10.02.2009 Attacks on the Press in 2008: Belarus

In February visit to Belarusian State University, President Aleksandr Lukashenko bluntly outlined his regime's press policy. "Media hold a weapon of a most destructive power," Lukashenko told journalism students, "and they must be controlled by the state."

09.02.2009 New law on mass media has come into force

On 8 February there came into force the new edition of the law On mass media which had received serious criticism from the side of the Belarusian journalists.

05.02.2009 The IFJ Says Impunity and "Callous Indifference" Remain Threats as New Wave of Media Killings Wipes out Optimism Over Death Toll in 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today issued its report on the killings of journalists in 2008 with a warning that 2009 could be the deadliest year yet for journalists. A wave of killings in the first days of the new year have undermined hopes that the falling death toll recorded in 2008 was the first sign of a change in the pattern of killings which have risen dramatically in recent years.

05.02.2009 Issue of non-state newspaper 'Vitebskiy Kurier M' is suspended

The non-state newspaper Vitebskiy Kurier M had to suspend its issue since the beginning of 2009 and informed the Ministry of Information about it by a special letter.

04.02.2009 ‘Belposhta’ refuses to subscribe readers to independent press, referring to Constitution

Three weeks ago a member of the council of the For Freedom movement Ales Zarembiuk received an answer to his address to A.Charniak, the head of the state monopolist on subscription Belposhta. In his address to the official Zarembiuk proposed that Belposhta returned the non-state newspapers Novy Chas and Hazeta Slonimskaya to the subscription catalog.

04.02.2009 Belarus is cited among the most dangerous countries for journalists

The international journalist community has composed a list of the countries that are most dangerous for representatives of mass media.

03.02.2009 Office of Prosecutor General leaves warning to Liabedzka and Pashkevich in force

The Office of the Prosecutor General upheld the official warning that had been issued by the deputy Prosecutor General Aliaksei Stuk to the leader of the United Civil Party and the leader of the UCP youth wing, Young Democrats, Mikhail Pashkevich, for having allegedly organized the printing of the newspaper Glotok Vozdukha.

03.02.2009 ‘Pressball’ is denied accreditation for Olympics again

On 30 January the commission on media of the Ministry of Sports rejected the application of the largest Belarusian sportive newspaper Pressball for accreditation at the winter Olympics in the Canadian city of Vancouver.

02.02.2009 Pickets in support of "Volnaye Hlybokaye" are banned

Hlybokaye district executive committee refused to authorize the pickets in defense of a non-state newspaper Volnaye Hlybokaye at the town market, where the newspaper is distributed.

30.01.2009 Belaruski chas newspaper faces $1,000,000 fine for information workers received

Vorsha meat-preserving factory’s general director demands weekly “Belaruski chas” to disprove article “Hashed beef as a wage”. The newspaper editorial office has made a statement on this occasion. “In the end of January rumours that Vorsha meat-preserving factory gives wages in the form of canned meat. But when our author Liudmila Marshalovich sent the ready article, it has been found out that there were no problems in that: wage in the form of money hasn’t been cancelled, and canned meat was given to those who wanted that, according to an agreement concluded by the enterprise. There were no violations or infringements of workers’ rights. And we published this information like that,” journalists of “Belarusiki chas” write.

29.01.2009 Babruisk town prosecutor: ‘fingerprinting is a civic duty’

According to Anatol Sanantsenka, editor-in-chief of the Babruiski kurier independent newspaper, a letter by Babruisk Leninski borough prosecutor’s office in reply to his complaint states that ‘Fingerprinting is a voluntary examination aimed at assisting the investigation in detecting the crime and a ‘civic duty’ which you refused to do. However you will not be prosecuted under existing legislation.’

28.01.2009 More Belarusian to be used on state TV

During his meeting with the leader of the Belarusian Language Society Aleh Trusau, head of the state-owned TV channel BT Aliaksandr Zimouski said Belarusian would be more widely used on air, including a number of daily and weekly programs in Belarusian and a monthly talk-show on the problems of the language status in Belarus.

27.01.2009 Magedburg rights ban?

Mahiliou town police confiscated 153 copies of the Mahiliouski chas newspaper special issue dedicated to the 432nd anniversary of the Magdeburg law adoption in Mahilou, as three civil activists Aliaksnadr Silkou, Siarhei Niahatsin and Yury Stukalava were distributing the newspaper in the town center. According to Aliaksandr Silkou, the activists were told the newspapers would be returned several days later provided all the procedures had been followed by the activists. Mr.Silkou also declared he would appeal the seizure, since the newspaper copies had all the necessary output data and the police had no right to confiscate them.

26.01.2009 Radio Racyja denied accreditation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied accreditation to Radio Racyja, an independent radio channel financed by the Polish MFA. In a conversation at the Belarusian MFA, the journalists were informed they could work without accreditation as they had worked before. In early January 2009, one of Radio Racyja’s journalists was denied accreditation for similar reasons. Representatives of the radio channel say both decisions must have been made simultaneously.

22.01.2009 Mikhail Pastukhou: “Further tightening the screws on journalists expected”

Due to the fact that the law “On mass media” is coming into force on February 8, all mass media are to be re-registered within a year.

At the report published at the webpage of the Information Ministry it is noted that according to the law, when performing professional duties, a journalist must offer service certificate at request. Its standard form is specified by the Ministry’s enactment No. 12 of October 6, 2008 and published at the webpage of the Information Ministry. The text f the law and regulatory legal acts on its implementing are also placed there.