News on the topic: journalists
04.02.2016 UN Human Rights Committee registers complaint by freelance journalist Ales Burakou
The United Nations Human Rights Committee has registered a complaint submitted by Ales Burakou, a freelance journalist working with a number of media in Mahilioŭ. However, according to the journalist, the envelope had been apparently opened by unknown persons before it reached him.
04.02.2016 Journalist Kanstantsin Zhukouski fined again
The Court of Buda-Kašaliova district sentenced freelance journalist Kanstantsin Zhukouski to a fine of 8.4 million rubles for shooting a report about unpaid holidays at a local dairy. As a result, he was accused of illegal journalistic activities.
03.02.2016 Freelance journalist Natallia Kryvashei complains to UN Human Rights Committ
Natallia Kryvashei, a freelance journalist in Homieĺ, has filed a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee to challenge a violation of her right to receive and disseminate information. The complaint refers to a number of cases of 2015 when the journalist was convicted of illegal production of media products for the satellite TV channel "Belsat" without government accreditation.
29.01.2016 Freelance journalist Kanstantsin Zhukouski faces fresh charges
Kanstantsin Zhukouski, a freelance journalist in Homieĺ, has received a phone call from an employee of the Vietka district police department who said that the journalist faced administrative charges and was invited to testify in the case. However, Mr. Zhukouski refused to come saying that he saw no reason to give evidence, as his case was politically motivated.
28.01.2016 OSCE Representative condemns police violence against journalist in Belarus
VIENNA, 27 January 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned an attack against a journalist by police officers in Belarus, and called on the authorities to ensure journalists’ safety.
27.01.2016 BAJ Demands Criminal Investigation into the Fact of Beating a Journalist
On January 26, the Board of BAJ made a statement concerning yesterday’s beating of Pavel Dabravolski, journalist of TUT.by, in the building of Frunzenski district court of Minsk.
25.01.2016 KGB Suspends Criminal Case against Alesin
The Committee for State Security (KGB) informed Aliaksandr Alesin last week, the prosecution against the journalist had been suspended.
20.01.2016 Freelancer in Homel Gets the Second Fine in a Month
On January 20, the court of Karma district (Homel region) fined freelancer Kastus Zhukouski for 30 basic amounts.
15.01.2016 EFJ president: It is worrying that the government is renewing this bad practice with a new wave of prosecution against freelance journalists
Belarus continues its bad practice by handing over the first fine of the year on 13 January to freelance journalist, Larysa Shchyrakova, for working with “foreign media”. Following the ruling, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) have called for an immediate appeal of the ruling and urged the government to scrap the existing law.
15.01.2016 Homieĺ court fines journalist for ‘illegal production of media products’
On January 12, the Homieĺ District Court sentenced local journalist Larysa Shchyrakova to a fine of 4.6 mln rubles on charges of violating Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code (illegal manufacture of media products, and working without accreditation for foreign media).
12.01.2016 BAJ Appeals to President's Administration Regarding Persecution of Freelancers
The Belarusian Association of Journalists sent a request to the President’s Administration with the view to clarifying the reasons for the renewed persecution against some journalists under article 22.9.
11.01.2016 Ongoing harassment of freelance journalists in Homieĺ
Kanstantsin Zhukouski, a freelance reporter working for the Belsat TV channel is facing administrative charges (in two separate episodes in Karma and Kalinkavičy) for alleged violation of Art. 22.9 of the Administrative Code (illegal production and distribution of media products). The journalist is expected to face another charge coming from the Vietka district police department.
05.01.2016 Freelance journalist in Homieĺ faces fresh charges for working without accreditation
On December 24, journalist Larysa Shchyrakova was charged with illegal manufacture of media products (Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code) for the TV channel “Belsat”.
23.12.2015 Freelance journalist detained in Karma
Freelance journalist Kanstantsin Zhukouski has been briefly detained by police officers in the town of Karma, Homieĺ region, after a report from a local official at the executive committee’s ideology department. As a result, the journalist spent three o'clock in the police station.
07.12.2015 Freelance journalist complains to UN Human Rights Committee
Larysa Shchyrakova, a freelance journalist and representative of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) in Homieĺ, has complained to the UN Human Rights Committee about the violations of her right to receive and disseminate information (freedom of expression), and the right to defense in court (a fair trial).
