Independent journalists refuse to come to Bialynichy DPD
Two independent journalists from
Mahiliou, Yauhen Hlushkou and Alina Skrabunova, received notices that
they needed to come to the Bialynichy District Police Department to
police inspector Aliaksandr Yemialyanau at 10 a.m. on 13 May.
They
received the notices by registered mail on 9 May. After consulting
human rights defender Barys Bukhel they decided to refuse from going
there as the documents weren't composed properly.
Hlushkou and
Skrabunova sent a letter to the chairman of the Bialynichy DPD to
inform him about their decision.
"We are law-obedient
citizens and are ready to come to the police on the first demand in
conformity with the legislation", says independent journalist
Alina Skrabunova. "However, the notices we got from the
Bialynichy DPD weren't composed in line with the legal requirements.
In particular, it is not indicated in which status we were summonsed
to inspector Yemialyanau and the official seal is absent on them. It
is just written there that we were summonsed for "giving
explanations". That's why on 9 May we sent a letter to the head
of the Bialynichy DPD stating our readiness to come to the police
after being summonsed in conformity with the law. In general, I was
quite surprised that police inspector Aliaksandr Yemialyanau was
unaware of elementary legal norms. Maybe, the chairman of the
Bialynichy DPD will be able to teach him how to compose process
documents in conformity with the Belarusian legislation."
