On 2 November, 2012 forty one copies of the album "Belarus Press Photo-2011" has been confiscated from photographers Yuliya Darashkevich and Vadzim Zamirouski at the border crossing point between Lithuania and Belarus.Later Ashmiany customs office informed the photographers that this printed production "considered unlawful according to the customs expert examination and needs to be destroyed."
On 19 January, 2013, during the telephone conversation with representatives of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, customs officials reported that the copies were transferred to the KGB. Yuliya Darashkevich, the photographer and organizer of the contest "Belarus Press Photo, was summonsed to the court in regard with the case, opened by the KGB. "According to the expert examination, "Belarus Press Photo-2011" album, confiscated by the customs services, was recognized as extremist. Vadzim Zamirouski got the same request for summons. Yuliya Darashkevich was summonsed to Ashmiany District Court on 17 April as an "interested party". She also got a copy of the written request, which was lodged by the Hrodna Region KGB to the Court.As appears from this request the photo album is recognized as extremist according to the expert examination.The examination was held by the professors of Hrodna University and local ideologists. They came to the conclusion that the photo album "contains deliberately distorted insinuations about the life of the Republic of Belarus in the political, economical, social and other spheres which don’t meet the reality and insult the national honor and dignity of citizens of the Republic of Belarus ."
Yulia Darashkevich does not know exactly which images could be the reason for such conclusion of the Commission, however, she notes that this album covered the events that occurred in 2010: "It is very strange as this is a display of the events that occurred during the year.It shows news and cultural events, sports and nature. We can not say that all the images are negative. But photojournalists reflect the reality as it really is. And photojounalist’s mission is to raise an issue and to attract the audience’s attention to these issues. "
The Belarusian Association of Journalists: "The photos do not create, but only reflect the reality "
On 10 April The Belarusian Association of Journalists published the text of an
appeal to the head of Hrodna region KGB, who initiated the court hearing on recognizing the Belarus Press Photo 2011 albums extremist.
"We consider that the fact of a court hearing over extremism in photos is absurd.The photos of the album do not contain calls for extremist actions and do not propagate it. The photos do not create, but only reflect the reality. They by definition cannot contain “intentionally distorted false insinuations on the vital activity of the Republic of Belarus” (the quote from the document that you signed). "- is said in the statement.
The national civil association "Belarusian PEN-center" also issued a statement in support of indepent photographers .‘The council of the Belarusian PEN-Center considers the actions of the people responsible for the initiation of the aforementioned case as a manifestation of persecution of the journalists for their creative work and convictions, which directly contradicts to the quoted Constitution article and the international undertakings of the Republic of Belarus in the sphere of the protection of fudnamental human rights"- said the authors of the statement. The statement also called to stop the unlawful persecution of journalists and artists.
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"Belarus Press Photo" – is an open and independent press photography contest of Belarus, which is held every year since 2010. Photos-finalists are published in the form of an album (sometimes – also as a calendar).
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