“Molodyozhny Prospekt” Newspaper Suspended

On 20 September the non-state newspaper “Molodyozhny Prospekt” was suspended for three months by the information minister Uladzimir Rusakevich.

The editorial board of the newspaper found out about it only on 5 October, when they received by fax the text of the order and the warning that was singed by the vice-minister Liliya Ananich. Both documents are dated the same day. The ministry is of the opinion that the newspaper grossly violated article 10 of the Law “About press and other mass media”, while the chief editor of the newspaper Siarhey Kazlowski is sure “Molodyozhny Prospekt” fell victim to the clear-up of independent press on the eve of the referendum.

According to Belarusian Association of Journalists, the Ministry of Information considered as “gross violations” the change of the language of the edition and free distribution of two special numbers in July in “Serabranka” suburb. According to S. Kazlowski, these numbers concerned the future parliamentary election. In private, it contained the speech of the deputy of the Chamber of Representatives Uladzimir Navasiad (co-founder of the edition) and the lawyer who explained to citizens how they could decrease the possibility of falsifications during the election.

In August a representative of the Ministry of Information phoned to the chief editor and said that Russian language and free distribution weren’t allowed during the registration of the newspaper. Immediately after that the editorial board directed to the ministry the packet of documents which were necessary to introduce changes to the registration certificate.

The newspaper “Molodyozhny Prospekt” was registered by the Republican public youth organization “Hramadzianski forum” and Uladzimir Navasiad. He thinks that the newspaper has been suspended because those who violate the electoral legislation during preparation to the election and the referendum are afraid to see their surnames in it.