16.06.2009 Female activist to sue major pro-government newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussiya

On 16 June Minsk Savetski Court has commenced hearings of Halina Yubko’s lawsuit against the Sovetskaya Belorussiya newspaper. The activist claims that the newspaper has degraded her honour and dignity by providing a biased coverage of the civil initiative by a number of females fighting for the protection of the rights of their convicted friends and relatives. During a preliminary hearing the defendant said the group of women mentioned in the article had nothing to do with the initiative represented by Mrs.Yubko.

15.06.2009 Kletsk policemen who detained journalists are advised to improve knowledge of legislation

On 17 April Kletsk police detained the journalists Nastassia Krauchuk and Katsiaryna Tkachenka in the center of the town for videoing the local church for making a report about its repairs. They also detained another member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the editor of the regional bulleting Boiki Kletsk Siarhei Panamarou, and his son Uladzimir.

11.06.2009 Non-state newspaper ‘Borisovskie Novosti’ is accused of defamation

On 10 January Barysau district court started trying the lawsuit of the editor of the newspaper of Barysau district executive committee Adzinstva V.Pratasevich against the journalist of the newspaper Borisovskiye Novosti V.Nitski and the publishing house Bukas Media Center.

10.06.2009 Non-state editions are trying return to the state distribution net

A number of regional non-state newspapers again addressed BelPoshta (Belarusian Post, the state monopolist on distribution of press by subscription) and Belsayuzdruk (the state monopolist on retail of press from newsstands). They hope to get positive answers because of the recent sitting of the civil coordinative council of mass media.

10.06.2009 DDOs attack on website of Charter’97 lasts for third day already

Two days ago the DDoS attack on the website of the civil initiative has begun. According to their information, the attack is conducted from more than 5000 zombie computers. As a result of the attack the website was blocked for more than a day.

02.06.2009 Aleh Vouchak appeals against the verdict on his lawsuit to ‘SB-Belarus Segodnia’

On 1 June the human rights defender Aleh Vouchak filed a cassation complaint to the college board on civil cases of Savetski district court of Minsk to appeal against the verdict, issued on 15 May on his lawsuit against the newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussiya on protection of honor, dignity and business reputation and compensation of the moral harm.

01.06.2009 Journalist Tamara Shchapiotkina warned for presence at commemorative picket

On 29 May the court of Biaroza district issued an administrative punishment in the form of warning to Radio Racyja reporter Tamara Shchapiotkina for ‘violation of public order during a mass action’.

22.05.2009 Zhanna Litvina says authorities keep refusing to do anything to do with mass media

During the 7th congress of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, taking place in Minsk, its head Zhanna Litvina said the society, being deprived of information, is doomed to economic, political and social crisis. According to Mrs.Litvina, free access to information keeps being the main problem of contemporary Belarusian journalism. ‘The authorities keep refusing to do anything to do with journalists, which is favoured by the Belarusian law on state service, obliging officials to coordinate any information to be provided to journalists with their superior officers.

21.05.2009 Trial over Tamara Shchapiotkina remitted

According to RFE/RL, the independent journalist Tamara Shchapiotkina, detained by Biaroza town police during a picket on 26 April, will have to appear in court on 29 May, following her request to hear several police witnesses of the arrest. The journalist is accused of violating Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code – ‘disturbing public order during mass actions. According to the famous Brest human rights activist Raman Kisliuk, ‘the arrest is the violation of her right to free expression of opinions.’

21.05.2009 Reporters without Borders: Lukashenka playing triple game

Representatives of Reporters without Borders blame the Belarusian authorities of pressing the opposition.

Only slightly changes in the situation with freedom of media can be noticed in Belarus, representative of Representatives of Reporters Elsa Vidal said on May 20. The human rights activist thinks there are different levers of pressure upon the Belarusian ruler in this sector, but it’s “very difficult to press on Alyaksandr Lukashenka”, Deutsche Welle reports.

15.05.2009 Minsk: court defends ‘Sovetskaya Belorussiya’

The court of Savetski district of Minsk dismissed the claim of the human rights defender Aleh Vouchak to Sovetskaya Belorussia, a newspaper of Lukashenka’s Administration for defense of honor, dignity and business reputation.

14.05.2009 Belarusian Internet provider passes KGB warning to their clients

On 13 May the clients of SOLO Internet service provider have received a strange letter from the director of the company.

14.05.2009 Belarus is on the fourth position in electronic media control rating

According to the research of an independent US company Cryptohippie, Belarus takes the third position in the rating of the countries with the strongest electronic control.

06.05.2009 Mahiliou oblast court does turns down cassation complaint of 'Volny Horad'

On 6 May Mahiliou oblast court finished the consideration of the cassation complaint of Siarhei Niarouny, editor of the non-state Krychau newspaper Volny Horad and the founder of the newspaper Uladzimir Kudrautsau against the ruling of Chavusy district court of 17 February.

04.05.2009 Journalist’s complaint brings no result

As it follows from the letter, received by the journalist Ivan Roman, the head of Leninski district branch of the custodial service of Hrodna, police major Zaikou thinks that his subordinates were right when they did not let the journalist to the open court hearings.