Three cases of harassment of media freedom in Russia and Belarus
VIENNA, 1 February 2000 -- The following was released by Freimut Duve, OSCE
Representative on Freedom of the Media, during a news conference in Vienna.
The Representative discussed three cases of harassment of media freedom in Russia
and Belarus.
1. Russian journalist Andrei Babitsky detained
Duve discussed Andrei Babitsky, Radio Liberty correspondent in Russia
and one of the country's best known war correspondents, went missing in Chechnya
on 15 January 2000. On 27 January, Freimut Duve, OSCE Representative on Freedom
of the Media, intervened with the Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov asking
him to look into this case and to ensure the prompt release of Mr. Babtisky.
The Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media is in daily contact
with Radio Liberty in Prague and Moscow receiving continuous updates
on Mr. Babitsky's situation.
Freimut Duve understands, that Andrei Babitsky was arrested on 18 January for
allegedly "taking part in an unlawful armed group" and is held in
a detention centre in Chechnya that is controlled by Russian Federal Forces.
Russian authorities had informed Radio Liberty that Mr. Babitsky at the
time of his arrest did not have on him any press credentials. Numerous organizations,
in Russia and abroad, have demanded the immediate release of Andrei Babitsky.
Freimut Duve also insists that Andrei Babitsky should be released. The longer
he is held in custody, the more questions arise regarding the treatment of Andrei
Babitsky by Russian Federal Forces.
2. Alexander Khinshtein Threatened with a Psychiatric Evaluation
On 24 January 2000, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut
Duve, wrote a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov raising his concerns
regarding the case of Alexander Khinshtein, a journalist working for Moskovsky
Komsomolets. Mr. Duve was informed that recently the apartment of Mr. Khinshtein
had been raided and that police tried to escort Mr. Khinshtein to a psychiatric
clinic in Vladimir. The reason this attempt failed was because his lawyer and
a film crew arrived at the scene.
Mr. Duve informed the Foreign Minister that Alexander Khinshtein's work regarding
corruption in Russia was well known, as were his articles on the Interior Minister,
Vladimir Rushailo. Although the Interior Ministry told the public that Mr. Khinshtein
needed a psychiatric examination because of a 1997 driving-licence offence,
the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media found their arguments extremely
difficult to believe, especially in light of the many threats that Mr. Khinshtein
had received regarding his anti-corruption stories.
Freimut Duve supported the solidarity meeting with Alexander Khinstein held
on 28 January in Moscow outside the Ministry of Interior. The meeting was attended
by hundreds of people, including the former Russian Attorney-General, Yuri Skuratov,
and Member of the State Duma, Sergei Yushenkov. The OSCE Representative on Freedom
of the Media fully agrees with the sentiments of many Russians who attended
the meeting that allowing Khinstein to be taken to a psychiatric ward would
a serious violation of freedom of expression.
Freimut Duve demands that the Russian Interior Ministry immediately halt its
campaign against Alexander Khinstein.
3. Is Vasil' Bykov being harassed in Minsk?
On 28 January 2000, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut
Duve, wrote to Ural Latypov, Belarus Foreign Minister, raising his concern with
the alleged campaign of harassment initiated against the famous Belarus writer,
Vasil' Bykov, who had recently returned to Minsk.
Duve informed the Minister that he learned from the Moscow daily Izvestia of
this campaign. Duve asked Minister Latypov a number of questions:
- Was the campaign against Bykov led by Vladimir Sevryk, who was described
by Izvestia and many knowledgeable Russian journalists as a former leading
Soviet hard-line communist journalist?
- Had Mr. Sevryk attacked Vasil' Bykov for almost 35 years?
- Was it true that Belarus State Television had selected Bykov as a target
of a campaign of harassment and was it also true that Vasil' Bykov was a leading
proponent of Glasnost in the late 80s and Vladimir Sevryk tried to suppress
this policy?
- Izvestia informed its readers that currently Mr. Sevryk is in the employment
of the Belarus government. Is this really correct?
Duve assumed that Belarus government officials remembered that it was because
of Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of openness, among other things, that Belarus
became a member of the OSCE.
Duve asked Minister Latypov to look into this case and, hopefully, counter
the allegations made by Bykov in his interview with Izvestia on 26 January 2000,
where Bykov noted that "Today in Belarus we have favourable conditions
for the return of the ideology that dominated during the Soviet times."
Note: Vasil' Bykov is one of the best-known authors in Belarus. Born
in 1924, he started writing in 1960, publishing classics such as The Alps Ballad,
The Dead Do Not Feel Pain and Sotnikov. A highly respected writer during the
Soviet times, though often criticized, he was awarded the Soviet Union's top
literary prizes and made a Hero of Socialist Labour. In 1980, he was named the
Peoples Writer of Belorussia. Last year, Bykov received Russia's top independent
literary prize Triumph.
