Radio Racyja Journalists not Accredited for Work in Belarus

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus denied accreditation to Radio Racyja journalist Alyaksei Minchonak. It was the first time journalists of the radio addressed for accreditation to work in Belarus, and a denial was received at once.

The reason for the denial sets wondering. Officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry have stated that the journalist was “engaged in journalist activities for a foreign media without accreditation”.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has adopted an absurd decision. When searches were held in our office, commenting actions of the KGB and police officers, a representative of the ministry Maryja Vanshyna stated that we worked without accreditation. Now the authorities deny legalizing our activities themselves,” Alyaksei Minchonak said in an interview to the Charter’987 press-center.

As we have informed, on March 27 officials of the State Security Committee (KGB) held searched in rented apartments of journalists contributing to the Polish “Radio Racyja”, “European Radio for Belarus”, Polish TV channel “Belsat”, and in private apartments of independent journalists from Homel, Vitsebsk, Brest, Hrodna, Babrujsk and other cities. Office equipment and different data carriers were confiscated.