World Association of Newspapers describes press situation in Belarus as dire :: Charter'97 :: News

The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) has described the press situation in Belarus as "dire" in its report for the period between June and November. The WAN notes that the latter half of 2004 was disastrous for journalists and freedom of expression in general.

The Association points to Belarus and Ukraine as the countries in Eastern Europe where the media situation arouses concerns. The WAN says that Aleksandr Lukashenko`s government uses libel suits, financial pressures, closures and suspensions, and intimidation to silence critics.

According to the Association, Mr. Lukashenko continues to be guided by an attitude that he expressed on Belarusian Television in June 2003. “Pressure is currently being put on Belarus through weapons of mass destruction. There is no other name for them. That is the mass media. The mass media are a weapon of mass destruction today, the most powerful one,” he said then.

On November 22, the WAN Board adopted a resolution in which they deplored the recent crackdown on the independent media in Belarus, according to the WAN press office.
In particular, the Board deplored the murder of a reporter of the Minsk-based private newspaper Salidarnasts, Veronika Cherkasova, who wrote about sensitive subjects, including the surveillance methods of Belarusian security agencies, and was stabbed to death on October 20. The Board called on the Belarusian authorities “to ensure that a thorough and immediate investigation into Ms. Cherkasova’s murder is carried out, and that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice.”

In the months leading up to October’s parliamentary elections and referendum on the possibility for Mr. Lukashenko to run for a third presidential term, 13 Belarusian newspapers were suspended, the resolution said.

“The WAN Board calls on President Lukashenko to put an end to all assaults on the independent media,” which included the closure of a number of newspapers, the harassment of independent journalists and the arrest of prominent editor Pavel Mozheiko, who was sentenced to seven days in jail for participating in an unauthorized demonstration.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organization for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom worldwide. It represents 18,000 newspapers. Its membership includes 72 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 13 news agencies and 10 regional and worldwide press groups.