Dunja Mijatovic: Authorities mustn't persecute internet media

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media expressed her principled position on censorship on the internet during her visit to Minsk.

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic started her visit to Minsk on June 3.

She took part in the workshop for Belarusian journalists “Internet Media: Freedom, Professionalism and Sustainable Development”. Representatives of independent and official media participate in the event, the press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reports.

Dunja Mijatovich said about internet censorship:

“Internet freedom is being discussed in all countries across the world today. The internet determines our communication for the nearest decades. We mustn't make mistakes and wrong steps in this sector. Internet media mustn't suffer from persecution.”

She said the government regulation of the internet raises no objections if we mean protection of privacy, combating terrorism and other threats, but it should not be at the expense of freedom of speech and freedom of information.

Mijatovic is expected to meet with foreign minister Uladzimir Makei and representatives of Lukashenka's administration, the “house of representatives”, the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Information.

Mijatovic is also supposed to have meetings with members of the Belarusian Association of Journalists and the Belarusian Union of Journalists as well as civil activists.

Dunja Mijatovic visited Belarus in October 2010. She planned to come to Minsk just after the brutal dispersal of protests against official results of the presidential elections on December 19, 2010. Independent journalists, including Iryna Khalip and Natallia Radzina, were among hundreds of arrested protesters.

They were involved in a criminal case of mass disorders and thrown into the KGB jail. Mijatovic sent two letters to the Belarusian foreign minister asking for his assistance in organising her visit to Minsk, but received no replies.

Mijatovic repeatedly criticised official Minsk for the free speech situation in Belarus and harassment of independent journalists.