28.12.2009 Persecution of “Borisovskiye novosti” goes on

While the editorial office is fighting for return of the licence for retail trade, regional authorities are creating bureaucratic hurdles for enterprises that want to sell the independent newspaper.

As the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists was told by the editor-in-chief of “Borisovskiye novosti” Anatol Bukas, he concluded a realization agreement with a large new supermarket “Almi”.

23.12.2009 OSCE PA concerned over media freedom in Belarus, Swedish MP says

The Working Group on Belarus at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is concerned over the situation regarding freedom of the media and organizations, as well as a lack of opportunities for political parties to get fully involved in the country's political life, Swedish MP Cecilia Wigstrom told reporters in Minsk on December 22.

Ms. Wigstrom, a member of the working group, is leading a delegation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly that arrived in Belarus on a three-day visit on Sunday.

21.12.2009 Ministry of Information upholds warning to Narodnaya Volia

The Ministry of Information named the warning issued to the Narodnaya Volia independent newspaper on 17 November groundless. The official letter signed by Minister of Information Aleh Praliaskouski states that the newspaper disseminated prohibited information, since ‘the article published by the newspaper contained extremist appeals.’

16.12.2009 Nasha Niva journalist arrested

Nastassia Shamrei, reporter of the Nasha Niva independent newspaper, has been detained outside the building of the Iranian embassy on 16 December, the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports. The journalist was arrested during a picket of support to ten Iranian gays sentenced to death.

15.12.2009 Minsk offices of ‘Narodnaya Volia’ and ‘Reuters’ were ‘mined’

Police evacuated people from the building where offices Reuters news agency and Narodnaya Volia newspaper are situated, broke into and searched journalists’ offices.

15.12.2009 Belarusian authorities prepare decree on Internet limitations

Nasha Niva newspaper received a draft decree On measures for revising the use of the national segment of the World Wide Web.

09.12.2009 MFA denied accreditation to ‘BelSat’

According to Mikhail Yanchuk, head of Minsk office Polish TV channel BelSat, the correspondent station of BelSat in Minsk was denied registration by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

04.12.2009 Journalist Maryna Koktysh still can’t get accredited at Chamber of Representatives

The Supreme Court turned down the complaint of the chief editor of the Narodnaya Volia newspaper Iosif Siaredzich and its journalist Maryna Koktysh against the verdict of the court of the first instance that refused to bring civil proceedings concerning the refusal of the Chamber of Representatives to issue accreditation to the latter. ‘As long as the question of journalist accreditation is beyond the competence of the court and the legislation of the Republic of Belarus does not provide consideration of complaints against accreditation denials by court, the judge reasonably refused to bring proceedings’, reads the letter of 30 November, signed by the deputy head of the Supreme Court A.Fedartsou.

04.12.2009 Detained for handing out entrepreneurs’ bulletin

The guards of Minsk market Malinauka detained the activist of the entrepreneur movement Pavel Yalovik for handing out the entrepreneurs’ informational bulletin. She was guarded to the office of the market director. Then the guards called the police. They said that it was prohibited to distribute any press at the market.

03.12.2009 Police spent 2 months ‘looking’ for results of check-up concerning violations of journalists’ rights

The police officers cannot find the results of the check-up of violations of journalists’ rights, held by the main police department of Minsk city executive committee, for two months already.

25.11.2009 Journalist Shchapiotkina warned by Prosecutor’s Office

Mrs. Tamara Shchapiotkina, independent journalist from the town of Biaroza, Brest region, has received an official warning by Brest Regional Prosecutor’s Office for interviewing on behalf of Radio Racyja. The journalist says the warning is groundless. However, Mrs. Shchapiotkina was told she might be prosecuted in case another warning was issued in future.

20.11.2009 Mahiliouski chas newspaper denied registration again

The Ministry of Information has turned down the application for state registration by the Mahiliou-based Mahiliouski chas independent newspaper, claiming that the applicants failed to provide all the necessary documents.

20.11.2009 Ministry of Information warned “Nasha Niva” for article about swine flu

The Belarusian independent newspaper got an official explanation for the warning issued by the Ministry of Information on November 18.

As the press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports, a ground for the warning was the article titled “Hushing up Flu Causes Panic Epidemic”, published in issue #41 of November 4.

The notice of the Ministry of Information signed by minister Uladzimir Rusakevich says that in accordance with article 34 of the Law on Mass Media of Belarus, a journalist must verify the data in order to spread only reliable information.

19.11.2009 Salihorsk-plus independent newspaper not registered yet

According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the Salihorsk-based ‘Salihorsk-plus’ independent newspaper has received a reply to its application for state registration from the Ministry of Information, claiming that the edition’s declared specialization does not meet Article 12 of the Law on the Press, since it ‘violates the state standards.’ Thus, the newspaper has been denied registration for the second time. Uladzimir Shyla, founder of the newspaper, thinks that the Ministry of Information has been using imaginary grounds for rejecting the applications. The BAJ lawyers support the journalists, saying that the Ministry abuses its authority.

18.11.2009 Ministry of Information issues warnings to 4 newspapers

The Belarusian Ministry of Information has issued official warnings to four newspapers – Nasha niva, Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belorussi, Narodnaya volia and Va-Bank – four alleged violation of Articles 4, 34, 38 and 49 of the Law on Mass Media. The officials claim the newspapers published false information. However, the Ministry failed to provide explanations to their editors-in-chief, except for Narodnaya volia, whose journalist was charged with agitating people to take part in an unauthorized street action on the day of the forthcoming presidential election in 2011.