Prosecutor’s Office Warns Journalist for Working for “Deutsche Welle” and “Radio Racyja” :: Charter'97 :: News

The prosecutor’s office of Homel region has issued an official warning to the member of a NGO “Belarusian Association of Journalists” (BAJ) Yuliya Salnikava. As the BelaPAN is informed by her, Yuliya Salnikava was summoned to the regional prosecutor’s office by the director of a general supervision department Alyaksandr Eliseeu. In a conversation he tried to find out whether the journalist contributes to foreign radio stations. After that A. Eliseeu demonstrated an official warning which had been already signed. According to the document, Homel regional KGB department has carried out an investigation which has showed that Yuliya Salnikava, having no accreditation as a representative of foreign mass media, is performing work of a journalist at the territory of Belarus for two foreign radio stations, “Deutsche Welle” (Germany) and Radio Racyja (Poland).

In line with the version of the prosecutor’s office, Y. Salnikava is allegedly violating paragraph 9 of regulations on professional activities and presence at the territory of Belarus of foreign mass media correspondents accredited in Belarus, and Article 40 of the law “On press and other mass media”.

The prosecutor’s office has warned Y. Salnikava about inadmissibility of violating the law while performing activities of a journalist, and about responsibility for fraudulent representation in foreign mass media. Moreover, criminal proceedings can be instituted against the journalist under Article 369-1 of the Criminal Code (discrediting the Republic of Belarus).