(WAN/IFEX) – In an 11 October 2004 letter to President Alexander Lukashenko, WAN and the World Editors Forum (WEF) expressed alarm at the government’s apparent campaign of closures of independent newspapers in the run-up to the October elections, noting that the closures cannot be credible in such circumstances. According to reports, on 5 October Information […]
(WAN/IFEX) – In an 11 October 2004 letter to President Alexander Lukashenko, WAN and the World Editors Forum (WEF) expressed alarm at the government’s apparent campaign of closures of independent newspapers in the run-up to the October elections, noting that the closures cannot be credible in such circumstances.
According to reports, on 5 October Information Minister Vladimir Rusakevich ordered “Nedelya” newspaper to stop publishing for three months. No reasons were given for the newspaper’s temporary closure.
WAN and WEF expressed concern that the closure of “Nedelya” is part of a concerted campaign by the government to suppress criticism in the run-up to the 17 October elections and referendum on Lukashenko’s proposed extension of the presidential mandate. At least five other newspapers have been permanently or temporarily closed down by the government in recent months.
Most recently, “Regionalnaya Gazeta” was closed on 29 September for an alleged breach of its publishing licence (see IFEX alerts of 4 October 2004). Satirical newspaper “Navinki” was closed by the Information Ministry for three months on 27 August for failing to notify the ministry of its new address and publication schedule (see alert of 2 September 2004). On 16 August the independent weekly “Novaya Gazeta Smorgoni”, in the western town of Smorgon, was suspended for three months (see alert of 26 August 2004).
“Rabochaya Solidarnost” was closed permanently on 2 August after the Supreme Court dissolved its founder, the Belarus Labour Party, (see alerts of 9 August and 8 June 2004). Two days later the printing of independent daily “Narodnaya Volya” was suspended for the newspaper’s alleged failure to pay damages to a former head of state television and businessman (see alerts of 9 August and 3 June 2004).
