Newspaper & Mailroom

Belarus Press Crackdown Draws International Protest

Monday 10. January 2011 - The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has protested to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko against the detention of more than 20 journalists following demonstrations over his re-election, including a Russian reporter who was beaten and forcibly taken by riot police while on the air in a radio broadcast.

In a letter to the president, the global organisation of the world’s press called for the immediate release of the journalists and for Mr Lukashenko “to take all necessary steps to ensure that in future your government upholds international standards of freedom of expression and freedom of the press.”
The crackdown on the independent press in Europe’s last dictatorship followed mass protests against the December 19 presidential election in which Mr Lukashenko was elected to a fourth five-year term.
More than 20 journalists were arrested and many beaten after covering demonstrations in Minsk to protest agaist the presidential vote, which demonstrators claim was flawed. Over the New Year holidays, police raided the homes of numerous journalists, detaining ‘suspects’ and seizing computers and other equipment.
Journalists arrested include Irina Khalip and Natalya Radina, who have been indicted on charges of organizing and participating in mass disorder – charges which respectively carry prison terms of up to 15 and eight years.
Ms Khalip, a local correspondent for the Moscow-based independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was beaten and forcibly taken by riot police while on the air with the independent Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy. Ms Radina, editor of Charter 97, was beaten and detained when special forces stormed the website’s offices and took her and the three volunteers staffing the newsroom.
The letter to President Lukashenko said:
“We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries, to express our serious concern at a crackdown on the independent press, including the detention of more than 20 journalists.
“According to reports, more than 20 journalists were arrested and many beaten after covering demonstrations in Minsk on December 19 to protest against the results of what the protesters claim is a flawed presidential vote. Over the New Year holidays, police raided the homes of numerous journalists, detaining ‘suspects’ and seizing computers and other equipment.
“Journalists arrested include Irina Khalip and Natalya Radina, who have been indicted on charges of organizing and participating in mass disorder – charges which respectively carry prison terms of up to 15 and eight years. Like many other of their colleagues, Ms Khalip and Ms Radina have been held in a security police isolation unit since their arrest on 20 December. Officials are also reportedly seeking custody of the 3-year-old son of Ms Khalip and former opposition presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov (who is also imprisoned) from his maternal grandparents on the pretext of protecting children in ‘problem families’.
“Ms Khalip, a local correspondent for the Moscow-based independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was beaten and forcibly taken by riot police while on the air with the independent Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy. On the same day, Ms Radina, editor of Charter 97, was beaten and detained when special forces stormed the website’s offices and took her and the three volunteers staffing the newsroom.
“We respectfully remind you that jailing journalists for carrying out their professional duties violates numerous international conventions, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 of the Declaration states: ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers.’
“We respectfully call on you to ensure that Ms Khalip, Ms Radina and all others jailed for exercising their right to freedom of expression are immediately released and charges against them dropped. We urge you to take all necessary steps to ensure that in future your government upholds international standards of freedom of expression and freedom of the press.”