Continued concern about harassment of media in Belarus
VIENNA, 22 June 2001 (OSCE) - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve, has noted the following cases of media harassment in Belarus:
On 19 June the offices of the independent newspaper Nasha Svoboda were raided by the financial police. The explanation given was that certain leaflets from 1999 were printed at a publishing house that belonged to the editor-in-chief of Nasha Svoboda. On 20 June the apartment of journalist and human rights activist Sergei Anisko was raided. He is being investigated by the authorities regarding his publications in the newspapers Den' and Belaruski Chas.
In a separate development, Article 19 postponed its press conference that was due to take place on 21 June. The press conference was to launch the Article 19 report on freedom of the media The Mechanics of Repression: Obstacles to Free and fair Election in Belarus. Three London-based Article 19 staff member were not granted Belarus visas. The visit is now postponed for July.
On 18 June Freimut Duve met with Andrei Sannikov, International Co-ordinator for Charter '97 to discuss the recent developments in Belarus. Sannikov mentioned the plight of journalist Valeriy Shukin who has been recently imprisoned. On the same day, in his meeting with Valeriy Lipkin from the Belarus National Assembly, Freimut Duve reiterated his concern with the ongoing harassment of independent media and raised the case of Shukin. The meeting with Lipkin should not be interpreted as any form of recognition of the National Assembly and was held only because of the need to secure the release of Shukin.
For further information please contact the office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, tel.: + 43 1 512 21 45-0, fax: + 43 1 512 21 45-9