Mikhail Pastukhou: Law on Mass media debated at request of Presidential Administration

Mikhail Pastukhou, the head of the Mass Media Legal Protection Center under auspices of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, expresses concern over the sudden consideration of amendments to the Law on Mass Media at the current session of the “chamber of representatives”.

Yesterday the head of the Commission on Human Rights, National Relations and Mass Media Yury Kulakouski announced the discussion on the draft law. He refused to reveal the details of the document, “European Radio for Belarus” informs.

M. Pastukhou informs that a week ago he was assured by the Information Ministry that no amendments to the mass media legislation will be made in the near future, including the laws relating Internet.

The lawyer has noted that amendments to the law will be adopted in one, not in two readings. But they are to be proposed for the agenda beforehand. And the agenda includes only the second reading of the Law on Information, Informatization and Information Protection.

M. Pastukhou explains the presence of the law on the agenda by an initiative of the executive power.

“It can happen only in a case when such an order is received from the Presidential Administration. Then the “parliamentarians” can place something on the agenda additionally,” the lawyer maintains.

To his mind, the reason could be a decree of the president relating Internet, or the law on Internet. But then it should be discussed in two readings”.