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Arche Editor may face criminal charges

2012 2012-10-26T11:48:20+0300 1970-01-01T03:00:00+0300 en https://spring96.org/files/images/sources/valer_bulhakau_20.jpg
Valer Bulhakau. Photo by Nasha Niva.

Valer Bulhakau. Photo by Nasha Niva.

The case against the Arche magazine is a political order to destroy the edition, says its founder Andrei Dynko. According to him, the Belarusian authorities are looking for any reason to stop the printing of the independent magazine.

To prove his words, Andrei Dynko quotes a story shown a few days ago on Belarusian television. The state propaganda called the edition dubious and extremist.

This story was about the magazine’s issue released in 2008 that republished a number of articles by renowned scientists.


“First, they told me in a conversation at the Financial Investigation Department that this was a purely economic matter. Now, from this story we learn that, as it turns out, the magazine was an extremist one, it turns out it had controversial content. The findings made by the journalist, I dare say they are not his own findings, give reason to think that this is an attempt to destroy the edition. To destroy the intellectual environment of Arche. They are simply searching for a means to do it,” says Mr. Dynko.

According to state television, the reprinted texts of Israeli, American and German scientists in Arche were sent for re-examination. From this Andrei Dynko concludes that the first examination was entirely in favor of the publishers of the magazine.

The persecution of Arche began on 14 September. At the moment, the editorial board has prepared two new issues, which cannot be printed due to assets being frozen by the authorities.

***
Valer Bulhakau can be prosecuted for illegal business activities. According to Acting Chief Editor of Arche Ales Pashkevich, the Financial Investigation Department continues its investigation against the former editor of the magazine.

According to Pashkevich, the investigators carry out daily interrogations of Valer Bulhakau, and other employees of the magazine. The interrogations deal with Arche’s economic activity, as well as with the books seized from the former editor.

“Representatives of the Financial Investigation Department visited the printing firm, which has produced the magazine over the recent years, subsequently verifying documents, because of what this matter on charges of economic nature appeared, which has not been officially charged. But it became known from the interrogation of Arche’s employees that charges of illegal business activities would be brought. As yet, they have questioned Valer Bulhakau, the magazine’s accountant Alena Kazlova and I; we all have visited the Department for a few times.

According to Ales Pashkevich, the harassment of Valer Bulhakau is ordered by the authorities. Arche’s Acting Editor does not rule out another political case could be brought to trial.

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