“Narodnaya Volya” In Siege :: Charter'97 :: News

Editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Narodnaya Volya” Iosif Seredich is convinced that his newspaper will exist, regardless of any regime’s attempts to annihilate the free periodical. He said this commenting on yesterday’s statement, voiced by the FTU chairman Kozik about his intention to sue the paper in court. Kozik declared at the meeting with journalists on September 25 that he would forward to the Minister of information a request to stop issuing the newspaper, which is allegedly discrediting FTU and its members.

The Ministry of information never received Kozik’s letters. According to Radio Ratsya, the document hasn’t been signed by the FTU chair yet, though it is prepared. Kozik allegedly refers to the article 16 of the existing Law on press and pleads to halt the newspaper’s publishing.

It remains unclear, though, what official reaction Mr.Kozik is looking for. The Ministry, however, doesn’t comment on the situation, for the message from Kozik never reached them and head of the Ministry Podgainy is sick in bed. Meantime, the lawsuit, instituted by Kozik, may well mean the shutdown of the newspaper. This year it will be her second reprimand (20.03.2002), which is viewed as sufficient ground to close the edition.

We turned for the commentary to the “NV” editor Seredich, who learnt about Kozik’s intentions in the evening BT newscast.

I.S.: Yesterday I heard this news on BT and, frankly speaking, could hardly keep from laughing. Laughing! The trade union leader insists on the newspaper’s shutdown. If this happened, say, in Germany, the whole of Germany would die from laughing…

R.R.: But that is the third reminder to the “Narodnaya Volya”. After the recent-press-conference Lukashenko unambiguously hinted that there would be no “Narodnaya Volya” anymore in the country. Shortly afterwards Kozik came up with the concomitant proposal. Don’t you feel that the newspaper is besieged from all sides?

I.S.: You know, the siege started with the publication of the very first issue in 1995. I told everyone back then: for as long as old Seredich lives the newspaper will live also. I’ve no idea what will happen after my death. But if I’m alive, the newspaper will exist.

Meantime, according to the recent NISEPI polls, the state policy at annihilation of free press finds no support in the society. Only 16% think it is justified, while 40,6% keep to an opposite thinking.