According to the minister of information of Belarus Uladzimir Rusakevich, in 2004 the ministry suspended the issue of 25 mass media and issued about 160 warnings. In his recent interview to “Interfax” agency he also supported the existence of criminal punisment to journalists for insult of honor and dignity of state officials: — Someday, when the level of the political culture of the society will be much higher, this norm will become unnecessary, but it won’t happen quickly.(15-FEB-05)
The incidents that have already taken place in 2005 demonstrate the systematic nature of the persecution of independent mass media in Belarus.
1. The chief editor of Borisovskiye Novosti non-state newspaper Anatol Bukas is charged with libel and insult of honor and dignity
Anatol Bukas is charged upon two articles of the Criminal Code. If found guilty, Bukas can be sentenced to up to three years of jail or up to two years of personal restraint. The reason for the case was the article of A. Bukas “Silence of The Lambs”, published in #12 (18-24 March 2004) of
Borisovskiye Novosti. The publication was about the editor of the newspaper of Barysaw Town Executive Committee Edinstvo Vera Pratasevich.
According to Bukas, the article was an answer to the three publications in which Vera Pratasevich called him “ill-bread editor”, compared him to foolish cock, etc. Brest police refused to conduct the linguistic expertise of those publications. The chief editor of Borisovskiye Novosti is sure that the case was brought on the initiative of the local executive committee with the aim to liquidate the newspaper.
2. State distribution nets and bookstores refuse to sell independent newspapers and magazines:
— The administration of Skidzel town branch of Hrodna regional consumer society refused to prolong the agreement with the editorial board of Birzha Infarmacyi non-state newspaper concerning the delivery of the newspaper to the town shops “due to lack of salespeople”.
— On 26 January the trading enterprise “Mahiliowkniha” returned the non-sold copies of ARCHE magazine to the public distributor Ales Asiptsow and broke the agreement with the editorial board of ARCHE to sell the magazine at newsstands and bookstores, explaining it with the weak demand for it. One of the recent numbers of the magazine was devoted to the tenth anniversary of Aliaksandr Lukashenka´s rule.
— “Belkniha” state enterprise broke the agreement for selling Dziejaslou magazine at bookstores because of the use of foul language there, for which the enterprise of the administrarion took a letter followed by three dots. At the same time, the bookstores sell the literary works of Russian writers, where four-letter words are printed without any dots. Dziejaslou is the onlyindependent literary magazine in Belarus that prints works of the authors who are not published in the state magazines because of their public and political views.
3. Obstacles to the work of journalists
— The correspondent of Baranavichy newspaper Intex-press Aliaksandr Charnenka wasn’t allowed to attend the reception of citizens by the first vice-minister of internal affairs Aliaksandr Shchurko. Charnenka received the agreement of the CBIA press-secretary Natalya Sidzelnik in advance. However, when he came to the CBIA on 3 February, he wasn’t admitted to the office and it was prohibited to him even to speak to the visitors who were standing in the corridor.
— In the city of Hrodna journalists of independent editions have problems entering such state organs as Hrodna Regional Executive Committee and receiving information there.
4. Financial punishment of mass media
On 4 January judge of Minsk Tsentralny Borough Court Valery Yesman ruled to exact 30 million rubles from the editorial office of Pressbol newspaper and 10 million rubles from its chief editor Uladzimir Berazhkow as compensation of the harm that was allegedly done to the minister of finances of the Republic of Belarus, head of Belarus Gymnastics Association Mikalay Korbut. The reason for the suit, filed by the minister, was the publication “Man Wanted by Interpol for Participation in Gang Is Substitute of Minister of Finances” in #128, 28 October 2004. As a result of such financials actions the newspaper can cease to exist.
