(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has expressed concern about persistent government hounding of the independent press through the courts. On 16 May 2005, the country’s leading independent newspaper, the Minsk-based “Narodnaya Volya”, selling 30,000 copies five times weekly, received a warning from the Justice Ministry for “publishing false reports”, in violation of Article 32 of the media […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has expressed concern about persistent government hounding of the independent press through the courts.
On 16 May 2005, the country’s leading independent newspaper, the Minsk-based “Narodnaya Volya”, selling 30,000 copies five times weekly, received a warning from the Justice Ministry for “publishing false reports”, in violation of Article 32 of the media law.
On the same day, the newspaper learned that workers at the state-owned company Belaruskalii had brought libel complaints against the paper for having printed their names in a 23 April article headlined, “Such is the people’s will”. The article listed 300 Belaruskalii workers who had signed a letter backing the foundation of an opposition movement “The People’s Will”. Five workers denied signing and claimed the equivalent of around 18,200 euros (approx. US$23,000) in damages from the paper.
One of the workers suing the newspaper, Syarhey Katovich, admitted in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty having come under pressure from the company’s management, as had his four colleagues. “You know, I nearly lost my job,” he said.
RSF said it was concerned about the latest case and condemned the exploitation of the media law to silence dissident voices. “A country under the rule of law should ensure a separation of powers. President Alexander Lukashenko is fully justifying his place on our list of ‘press freedom predators'”, it added.
“Narodnaya Volya” received the list of signatories in favour of the creation of “The People’s Will” directly from the movement’s co-ordinator. After receiving a letter from Belaruskalii’s management, the newspaper published a retraction of the list in its 14 May edition, to avoid legal trouble.
The paper’s editor, Yosif Syaredzich, told RSF’s correspondent that, “the Information Ministry has played the role of examining magistrate, prosecutor and judge. Under the media law, anyone bringing a case against a newspaper must first ask for a correction to be published and if necessary, apologies as well. In this case, the Information Ministry immediately sent a warning without first informing the editor of the basis of the complaints or the date of the decision.”
The newspaper had received a previous warning on 13 April for carrying an appeal from the “Defenders of the homeland” – a group not registered with the authorities – in its 31 March edition.
“Narodnaya Volya” is also facing a complaint lodged on 5 April by Syarhey Haidukevich, leader of the Belarus Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Haidukevich is claiming the equivalent of 73,000 euros (approx. US$92,270) in damages from the newspaper for having suggested that the LDP cooperated with the former Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein and received financial backing from him.
