Hrodna journalist summoned to police

A freelance Hrodna journalist is accused of "illicit production and distribution of media products".

The protocol said that he received on March 30, Radio Racyja reports.

He and another Hrodna journalist Ales Kirkevich are accused of video for Belsat TV Channel about Slutsk belts exhibition in Hrodna Museum of History of Religion. According to their data, there are screen shots from the site in the verification material. Also it follows that the employee of a museum Halina Khimko who is mentioned in the story was summoned for a conversation to the KGB and police to identify journalists from photographs.

Ales Dzianisau did not agree with the protocol.

- I did not agree with what was written in the protocol. It says that I had an interview. After all, I'm an operator, I was only shooting and had my mouth closed. Secondly, it says that I was engaged in the production and distribution of material. I'm not the media, and have nothing to do with the site or the channel. Therefore, I cannot do this stuff. After all, to do it, you need to mount, sound, put on the site and on air, etc. I cannot do it as I do not present the channel", he said.

The journalist says policemen informed that the case would be soon submitted to the Lenin District Court of Hrodna.

It should be reminded that in late 2014 (December 24) Leninski District Court of Brest fined journalist Aliaksandr Liauchuk 40 basic units (Br6 million) for violating Article 22.9, paragraph 2 of the AC. The court found Liauchuk guilty of "illicit production and distribution of media products" - cooperation with foreign media without accreditation. January 22, 2015 Brest Regional Court rejected the appeal of independent journalist against the decision of the first instance court.

Aliaksandr Dzianisau was fined 30 basic units under the same Article in April 2014. Andrei Mialeshka was fined three times last year - 30, 35, and 40 basic units. In December, 2013 Aliaksandr Kirkevich had a warning according to the same article. In 2014 journalists were fined ten times under Art. 22.9 of the AC. No one could manage to appeal against the decision of the first instance courts.

In the 2015 in accordance with Art. 22. 9 of the Administrative Code the courts have already fined independent journalists four times– two times Alina Litvinchuk (Brest, 30 and 40 basic units), Tamara Shchapetkina (Biaroza, Brest region, 40 basic units), and Larysa Shchyrakova (Homel, 20 basic units).