(WAN/IFEX) – On 20 December 1997, amendments to both the Law on the Press and Other Media and the Administrative Offence Code were passed by the Council of the Republic of Belarus. On 8 January these amendments were signed by Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic. While acknowledging that several of the amendments are minor […]
(WAN/IFEX) – On 20 December 1997, amendments to both the Law on the Press
and Other Media and the Administrative Offence Code were passed by the
Council of the Republic of Belarus. On 8 January these amendments were
signed by Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic. While
acknowledging that several of the amendments are minor improvements on the
original bill, which was rejected by the Council in November, WAN is greatly
concerned that the overriding effect of these provisions will be to further
impede the freedom of the press in Belarus. WAN is particularly worried
about the wide-ranging powers that have been vested in the State Committee
on the Press: a non-independent, state-appointed body. The recent
amendments make this committee the ultimate arbiter of most matters
concerning the press–a situation which further expands what is already one
of the most restrictive press laws in Europe.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
law which constitute a blatant attack on the freedom of independent media:
creating stricter registration requirements for domestic publications;
investing the State Committee on the Press with the power to declare
registrations invalid; widening criminal libel laws to include having
“smeared the honor and dignity of the President” as an offense; prohibiting
the import and export of publications thought to damage the “political and
economic interests of the public”; expanding the list of contents which
newspapers are legally required to publish; creating an arbitrary
accreditation system for foreign journalists
censorship, that they pose a genuine threat to the freedom of the press, and
that they are in violation of all international norms of free expression,
such as Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights
independent media at home and damage its reputation overseas
everything in their power to ensure that Belarus’s restrictive press laws
are repealed
expression without government interference
Appeals To
His Excellency Alexander Lukashenko
President
Minsk 220010
Belarus Republic
Fax: +375 172 23 58 25 / 22 38 72 / 22 32 84 / 26 06 10
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
