31 May 19 | Belarus, Belarus Incident Reports
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Index on Censorship’s Monitoring and Advocating for Media Freedom project tracks press freedom violations in five countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. Learn more.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”8 Incidents” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”Blogger Piatrukhin detained to prevent him from covering ecological protest in Brest” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]
26 May 2019 – Blogger Siarhei Piatrukhin was preventively detained by the Brest police on the basis of a flimsy pretext and taken to the Leninski district police department shortly before the start of an ecological protest. He had to spend about an hour at the station.
For more than a year, Brest residents have been protesting against the construction and launch of the iPower battery plant in the Brest free economic zone which may harm the environment in the region.
Link(s)
https://belsat.eu/en/news/ahead-of-protests-brest-blogger-preventively-detained/
Categories: Arrest/Detention; Blocked Access
Source of violation: Police/State security[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”President signs decree allowing the blocking of websites during the European Games” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]
20 May 2019 – President Lukashenko signed decree №19 on security measures during the European Games in Minsk (17 June to 2 July).
The authorities intend to temporarily block all the websites calling for participation in unauthorized protests during the European Games in Belarus. According to the document, from 20 May to 30 June this year such websites are to be detected and to be blacklisted within 24 hours.
In addition, the decree also prohibits the use drones at sports venues, hotels and fan zones during the European Games. Unauthorised drones will be seized until 2 July. The exception is the equipment belonging to the governmental bodies and the Games organizers.
Link(s)
https://baj.by/en/content/belarusian-government-block-websites-calling-protests-during-european-games
http://charter97.link/en/news/2019/5/21/334837/
Category: Legal Measures
Source of violation: Government[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Investigative journalist makes statement on his discrediting by Russian propaganda websites” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]16 May 2019 – The editor of the Belarusian service of the International Volunteer Community Inform Napalm and journalist for the Novy Chas newspaper Dzianis Ivashyn made an official statement on the smear campaign against him by some Russian websites. Ivashyn noted that some representatives of Belarusian media outlets are engaged in this campaign as well. The campaign began in mid-April 2019.
The main participants of the campaign, according to Ivashyn, are antimaydan.info, news-front.info, novorosinform.org, politnavigator.net, telegram channels 338 and Trikotazh and several others.
Ivashyn said he believes security ministries of the Russian Federation are behind the campaign due to the nature, method and channels of dissemination of disinformation about him.
Link(s)
https://baj.by/be/content/belaruski-zhurnalist-zayaulyae-pra-cisk-z-boku-rasiyskih-internet-resursau
Categories: Online Discredit
Source of violation: Another media[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Investigative journalist makes statement on his discrediting by Russian propaganda websites” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]16 May 2019 – The editor of the Belarusian service of the International Volunteer Community Inform Napalm and journalist for the Novy Chas newspaper Dzianis Ivashyn made an official statement on the smear campaign against him by some Russian websites. Ivashyn noted that some representatives of Belarusian media outlets are engaged in this campaign as well. The campaign began in mid-April 2019.
The main participants of the campaign, according to Ivashyn, are antimaydan.info, news-front.info, novorosinform.org, politnavigator.net, telegram channels 338 and Trikotazh and several others.
Ivashyn said he believes security ministries of the Russian Federation are behind the campaign due to the nature, method and channels of dissemination of disinformation about him.
Link(s)
https://baj.by/be/content/belaruski-zhurnalist-zayaulyae-pra-cisk-z-boku-rasiyskih-internet-resursau
Categories: Online Discredit
Source of violation: Another media[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Radio Racyja’s journalist failed to obtain accreditation from foreign ministry” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]15 May 2019 – The Belarusian ministry of foreign affairs denied accreditation to Yauhen Skrabets, a journalist for the Belarusian Radio Raciya (Poland), as a foreign correspondent.
In response to Yauhen Vapa, the head of the radio station, the ministry said that the accreditation had been denied because Radio Raciya had previously used non-accredited journalists in the last six months.
Link(s)
https://baj.by/be/content/mzs-belarusi-admovila-u-akredytacyi-yashche-adnamu-zhurnalistu-radyyo-racyya-kopiya-adkazu
Categories: Blocked Access; Legal Measures
Source of violation: State Agency[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Two independent journalist from Vitsebsk fined” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]15 May 2019 – The trial of independent journalists Alena Shabunia and Viachaslau Lazarau took place in the Navapolatsk town court. A judge found both journalists guilty of “illegal production and distribution of media content” under Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses and fined them 637.50 Belarusian rubles (more than 300 dollars) each.
The pair were on trial because their video of an accident at the Polimir Navapolatsk enterprise was shown on Belsat TV channel.
Link(s)
http://charter97.link/en/news/2019/5/16/334236/
https://baj.by/be/content/vicebskih-zhurnalistau-ashtrafavali-za-videasyuzhet-pra-avaryyu-na-zavodze-palimir
Category: Fines
Source(s) of violation: Police, Court[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Foreign Ministry refused to accredit Radio Racyja journalist for the tenth time” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]14 May 2019 – A foreign ministry officer told Hrodna journalist Victar Parfionenka in a telephone conversation that he has been denied accreditation again.
Parfionenka has been contributing to the Belarusian Radio Racyja registered in Poland for 10 years. Every year he appeals to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for accreditation as a foreign correspondent and always gets rejected.
Link(s)
https://m.charter97.org/ru/news/2019/5/13/333944/
Categories: Blocked Access; Legal Measures
Source of violation: State Agency[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Ingush blogger detained and deported to Russia without trial” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]10 May 2019 – The authorities have ordered the extra-judicial deportation of Russian critical blogger Ismail Nalgiev after his arrest in the Minsk airport on 8 May 2019.
His lawyer said law enforcement agencies did not disclose the reasons for the blogger’s arrest. Nalgiev has been held in the detention center in Minsk since he was arrested at the airport while he was trying to leave Belarus. He was told that he was on the Russian list of wanted persons. Then the blogger was told that he was charged with a misdemeanor.
It was expected that the charge would be considered on May 10 by the Kastrychnicki district court of Minsk, but in the morning the detainee’s lawyer was informed that there would be no trial and Nalgiev had already been deported.
Link(s)
http://charter97.link/en/news/2019/5/10/333562/
https://belsat.eu/en/news/ingush-blogger-ismail-nalgiev-expelled-from-belarus-without-trial/
http://spring96.org/en/news/92886
https://baj.by/be/content/ingushskogo-blogera-vyslali-iz-belarusi-bez-suda
Categories: Arrest/Detention; Legal Measures
Source of violation: Police/State security[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”More on this case” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”107022″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2019/05/blogger-and-human-rights-defender-ismail-nalgiev-extra-judicially-deported-from-belarus/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Journalists among those barred from attending a session on redevelopment in Minsk” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]3 May 2019 – Journalists were not allowed to attend the session on the redevelopment of a section of the center of Minsk, which was held in the Pershamaiski district administration of Minsk behind closed doors.
Two dozen local residents, who had submitted written appeals to be present at the session, gathered at the door, but they and media outlets — Radio Liberty and news website TUT.by — were barred from attending.
When Radio Liberty’s Ina Studzinskaya approached the door, a police senior lieutenant roughly threw her out of the office.
Link(s):
https://www.svaboda.org/a/29918765.html
http://charter97.link/ru/news/2019/5/3/332790/
Categories: Blocked Access, Physical Assault
Source of violation: State Agency, Police[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1560769127972-f4b1801a-f015-7″ taxonomies=”8996″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
03 May 19 | Media Freedom, media freedom featured, News and features
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”103553″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]The investigation into the July 2016 murder of Belarusian journalist Pavel Sheremet in Kyiv, Ukraine continues to be shrouded in mystery. Ukrainian authorities have remained silent, releasing no new information since July 2017.
“The authorities in Ukraine must ensure that there is a fully transparent investigation and they must do their utmost to make real progress,” Joy Hyvarinen, head of advocacy at Index on Censorship said. “There are now too many unanswered questions related to the murder of Pavel Sheremet. The murder cannot be allowed to go unpunished.”
Journalists from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, in partnership with Slistvo.info studied a number of leads on the case and analysed footage from more than 50 different surveillance cameras. They used their findings to create an investigative documentary called “Killing Pavel” which later won the IRE Medal, the highest honour that can be received for investigative journalism. One of the most significant findings detailed in the documentary, which was released in May 2017, was the revelation that a former Ukrainian secret service agent and two unidentified individuals were present outside Sheremet’s apartment when the explosives were planted under his car.
Petro Poroshenko, the former president of Ukraine, said in July 2016 that justice for Sheremet’s murder was a “matter of honour” and that the case would be treated with utmost priority. However, he has failed to follow through on this bold statement. Ambassadors from the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan have emphasised “the importance of continuing the investigation” in order to bring those responsible to justice. Pressures from other countries, human rights organisations and journalists rights groups, have had little effect on the overall progress of the investigation.
Sheremet, who primarily covered political figures, received considerable recognition for his work exposing corruption in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. According to a letter from Olena Prytula, his partner and the owner of the Ukrainska Pravda news site, to the prosecutor general Yury Lutsenko, Sheremet “was stripped of his Belarusian citizenship due to his criticism of the Belarusian government”. In addition to spending three months in prison for speaking out against the government of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Sheremet’s Belarusian cameraman, Dzmitry Zavandski was also kidnapped and killed in 2000 after returning to Belarus from a reporting trip in Russia.
The presidents of Ukraine and Belarus met on 20 June 2017 to solely discuss “economic co-operation” between the two countries. However, this meeting was highly criticised by journalists for being held on the first anniversary of Sheremet’s murder and the honours with which Lukashenko was received by Poroshenko.
Poroshenko’s support of Lukashenko and his desire to establish closer relations with Belarus conflicted with the promises he made to attack corruption, and bring resolve to Sheremet’s case. Mustafa Nayyem, a Ukrainian journalist and the co-founder of the Hromadske Network, criticised Poroshenko for praising Lukashenko, whose acts of corruption and crimes against human rights directly tie him to Sheremet’s case. In a Facebook post that later received substantial support from the public, Nayyem wrote that Lukashenko “destroyed freedom of speech in his country, under whom hundreds of journalists have disappeared or been jailed” and emphasised the fact that it was “the very same Lukashenko under whom Pavel was sent to pretrial detention and his friend and cameraman was brutally murdered”.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a Ukrainian comedian who defeated Poroshenko in the Ukraine presidential election on 21 April 2019 by a landslide winning 73% of vote, has repeatedly denounced corruption and has promised to expel it from the Ukrainian government; however he has not yet addressed the future development of Sheremet’s case or any other unsolved cases. Although Sheremet’s case has been ignored for almost three years, it has not been forgotten.
On the second anniversary of Sheremet’s murder, Marie Yovanovitch, the US ambassador to Ukraine, said in an interview for Radio Liberty that Sheremet “played an immensely important role here in Ukraine, in terms of finding out what was happening and presenting it to the Ukrainian people so that they could make their own decisions about the situation in the Ukraine”. Furthermore, she emphasised the importance behind the renewal of the investigation, and stated that the “Ukrainian people deserve to know the truth about what happened”. However, the truth continues to be sidestepped regardless of continual demands from country ambassadors, human rights organisations, journalists and the Ukrainian community for justice.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1556881896863-0ee92b86-a4fa-7″ taxonomies=”8568″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
30 Apr 19 | Ukraine, Ukraine Incident Reports
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Index on Censorship’s Monitoring and Advocating for Media Freedom project tracks press freedom violations in five countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. Learn more.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”5 Incidents” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
President of Ukraine asks security service to check 112-Ukraine and NewsOne as possible threats to national security
16 April 2019 – “The Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution on the risks and threats to national security that come from two TV channels. Before addressing this issue, I commissioned a law enforcement agency that is responsible for national security in Ukraine, the SBU, to urgently check the information of the Verkhovna Rada,” president Petro Poroshenko said regarding the 112-Ukraine TV channel, answering a question regarding his plans to consider a petition in defense of the TV channels 112-Ukraine and NewsOne, which got over 25 thousand signatures.
Poroshenko said that as soon as the check is completed, the TV channels will be provided with the results, and will be able to provide comments that will be taken into consideration.
Link(s): https://interfax.com.ua/news/election2019/581252.html
https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2019/04/16/7212440/
Categories: Legal Measures
Source of violation: Government/State Agency/Public official(s)/Political party, Police/State security
Novoye Vremya reports that there is another complaint filed against it
17 April 2019 – Businessman Volodymyr Halanternik filed a court complaint on the protection of honour and dignity against Novoye Vremia, a weekly magazine, journalist Khrystyna Berdynskyh posted on Facebook.
An informal “master of Odessa” Volodymyr Halanternik and a good acquaintance of the mayor of Odessa Gennady Trukhanov filed a complaint against Novoye Vremia weekly, she wrote. The journalist added that her article on Volodymyr Galanternik was published in June 2018. In her article Berdynskyh reported that Halanternik had a significant impact on politics and business in Odessa.
Link(s):
https://www.facebook.com/kristina.berdinskikh/posts/10158735452136164
https://imi.org.ua/news/u-novomu-vremeni-povidomyly-shcho-proty-nykh-podaly-shche-odyn-sudovyy-pozov/
https://detector.media/infospace/article/166555/2019-04-17-proti-novogo-vremeni-podali-shche-odin-pozov-do-sudu-berdinskikh/
Categories: Subpoena / Court Order/ Lawsuits
Source of violation: Known private individual(s)
Journalist beaten up by local politician in Odessa
16 April 2019 — Bogdan Osinskiy, Gromadske Slidstvo outlet correspondent and editor for Megafon website, was beaten up near a temple by Odessa regional council deputy Roman Senik and his mother. The journalist fell to the ground in the crowd, and Senik hit him in the face with his feet. The police intervened, but Senik’s mother attacked the journalist in the presence of the officers, hitting him multiple times, and Senik pushed a phone out of the journalist’s hands and smashed it.
Link(s): https://www.048.ua/news/2367344/draka-pod-hramom-deputat-vmeste-s-mamoj-pobil-zurnalista
https://dumskaya.net/news/konflikt-vokrug-hrama-na-pastera-deputat-napal-n-097828/
Categories: Physical Assault/Injury, Attack to Property
Source of violation: Government/State Agency/Public official(s)/Political party, Known private individual(s)
Head of Russian news agency office in Ukraine goes on trial for treason
4 April, 2019 — Prosecutors have accused Kirill Vyshinsky, the head of Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti’s office in Ukraine, of publishing “anti-Ukrainian” articles and materials at the beginning of his treason trial in the Kyiv court. The Podil District Court began the trial on 4 April, almost a year after the 52-year-old was detained by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) amid accusations that RIA Novosti Ukraine was participating in a “hybrid information war” waged by Russia against Ukraine. After hearing the prosecutors’ indictment, the court adjourned until April 15th. SBU officials have said Vyshinsky, who at the moment of his arrest had dual Russian-Ukrainian citizenship, received financial support from Russia via other media companies registered in Ukraine in order to disguise links between RIA Novosti Ukraine and Russian state media giant Rossia Segodnya. They also said he was receiving some 53,000 euros (about $60,000) a month from Russian sources for his work, and that the money was sent to him through Serbia. According to the SBU, Vyshinsky was preparing reports at Moscow’s request that sought to justify the seizure of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula by Russia in 2014. Vyshinsky faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of the charges against him.
Update: 15 April 2019 – The prosecutor’s office accused Vyshinsky on the basis of publication of 72 “anti-Ukrainian” articles, Radio Liberty reported. This was announced by the prosecutors when they announced the indictment in Podilsky district court of Kyiv. Prosecutors stated that these articles were posted by Vyshinsky between 2014 and 2018. According to the prosecutors, the materials contained “false, biased information about Ukraine, the Ukrainian authorities and the army and refuted the Russian aggression against Ukraine.” The prosecution also believes that these materials “justify the possible separation of certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions from Ukraine”.
Update: 7 May 2019 — Podilsky District Court of Kyiv extended arrest to Vyshinsky until 22 July 2019, Radio Liberty reported. The prosecutor demanded that the court leave Vyshinsky arrested for another two months. He substantiated this with the fact that the defendant has Russian citizenship and can escape to Russia. The defense spoke against the extension of the arrest and requested that Vyshinsky be released under house arrest.
Link(s): https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-vyshynskomu-zachytuyut-obvynuvachennya/29882290.html
https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-vyshynskiy-ria-novosti/29861706.html
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-vyshinsky-ria-novosti-ukraine-treason-trial/29861826.html
Categories: Arrest/ Detention, Criminal Charges/Fines/Sentences
Source of violation: Police/State security, Court/Judicial
Journalist assaulted by transport company employee
2 April 2019 — Zhytomyr.Life online outlet crew was assaulted by local transport company employee in Zhytomyr. The man attacked cameraman Vasyl Homyuk and twice tried to knock the camera out of his hands.
Link(s): https://detector.media/community/article/166064/2019-04-03-u-zhitomiri-zhurnalisti-zayavlyayut-pro-napad-u-marshruttsi/
https://zhitomir.life/10654-u-zhitomiri-predstavnik-pereviznika-napav-na-zhurnalistiv-video.html
Categories: Attack to Property
Source of violation: Known private individual(s)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1575991602847-ad26670e-749a-1″ taxonomies=”8996″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
30 Apr 19 | Belarus, Belarus Incident Reports
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Index on Censorship’s Monitoring and Advocating for Media Freedom project tracks press freedom violations in five countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. Learn more.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”12 Incidents” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]
Bank account of freelance journalist arrested over not having paid fines for work without accreditation
30 April 2019 – Homel freelancer Andrei Tolchyn was summoned to the executor in conjunction with his four unpaid fines and told that his bank account had been arrested and he would have ten days to pay them.
He was sentenced to heavy fines for ‘illegal production of media content’ without accreditation for the TV channel Belsat. The total amount of the fines is 3200 Belarusian rubles (1,523 dollars).
Update:
Tolchyn’s account was unlocked after the fines had been paid.
Link: https://baj.by/be/content/u-zhurnalista-frylansera-andreya-tolchyna-aryshtavali-rahunak-u-belarusbanku
https://baj.by/be/content/belarusbank-razblakavau-rahunak-zhurnalista-frylansera-raney-zablakavany-z-za-shtrafau
Category: Legal Measures
Source of violation: State Agency
Two Brest freelancers fined
18 April 2019 – Freelance journalists Ales Liauchuk and Milana Kharytonava were fined 1,275 Belarusian rubles (about 600 dollars) each for their cooperation with Belsat TV without accreditation. The decision was taken by the chairperson of the Brest district court.
Link: https://belsat.eu/ru/news/brestskih-nezavisimyh-zhurnalistov-snova-oshtrafovali-bolshie-dengi-vzyskali-s-tretej-popytki/
Category: Fines
Source of violation: Police, Court
Leading independent media not accredited to annual message of president Lukashenko
18 April 2019 – Journalists for the leading news website TUT.BY, the news agency BelaPAN, the newspaper Belorusy I Rynok, and European Radio for Belarus were not accredited to cover the annual message of Alexander Lukashenko to the people and the National Assembly on 19 April 2019.
Two of them, BelaPAN`s Tattyana Karavenkova and special correspondent for European Radio for Belarus Zmitser Lukashuk, are permanently accredited in the parliament.
Link: https://baj.by/be/content/zhurnalistau-nedzyarzhaunyh-smi-ne-akredytavali-na-paslanne-lukashenki
Category: Blocked Access
Source of violation: State Agency
Blogger Siarhei Piatrukhin sentenced to large fine in criminal trial
18 April 2019 – A judge for the Leninski district court of Brest passed a sentence in the criminal case against blogger Siarhei Piatrukhin. He was convicted under Art. 188 (Slander) and Art. 189 (Insult) of the Criminal Code. The reason for initiating his criminal case was an appeal of a police officer over a video on the blogger`s YouTube channel Narodnyj Reportior.
The blogger was fined around 9180 Belarusian rubles (4,590 dollars). Piatrukhin was also obliged to recompense moral damage to four policemen. In total the blogger has to pay 8,840 dollars. In addition, the judge also ordered him to pay legal fees.
This amount should be paid within a month. It is also reported that the blogger made a written undertaking not to leave a place and his property was distrained.
Link: http://charter97.link/en/news/2019/4/18/330954/
Category: Fines
Source of violation: Court
Journalist with photo camera banned from entering into local government premises
Correspondent for the independent newspaper Hazeta Slonimskaya Krystsina Saladukha who came to make pictures of the exhibition of a housing building project launched a day before was banned from entering into the building of Slonim local government in the Hrodna region. A security guard told her she was not entitled to pass people with photographic equipment without a special permission.
Link: https://baj.by/be/content/zhurnalistka-pryyshla-sfatagrafavac-praekt-yae-navat-ne-puscili-u-rayvykankam
Category: Blocked Access
Source of violation: Public official
Freelance journalist Lupach fined twice for a month
15 April 2019 – Hlybokaye-based freelance journalist Zmitser Lupach stood trial in the Sharkaushchyna district court for contributing to Belsat TV without accreditation. A judge imposed on him a fine of 892.5 Belarusian rubles (about $440) over his news story about the weak economy situation and low salaries in the district.
Link: https://belsat.eu/en/news/collecting-negative-opinions-freelance-journo-fined-for-contributing-to-belsat-tv/
Category: Fines
Source of violation: Police, Court
Freelance journalist Yauhen Skrabets fined the second day in a row
12 April 2019 – In Brest, freelance journalist Yauhen Skrabets fined 765 Belarusian rubles (364 dollars) following a police report under Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offences for “production of information content for a foreign media outlet which was not accredited in the Republic of Belarus.” His article titled Activists And Independent Journalists Not Allowed Into the Press Conference at the I-Power Plant had appeared on the website of Belarusian Radio Racyja based in Poland.
Link: https://baj.by/be/content/sud-bresckaga-rayona-pakarau-frylansera-yaugena-skrabca-chargovym-shtrafam
Category: Fines
Source of violation: Police, Court
Freelance journalist fined in Mahiliou
11 April 2019 – A judge in the Leninski district court of Mahiliou ruled to fine freelance journalist Alina Skrabunova 1275 Belarusian rubles (approximately 600 dollars). She was found guilty of “participation in the illegal production of media content” as her video on the opening of an inclusive cafe where wheelchair users work had been broadcasted on the TV channel Belsat.
Link: https://baj.by/be/content/za-syuzhet-pra-lyudzey-z-invalidnascyu-zhurnalistku-pakarali-shtrafam-u-50-bazavyh
Category: Fines
Source of violation: Police, Court
Freelance journalist fined in two cases
11 April 2019 – The Hlybokaye district court fined independent journalist Zmitser Lupach 1,020 Belarusian rubles ($485) in total in two cases. He was tried under Article 22.9 (illegal production and/or distribution of media content) and under Article 23.34 (violation of the procedure for organizing or conducting mass events) of the Code of Administrative Offences. In the first case, the journalist was punished for his report on the TV channel Belsat and, in the second case, for raising a white-red-white flag during Freedom Day, the anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic.
Link: http://charter97.link/en/news/2019/4/11/330183/
Category: Fines
Source of violation: Police, Court
Freelance journalist fined in Brest
11 April 2019 – The Leninski district court of Brest considered a case against freelance journalist Yauhen Skrabets under Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses over his working for a foreign media outlet without accreditation. The police report states he “interviewed without accreditation, thus violating the rights and obligations of a foreign media journalist.” As a result, a judge fined the journalist BYN 765 ($364).
Link: http://charter97.link/en/news/2019/4/11/330204/
Category: Fines
Source of violation: Police, Court
Police raid Belsat TV office in Minsk
9 April 2018 – Police searched the office of Belsat TV channel in Minsk under a search warrant of the Investigative Committee. An official representative of the Investigative Committee Siarhei Kabakovich confirmed that the search was carried out as part of the investigation of a slander case under Article 188 of the Criminal Code.
In the summer 2018 Belsat TV journalist Ales Zaleuski prepared a video story about corruption at the Minsitry of Health Care, reporting about arrest of Aleh Shved, head of the state-owned enterprise Medtechnocenter. However, the text version on the channel’s website did not repeat the video. The text said, Aleh Shved was arrested together with his brother Andrei, head of the State Committee of Forensic Examination. Editors corrected the mistake and published the retraction immediately after the mistake was noticed. However, Andrei Shved addressed Minister of the Interior asking to prosecute me under criminal charges. In November 2018, the Investigation Committee decided there were no grounds to start criminal proceedings.
However, in January 2019 Minsk city prosecutor’s office instigated a new investigation and brought the case back to the Investigative Committee. Zaleuski believes, there are no other criminal cases against the TV channel staff. According to the journalist, they are looking for the person who published the text under the video story on the website. They have already carried out interrogations with a video camera. The witnesses in the case are Ales Zaleuski, cameraman Aliaxander Lubianchuk, and Belsat representatives Aliaksei Minchonak and Iryna Slaunikava.
During the search, the police seized two computer system units, three laptops, and all data storage media.
Update: Two days later all the equipment seized was returned to Belsat TV.
Link(s): https://belsat.eu/en/news/investigators-raiding-belsat-tv-office-in-minsk/
https://baj.by/en/content/minsk-police-raid-and-search-belsat-office-slander-charges-office-has-been-crushed
http://charter97.link/en/news/2019/4/9/329891/
https://baj.by/en/content/minsk-office-belsat-gets-back-equipment-seized-during-recent-search
Categories: Interrogation, Attack to Property
Source of violation: State Agency, Police
Police hinder journalist’s work while demolishing crosses in Kurapaty
4 April 2019 – Deputy head of the Minsk police department Siarhei Udodau barred journalists from working in Kurapaty near Minsk, where builders were demolishing crosses erected around a people’s memorial to the victims of Stalin’s repressions.
When Deutsche Welle Pauliuk Bykouski said that, under the law, he is entitled to be present at the place of public events, Udodau threatened to detain him for disobeying the police. A similar incident occurred with the correspondent of the Belarusian service of Radio Liberty Aleh Hruzdzilovich.
Euroradio’s Raman Pratasevich said a man in civilian clothes elbowed the journalist’s camera and stood in front of the photographer to hinder filming how the crosses were being demolished. Belsat TV cameraperson Iryna Arakhouskaya was also prevented from recording. Before that, men in civilian clothes prevented journalists from filming the detention of protesters.
Links: https://baj.by/be/content/fakty-perashkodau-u-pracy-zhurnalistau-padchas-padzey-u-kurapatah-4-krasavika
Category: Blocked Access, Physical Assault
Source of violation: Police
Ministry of information bans distribution of BelGazeta issue through newsstand chain
2 April 2019 – An issue of the weekly BelGazeta was withdrawn from the newsstand chain Belsayuzdruk on the recommendation of the ministry of information. The number contained, in particular, humorous pieces and a cartoon on cows. This was due to the fact that President Lukashenko roughly criticized the sanitary condition of the cows on a farm in the Shklou district and this was followed by the deprivation of a number of officials at various levels.
BelGazeta editor-in-chief Kiryl Zhyvalovich visited the ministry of information and had a conversation with the minister. Zhyvalovich refused to specify which articles the ministry had claims against, he just noted that there were several such materials.
Regarding this incident, the Minister of Information Aliaksandr Karliukevich said that “it is unacceptable when media outlets or websites, intentionally hyperbolizing critical claims, falling into open vulgarity and loutishness.”
Links: http://mininform.gov.by/news/all/v-ministerstvo-informatsii-postupilo-neskolko-obrashcheniy/
https://euroradio.fm/ru/belgazeta-mu
https://belsat.eu/ru/news/sistemnoe-hamstvo-i-hamskaya-sistema/
Category: Censorship
Source of violation: State Agency[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1560774544760-b343356b-4693-5″ taxonomies=”8996″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
