(WiPC/IFEX) – The following is a 3 April 2002 WiPC letter to President Lukashenko: President Lukashenko Administracia presidenta Respubliki Belarus 220010 Minsk Vul. Karla Marksa 38 Belarus Fax: + 375 17 223 5825/226 0610 3 April 2002 Your Excellency, International PEN, the world association of writers representing members in 95 countries, is concerned about the […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – The following is a 3 April 2002 WiPC letter to President Lukashenko:
President Lukashenko
Administracia presidenta Respubliki Belarus
220010 Minsk
Vul. Karla Marksa 38
Belarus
Fax: + 375 17 223 5825/226 0610
3 April 2002
Your Excellency,
International PEN, the world association of writers representing members in 95 countries, is concerned about the continuing trial against our colleagues, Mikola Markievich and Pavel Mazheika, who face imprisonment in direct denial of their right to freedom of expression.
International PEN is concerned that Article 367 of the Criminal Code, which is being applied against Pahonia editor Mikola Markievich and its journalist Pavel Mazheika, is formulated in such a way as to penalise criticism of the Belarus leadership, providing a particularly harsh penalty of up to 5 years in prison. This article is a clear and direct abuse of the right to free expression, and is frequently used to gag criticism of Your Excellency. While not wishing to negate the need for some form of reparation to individuals whose reputations have been damaged by malicious or false reports, criminal libel laws are widely acknowledged as bearing inappropriately heavy penalties. Civil courts are seen as being more suitable for such cases. Government leaders who have used criminal libel
laws against those who criticise them have been accused by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression of using such legislation as a means of silencing dissent. In democratic societies, leaders do not resort to the courts to penalise their critics, recognising that they have at their disposal full and special access to their national media to dispute those claims.
International PEN therefore hopes that the court presiding over the case of Mikola Markievich and Pavel Mazheika will come to a similar conclusion and order that the trial be discontinued.
Your Excellency’s comments on the issues raised in this appeal would be most welcome.
Yours sincerely,
Eugene Schoulgin
Chair
Recommended Action
Similar appeals can be sent to:
President Lukashenko
Administracia presidenta Respubliki Belarus
220010 Minsk
Vul. Karla Marksa 38
Belarus
Fax: + 375 17 223 5825/226 0610
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
