Homiel Regional Executive Committee Deprives Journalist Aliena Paskannaia of Accreditation

The official letter concerning the deprival of journalist accreditation, signed by the vice-chair of Homiel REC Piatro Kirychenka, was sent to BelaPAN information agency the journalist was working for. There it is said the correspondent was deprived of accreditation for violation of the accreditation rules.

Aliena Paskannaia, BelaPAN journalist thusly commented on it to RFE/RL:

-- I don’t even know that Homiel REC has some ruling concerning accreditation. The press secretary Iauhien Pabalaviets says such really exist. However, neither my colleagues nor I have ever seen this ruling. I think that accreditation is a means of limiting the access of journalists of non-state mass media to information. What accreditation can be there? I am a citizen of Belarus and work for an officially registered campaign. We work for citizens of our country. Why mustn’t we have access to information from state organs?


Iauhien Pabalaviets, press secretary of Homiel REC, states the correspondent was deprived of accreditation for being biased and non-objective (she allegedly referred to the ideology department of the REC in one of her publications, but allegedly didn’t come to the department for information).

Alies Lipai, director of BelaPAN informational campaign considers the decision of Homiel REC groundless:
-- We think it is groundless and motivated by political reasons. We are an independent informational campaign. The authorities dislike our activity, -- he stated.

Deprival of accreditation doesn’t mean the journalist won’t be able to work in the region. It only means Homiel REC won’t admit her to its councils and other officious events.