07.10.2009 Barysau: independent journalist lost the trial

On 7 October in the morning Barysau district court pronounced the verdict on the honor and dignity protection lawsuit of V.Pratasevich, editor of the newspaper of Barysau executive committee Adzinstva against the Bukas Media Center enterprise and the journalist V.Nikitski.

07.10.2009 Belarusian-language program dropped from air on 'Unistar' radio

The leadership of Unistar radio decided to take off the air Viktar Syamashka’s program Novaya Ziamlia, the only Belarusian-language program on this radio that could be heard since 1995, udf.by reports.

06.10.2009 ‘Autoradio’ gets warned for joint project with European Radio for Belarus

On 30 September 2009 the management of Autoradio FM-radio station from Minsk received an official warning from the Ministry of Information for ‘non-fulfillment of creative concept of broadcasting’.

01.10.2009 Minsk: journalists are detained while performing their professional duties

The leader of the Communist Party of Belarus Siarhei Kaliakin was detained while handing out Tovarishch newspaper near the entrance of Minsk Tractor Plant.

29.09.2009 Reporters Without Borders call on Belarusian authorities to stop obstructing work of journalists

Four days after a joint international press freedom mission to Belarus, Reporters Without Borders today called on the Belarusian government to stop obstructing the work of journalists working for foreign news media.

The press freedom organisation has signed a statement issued by the mission at the end of its five-day visit noting that: “Accreditation of journalists working for Belarus or foreign media, as well as the registration of offices of media, are restricted by non-transparent and discriminatory decisions of the authorities.”

28.09.2009 Statement by International Mission to the Republic of Belarus

A group of international media and press freedom organisations today called upon the Belarus authorities to bring the country’s media environment into accordance with international standards, following the visit of a joint delegation to Minsk from 20 to 24 September 2009.

The group welcomes recent changes and recognises that pressure on media and journalists has eased. However, this must be translated into a lasting commitment to ensure the rights of journalists and to undertake much needed reforms of the media environment. Such changes need to be far reaching and irreversible.

28.09.2009 Another warning issued for contribution to Belsat

Vadzim Arshynski, Mahiliou cameraman and artist, has been warned by the city prosecutor’s office for ‘unauthorized shooting and interviewing’ during a charity performance at an orphanage in the town of Chavusy in December 2008, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports. Mr.Arshynski was warned by a registered letter, without any direct conversations with representatives of the public prosecution bodies. Mahiliou city prosecutor Siarhei Minaeu also accused Vadzim Arshynski of unauthorized publication of the interviews on the Belsat TV channel web-site. However, Mr.Arshynski claims he did not interview anyone during the concert, only videotaping the action.

25.09.2009 Radio Racyja journalist denied accreditation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not accredited Radio Racyja journalist Viktar Parfionenka, referring to Paragraph 10 of the Ministry’s local regulations, after 4 months of silence.

24.09.2009 Plainclothes militiamen tried to guard journalist to prosecutor’s office

On September 23, an attempt to break into the apartment of a Radio Racyja correspondent from Brest Zmitser Kisel was made.

The journalist connects this incident with his professional activities and an attempt to guard him to a local prosecutor’s office, Radio Racyja reports.

Two unknown men in mufti tried to break into the apartment of Zmitser Kisel in the morning. They told the journalist they were going to guard him to the prosecutor’s office.

“These two men said I must have gone to the prosecutor’s office with them,” the journalist reminds.

23.09.2009 Independent journalist warned for cooperation with Belsat again

Aleh Razhkou has received a second official warning from the regional prosecutor’s office “for activities on behalf of Belsat”.

The BelaPAN reminds that the journalist received the first warning in February 2009 with the same wording.

Aleh Razhkou was told in the prosecutor’s office that it is inadmissible to work for foreign mass media without accreditation by the Foreign Ministry. As informed by the journalist, on September 22 he was summoned to the Prosecutor’s office of Homel region. A worker of the prosecutor’s office Alesya Rabtsava told to the journalist that an appeal was lodged against him from the head doctor of the regional mental health clinic.

22.09.2009 Foreign human rights activist refused Belarusian visa

Joanna Kurocz, member of the Civil Rights Defenders international organization, has not been allowed to receive a Belarusian visa, say representatives of an international journalists’ mission, currently on a visit to Belarus. During their stay in Minsk, the journalists have had a number of meetings with representatives of Belarusian mass media, both independent and state-owned ones. They were also invited to a meeting with Deputy Chair of the President’s Administration Natallia Piatkevich. The results of the visit will be reported during a final briefing at the International Education Center on 23 September.

21.09.2009 Procuracy continues to persecute independent journalists

Journalist from Homel Aleh Razhkou, a member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists received a summons to the Homel region prosecutor’s office on September 18.

As baj.by reports, prosecutor Alesya Rabtsava invites the journalist for a conversation as a witness on September 22.

At the beginning of the year, Rabtsava gave warning to Aleh Razhkou for “journalistic activity for Polish satellite TV channel Belsat without accreditation”.

Aleh Razhkou thinks the prosecutor is going to give him another warning. The journalist phoned the prosecutor’s office and was told it would be n ordinary prosecutor’s examination.

21.09.2009 For Freedom regional activist to face eighth prosecution within two years

Siarhei Panamarou, member of the For Freedom movement and publisher of the Boiki Kletsk independent newsletter from Kletsk, Minsk region, is likely to face another criminal charge under Article 188-2 of the Criminal Code (libel). In 2007, he was charged with libel against local state legal advisor Natallia Semashkevich in a publication in the Boiki Kletsk. The criminal prosecution was five times suspended and five times resumed. Two different expert assessments failed to find any violations of the Criminal Code. This time, the article is going to undergo another examination.

18.09.2009 Journalists protest against riot policemen’s lawlessness at opposition rallies

The Belarusian Association of Journalists expresses its protest against harsh interference to professional activities during the rallies on September 16 and 9.

As noted in the statement of the organisation, on September 16 in the evening law-enforcers used force interfering Belarusian and foreign journalists to shoot the events during the rally in commemoration of disappearances of politicians Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski 10 years ago. “People in plainclothes acted rudely, closing the lenses of cameras, with the risk to damage equipment and hurt journalists, pushed them away from the scene of events, though journalists had identity documents of their editorial offices,” the BAJ statement underlines.

03.09.2009 Distributors of Communist newspaper detained in Svetlahorsk

Today at 8 a.m. policemen and KGB men detained activists of the Communist party of Belarus Svyatlana Mikhalchanka and Valery Rybchanka.

Communists of Svetlahorsk were handing out leaflets and Tovarishch newspaper near the Khimvolokno enterprise, Radio Svaboda informs.

“We were taken to a police department,” Valery Rybchanka said. “And we were not told what we had violated. Now we are waiting for a police officer. No one from the policemen knows what to do with us”.