French Ambassador Exposes Belarusian TV Host as Liar
French Ambassador in Belarus Stephane Chmelewsky who also performs the functions of the local EU presidency on behalf of Ireland, addressed the host of ”Human Rights. A Look at the World’' show of the Belarusian National Channel with an open letter.
“My colleagues, ambassadors, heads of diplomatic missions of the European Union countries (Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Sweden), and the joining countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, and Estonia), and I personally watch closely a series of ” Human Rights. A Look at the World” show, -- writes Chmelewsky. -- I address you with this letter on their behalf as well’.
“I would like you to know, -- the diplomat appeals to the journalist, -- that our astonishment is caused not by lies and perverted facts contained in your show. Wherever we perform our professional duties, on different geographic latitudes we come across propagandistic lies regardless of its political slant. What astonishes us is that now and today it is possible to display contempt for Belarusian TV viewers who are deceived with lies''.
Ambassador Chmelewsky refers to the show of 26 February, when TV host Novikaw accused his compatriot, Secretary General of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) Philippe Kalfayan of ?#152;'incitement to allegedly armed resistance to human rights violations", what obviously does not represent the facts’', -- writes the Ambassador. “In your show you reproach me and ten of my colleagues with participation in the opening session of the international conference on human rights and call upon the Foreign Ministry of Belarus to read us a serious lecture because you think with our behavior we have allegedly broken the rules of diplomatic etiquette”. “And what an effort you have made to illustrate the above-mentioned statement and your appeal to the Foreign Ministry of your country! -- continues Chmelewsky. -- You turn to picture montage and use film footage recorded during other events. Besides that, the Ambassador thinks, Novikaw made an ''absurd comparison” of the suicide of British weapons expert Kelly and "unclear disappearance’' of Viktar Hanchar or Yury Zakharanka.
"I would like to remind you that from the viewpoint of such foreign observers as us, maturity of opinions and ability to hold competent debate on any issue is typical of Belarusian audience. Any journalist worthy of the name in such a country as yours, which borders with the enlarged European Union, should be more likely to promote such debates than waste time on the rhetoric left in the past, at least by the countries of Europe neighboring Belarus", -- concludes Ambassador Chmelewsky.
