BAJ demands Review Proceedings in the Cases of Arrested Journalists
On May 13 the public association BAJ
filed official letters to the Investigative Committee, the Minister
of Justice, the Minister of Home Affairs, and the Prosecutor General,
demanding to investigate the allegations of arbitrary detentions and
arrests of journalists on May 7 and April 25.
The official
letters are based on the
statement of the Board of BAJ adopted on May 8. The statement
mentions the
arrests to Dzmitry Halko and Aliaksandr Yarashevich (10 and 12
days respectively) and earlier three-day arrests
to Aliaksandr Yarashevich and Henadz Barbarych. Besides, BAJ has
drawn attention to violations of the principles of a public trial.
The official letters urge the respective state bodies to hold a check-up into the facts of violations mentioned in the statement, and also to ensure that the police and other agencies do not abuse their rights and respect journalists.
