Hrodna Police Searches for Protesters against Pressurization of Press

According to the member of Hrodna branch of Belarusian Association Journalists (BAJ) Andrey Kusialchuk, on 16 November the office of one of local public organizations was visited by the police captain, major inspector of the prophylaxis and public security of Hrodna Leninski Borough Board of Internal Affairs Piatro Lenets. He said he was looking for the journalist Iryna Charniawka in order to take her explanations concerning the participation in the action of protest of 4 October and compose a protocol of administrative violation.

On 4 October in Savetskaya Street of Hrodna five journalists held a picket against the administrative punishment to the editor of the Birzha Informacii newspaper Alena Rawbetskaya for distribution of information that was allegedly insulting for president. The picketers held sheets of paper with the words “Journalists are tried in Hrodna!!!”. After the warnings of the police they finished picketing and moved to the central square of the city with the sheets in their hands. The police have already detained three of the five participants of the action. As a result, Pavel Mazheyka was sentenced to 7 days of jail and Anatol and Natallia Markushyns, were fined 480 000 rubles each.

According to Belarusian Association of Journalists