Hrodna Reporters Not Allowed to Consultation On Ideology :: Charter'97 :: News

On February 12 Hrodna journalists were removed from the hall were the meeting of the Department of Information of Hrodna executive committee took place. Liliya Ananich, deputy minister of Information participated in it. It is the second time in Hrodna, when officials of the department interfere with the work of independent press correspondents, the Belarusian Association of Journalists’ press service informs.

By the entrance to the hall of the executive committee Andzhej Pisalnik (Dyen’ newspaper) and Iryna Charnyawka (“Belorusskaya Gazeta”) were stopped by deputy head of Information Department Pavel Skrabko, who said that this is an internal affair and demanded them to leave the building of the executive committee. However, journalists appealed to the law on press, which gives them right to be present at these meetings without invitation, and entered the hall.

After a time P. Skrabko sent for a policemen, a guard of the building, and the guard made Andzhej Pisalnik leave the building. Iryna Charnyawka stayed in the hall until the meeting started. Uladzimir Amelka, head of the Information department proposed to vote for removing Iryna from the hall. He announced that the decision was taken unanimously, though only seven people voted for that.

Yuliya Dashkevich, a correspondent, was not allowed to enter the hall where the meeting was held.