The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

17.07.2015 Freelance journalist Dzmitry Lupach to be tried on July 23

The trial of freelance journalist Dzmitry Lupach will be held at the Hlubokaye District Court.

15.07.2015 Media space of Salihorsk district is quiet despite elections

Salihorsk human rights activists speak of the pre-election lull in the media landscape of the region.

14.07.2015 Chief editor of "NAŠ Mahilioŭ" to stand trial

The trial of Ihar Barysau will start at 9.30 a.m. on July 15 at Kastrychnitski District Court of Mahilioŭ.

08.07.2015 BAJ Protest against the Practice of Fining Journalists for Work

Belarusian Association of Journalists strongly protests against the increasing administrative prosecution of freelance journalists whose materials are published in foreign mass media.

29.06.2015 State-run press distribution agency in Baranavičy keeps rejecting independent newspaper

The editorial office of a Baranavičy-based private newspaper Intex-Press has not been allowed to sign a contract for use of the government-owned newspaper delivery system Brestablsajuzdruk.

25.06.2015 Journalist in Mahilioŭ keeps fighting for right to attend sessions of Regional Council

Legal acts do not provide for special application forms for journalists to attend the sessions of the Mahilioŭ Regional Council, says a reply from its Chairman Anatol Isachenka to local journalist Uladzimir Laptsevich, a correspondent for the news agency BelaPAN. At the same time, the journalist’s request was rejected.

24.06.2015 Lawtrend informs Special Rapporteurs on blocking KYKY.ORG

The Legal Transformation Center Lawtrend has sent a message to Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media; Miklós Haraszti, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, and David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, to inform them about blocking access to a website KYKY.ORG and urged to take all possible measures within their mandates.

18.06.2015 Information Ministry Blocks Website Kyky.org

Access to the website has been restricted according to point 1.3 of article 38 of the Law on Mass Media – the website could damage the national interests of the Republic of Belarus.

16.06.2015 Human rights activist sues state TV company

Human rights defender Pavel Levinau has lodged a lawsuit against the National State TV and Radio Company (Belteleradyjokampanija), calling it “a public authority violating the right to freedom of expression”. He asks the Pieršamajski District Court of Minsk to order the media giant to provide him with airtime on the Belarus 1 TV channel.

12.06.2015 Brest freelance journalist appealing fined of 60 basic units

Freelance journalist Alina Litvinchuk has filed an appeal to the the Brest Regional Court to challenge the verdict of the Leninski District Court of Brest which had punished her with a large fine.

10.06.2015 Record fine for freedom of expression

Homieĺ journalist Natallia Kryvashei has been sentenced to a fine of 9 mln Belarusian rubles for shooting in a video, shown at the satellite TV channel “BelSat”.

09.06.2015 Homieĺ: freelance journalist gets 6th fine this year

June 9, Tsentralny District Court of Homieĺ considered a report of administrative violation, drawn up against freelance journalist Kanstantsin Zhukouski,and sentenced him to a fine of 30 basic units.

08.06.2015 Ivacevičy District Prosecutor's Office warns freelance journalist

In the morning on June 8 Pavel Dailid (pictured) was summoned to the district prosecutor's office, where he was handed the text of an official warning "about the inadmissibility of offenses".

05.06.2015 Kryčaŭ District Court drops administrative case against Uladzimir Kudrautsau

June 4, the consideration of the administrative case against the publisher of the newspaper "Voĺny Horad" Uladzimir Kudrautsau, who was charged with libeling the employee of the main bureau for combating organized crime of the Kryčaŭ District Police Department Aliaksandr Dziameshka, finished at the Kryčaŭ District Court.