English

Visiting PACE rapporteur meets with representatives of independent media

Sinikka Hurskainen, rapporteur on Belarus in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), met with representatives of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) and independent media outlets in Minsk on August 24, BelaPAN reports.

The meeting was attended by BAJ representatives Andrey Bastunets and Andrey Alyaksandraw; Vyachaslaw Khadasowski, chief editor of the Belorusy i Rynok weekly; Andrey Dynko, an editor of the Nasha Niva newspaper; BelaPAN Director Ales Lipay; and Mikhail Yanchuk, a representative of the Belsat television channel.

Mr. Bastunets told the PACE rapporteur that hopes for a better situation regarding the media freedom in Belarus had not materialized.

The government made a few steps toward improving the situation, allowing the pro-opposition newspapers Nasha Niva and Narodnaya Volya to be distributed through newsstands, as well as holding a number of round-table conferences, Mr. Bastunets said.

"Promises were made at these round-table conferences that the Internet in Belarus will be free but restrictions on the use of the Internet have already been introduced in our country," he noted.

The BAJ representative also accused the Belarusian authorities of cracking down on reporters who cooperate with foreign-based media outlets, in particular Poland's Belsat and Radio Racyja, and preventing journalists from providing coverage of opposition street protests.

"Instead of an imitation of dialogue that was in 2008, we now have restrictions in all spheres and the authorities' attempts to put pressure on everything that is still breathing," he said.

The participating media executives also told Ms. Hurskainen that independent journalists were often barred from events attended by top government officials and denied comments by representatives of governmental agencies.