BAJ asks that those behind the illegal issue and distribution of the Glos znad Niemna should be brought to account
On 23 June the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) asked several governmental agencies to undertake measures to prevent the illegal actions connected with the illegal issue and distribution of the Glos znad Niemna, and bring the guilty people to account. The BAJ sent its appeal to the Minister of Information Uladzimir Rusakievich, the Ministry of Communications Uladzimir Hancharenka, Chair of the State Control Committee Anatol Tozik, Procurator General Piotr Miklashevich, and also the procurator of Hrodna Region, the director of Hrodna Branch of Belposhta and the director of Hrodna printers.
The appeal was based on the appearance of two issues of the Glos znad Niemna on 10 and 17 June, that is printed and distributed without the permission of the senior editor and without the consent of the founder – the Union of Poles in Belarus. BAJ underscores that this violates part 7 of article 25 of the Law "On the Press and Other Media". That the periodical was accepted for print without the required legal, technological and accounting documents is "gross violation of the polygraphic activity requirements…and activity in the field of communications", says the appeal. BAJ reminds that the illegal distribution of the media production without prior agreement is violation of the media legislation according to article 50 of the Law "On the Press and Other Media" and leads to disciplinary, administrative, criminal and other responsibility in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus. "Nonetheless, so far the appeals of the officers in charge from the editorial office and the newspaper founder to the governmental agencies to stop the violation of the law did not produce any results", sums up BAJ.
The organization asks for the disclosed facts to be examined, and for measures to prevent such events in the future, and bring the violators to account.
The Press Service of Belarusian Association of Journalists.
