privately-owned newspapers. This is a new blow for the independent Belarusian press which has already been under increasing pressure recently. Read the letter below. (24-NOV-05)

Human Rights House Foundation and Norwegian P.E.N. are writing you to condemn the decision of the state-owned newspaper distribution company, Belposhta, to cease distribution of privately owned papers as of January 2006. We view upon this as another attempt by the Belarusian authorities to silence dissident voices and “clean up” the Belarusian information field on the eve of the 2006 Presidential election set for July.

The list of media to be excluded from the state distribution system includes the Nasha Niva, Narodnaya Vola, Salidarnasc, Zhoda, BDG, Delovaya Gazieta, Rehijanalnya Gazeta and a range of regional, non-governmental, social and political periodical editions.

Some of the newspapers received letters informing them that due to violations of their contracts, their distribution agreements would not be renewed. Others only discovered they had been removed from the list when the Belphosta published its subscription catalogue for 2006. At the end of September, the state-printing house already cancelled its contract to publish the independent daily Narodnaya Vola. Independent Belarusian media have been surviving despite arbitrary closures, punitive fines, harassment and intimidation of journalists. In recent months the pressure on media has increased alarmingly.

The Human Rights House Foundation and Norwegina P.E.N. condemn the oppression of the Belarusian media and the limitations to freedom of expression. We remind you to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that was signed by the Belarusian authorities:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

Copies are sent to:
The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus
The Ministry of Communication and Informatics of the Republic of Belarus
The Belposhta Republican Unitary Enterprise
Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ)
The Human Rights House Network