Pre-Election Pressure Exerted on Free Press :: Charter'97 :: News

Editorial crew of the independent Baranovichi newspaper “Shug” addressed the public over the intensified harassment of the freedom of speech and increasingly strong hindrances to the free information flow. “We, the staff journalists of the “Shug” newspaper, departments of advertising, accounting and technical personnel want to work freely, without any pressure from anyone and objectively; within the framework of the law and universally recognized moral right to express one’s viewpoint, as concerns the ongoing situation developments,” – declared the journalists.

The people determined to write the letter after the abrupt dismissal of the “Shug ltd” director and editor-in-chief Anatoly Voitekhovsky. The official reason for the sacking was his alleged violation of labor responsibilities – alongside with the “Shug” issues of August 30, 2001 they disseminated free of charge the newspaper “Intex-Press”. Therefore, the main founder of the “Shug ltd” Veniamin Golynkin in breach of the existing legislation interfered with the newspaper’s work and abrogated the agreement, reached between the newspapers on mutual information exchange. The exchange was free, which could in no wise financially damage the paper, let alone its founders.

In this connection the journalists declared that they forsake their work in the “Shug” newspaper and start working for the newly emerged edition, entitled “Mestnaya Gazeta Shug”. The first issue of the new periodical (Voitekhovsky, as its founder, registered it beforehand, foreseeing possible problems) saw light on September 6 and was circulated as an attachment to the “Intex-Press” paper. Beginning from the next issue “Mestnaya Gazeta Shug” plans to appear with same print run and periodicity. However, state the journalists, “the authorities do not cease their attempts to stifle the new outlet likewise.”