Independent press still under close attention from the authorites.

On 13 January in Vaukavysk the police detained for several hours a part of the circulation (69 copies) of the independent “Mestnaia gazieta” sold by the private distributor in the city martket. The editorial office is sure that this was done at the order issued by the deputy chair of Vaukavysk District Executive Committee Uladzimir Zakharchuk. On the same day all of the detained newspapers were returned to be distributed now.
According to the Mestnaia gazieta worker who took the circulation from Vaukavysk Department of Internal Affairs, the police does not have any claims against the periodicals and refers to an order "from above". The periodical distributor who had to give up the circulation is officially employed by a private businessman who has a contract with the Mestnaia gazieta. The editorial office notes that the newspaper distributors always face problems after city “raids“ by the deputy chair of the district executive committee Mr. Zakharchuk. The Mestnaia gazieta now has a total circulation of 1700 copies. It can neither be subscribed for, nor sold in newspaper kiosks. Since December last year it has been printed in Smolensk, reported the BAJ press service.