Another Lukashenka’s promise turns out to be lie

Lukashenka’s Administration responded to an appeal of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ).

The letter was signed by Buko, the main chief of the department of handling with appeals of individuals and legal entities, the BAJ press service reports.

“The questions touched lie within the scope of the justice system and must be solved through judicial procedures. The persons, against whom the verdicts were delivered, have the rights to appeal to higher courts against legality and sufficiency of the judgements,” Bukho writes. “As for hearing the cases involving the Ministry of Information by economic courts, the order of abandoning a claim and reviewing court decisions is determined by the Economic Procedure Code.”

On June 21, the BAJ called on Lukashenka to free all journalists convicted after December 19, stop legal prosecution of Andrzej Poczobut, oblige the Ministry of Information to withdraw claims to closing down “Narodnaya Volya” and “Nasha Niva” and oblige the Ministry of Information to cancel a decision to stop broadcasting of Avtoradio.

The organization reacted to Lukashenka’s statement on his press conference on June 17, 2011. He mentioned the Belarusian Association of Journalists and said he’d like them to file a personal appeal to him asking for the release of political prisoners.

BAJ deputy head Andrei Bastunets says the members of the board did not have hopes for a positive result of the appeal, but decided they should do everything they can.

“Among the raised questions, only one was solved: the Ministry of Information withdrew its claims to close two leading independent newspapers,” Bastunets said. “In Poczobut’s case, a suspended sentence was delivered allowing the journalist not to go to prison, which we welcome. But he was found guilty. Poczobut remains under a constant threat of imprisonment. Besides, the guilty verdict means possible strengthening self-censorship among media and journalists. The situation with depriving the broadcasting right for Avtoradio has not changed. The journalists and BAJ members imprisoned after the events on December 19 have not been freed,” the lawyer added.