25.10.2008 Independent newspaper summoned to court at vertical of power’s suit

The editorial office of the independent newspaper “Borisovskiye novosti” has received a summons to the court from the editor-in-chief of a local newspaper “Edinstvo”, which founder is Barysau regional executive committee.

The editor-in-chief of “Edinstvo” Vera Pratasevich found that the article “Pre-election concoction, or another lie” published in “Borisovskiye novosti”, her honour and dignity were injured, the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists informs.

24.10.2008 Minster of Information didn’t like article about “elections” titled “Satan’s Ball” 1

Editor and founder of “Borisovskie Novosti” newspaper Anatol Bukas sent a written explanation to the Ministry of Information in the connection with an article in his newspaper.

24.10.2008 “Gazeta Wyborcza” Journalist Accredited at the Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Andrei Pachobut, an independent journalist from Hrodna has received a temporary accreditation at the Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a correspondent of «Gazeta Wyborcza» daily, published in Poland.

23.10.2008 The Belarusian Independent Newspapers Outboard of Subscription Campaign Again

«Belposha» state monopolist’s enterprise official Aksana Chychko has informed the BAJ Press Service that a subscription campaign 2009 was started in Belarus on October 15, 2008. However, just another time, a number of non-state social and political newspapers were deprived of possibility to get into the «Belposhta» subscription catalogue.

22.10.2008 BAJ Statement on the Situation with the Media and the Freedom of Expression in Belarus

Adopted by the BAJ Board on October 21, 2008

20.10.2008 Journalist Vieranika Charkasava Assassinated Four Years Ago

Four years have passed since the time Vieranika Charkasava was cruelly murdered in her private apartment on October 20th. The legal investigation cannot find anything new on the case. It has been suspended for more than a year already. The latest suspension was announced "for the lack of the person that could be charged as the accused" in February 2007.

13.10.2008 Law machinery to conceal information about criminal cases

According to a new ruling mass media would not be able to receive information about celebrated criminal cases without written permission of the judge who tries it. As written in the Yurist magazine, the general procuracy, the State Control Committee, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, KGB and the Ministry of Justice have determined the order of informing mass media about celebrated criminal cases and the crimes that ‘undermine the authority of the state power’.

08.10.2008 Procuracy forwards journalists to KGB

Recently Aliaksei Bely, member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, has received an answer from the procuracy of Minsk to his request for returning his property that had been confiscated as a result of a search on 27-28 March in his apartment, as well as in apartments and offices of many other journalists. The official reason for the search was a criminal case that had been brought in 2005 for defamation of the president by distribution of political cartoons on the web.

08.10.2008 State monopolist ‘Belsayuzdruk’ refuses to distribute ‘Nasha Niva’

The state-run press-distribution monopoly Belsayuzdruk once again refused to distribute the independent newspaper Nasha Niva via its trade network.

03.10.2008 State press publishes list of materials considered as extremist

On 2 October 2 a state-run newspaper Zviazda published a list of ‘extremist’ materials.

27.09.2008 Zhanna Litvina: A Laureate of Ebert Foundation on Human Rights Award

As it has become known recently, Ms. Zhanna Litvina, Chairperson of Belarusian Association of Journalists will receive Ebert Foundation on Human Rights Award in 2008.

"Freedom of speech in an inseparable part if civil liberties and human rights. In case of its absence all other human rights appear unde­r threat. Therefore the main objective of BAJ is to do everything possible in order to defend freedom of speech. The awarding proves true that out efforts have certain effect", Zhanna Litvina noted in her interview to the BAJ Press Service.

24.09.2008 Candidate Refused to Communicate with a Non-state Newspaper

Miechyslau Kastsiuk, a parliamentary candidate from Slonim (Hrodna region) and his authorized representative Mikalay Lishyk refused to answer a number of questions, put by a «Gazeta Slonimskaya» correspondent Mikalay Kananovich. The questions were related to thecandidate's election pledges.

22.09.2008 Homel region: independent web-sites cover election campaign

A number of regional web-sites regularly publish information about the election campaign in Homel region. They publish both their own and local news, published by the national independent sources. In particular the regional web-sites offer the visitors information about unequal conditions for official and pro-democratic candidates.

15.09.2008 Extremism charges against newspaper of Union of Poles in Belarus

On 12 September journalist Andzhei Pisalnik received a writ to Kastrychnitski district court of Hrodna for 18 September.

12.09.2008 Scandalous news from Maskouski district of Minsk

In August the newspaper Vesti Moskovskogo Rayona, the printed organ of Maskouski district executive committee of Minsk, published two issues under the #5 (109). No, it was not just doubling of the officially stated circulation of 10 000 copies. Only the information ‘August 2008, #5 (109)’ and ‘circulation 10 000 copies’ can be found in both of them. On the other hand, the majority of the electors did not receive these numbers, despite such ‘doubling’. By the way, the information about the personnel of the constituency electoral commissions situated on the territory of this administrative district was published in one of these issues.