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Belarusian Association of Journalists appeals to authorities over last week’s KGB searches

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) has issued a new appeal to authorities over last week’s KGB searches.

The BAJ has urged Prosecutor General Ryhor Vasilevich, Minsk City Prosecutor Mikalay Kulik and Yury Zhadobin, chairman of the Committee for State Security (KGB), to “restore the rule of law, return the seized property” and “protect the rights and legitimate interests of journalists.”

The BAJ expresses doubt that there were “adequate and lawful grounds” for the searches. “It is surprising that not only computers and various information carriers but also items that had nothing to do with the case were taken away, including earphones, speakers, voice-recorders, cameras and various legal printed material.”

The BAJ issued the first such appeal on Thursday, after the KGB started massive raids on the homes and offices of journalists deemed to be working for Polish-based TV Belarus (BelSat), Radio Racyja, and European Radio for Belarus, as well as other foreign and non-state Belarusian media outlets.

The KGB conducted searches on more than 20 addresses in Minsk, Brest, Vitsyebsk, Homyel, Hrodna, Navapolatsk and other cities in Belarus on March 27 and 28. In all instances, KGB officers produced a search warrant issued by Alyaksey Stuk, deputy prosecutor of the city of Minsk, in connection with criminal proceedings instituted as far back as 2005 over the online dissemination of animated cartoons lampooning Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

The Belarusian foreign ministry explained on Thursday that the searches had only been conducted for journalists deemed to be working illegally in Belarus. Radio Racyja, European Radio for Belarus and BelSat had all been denied government accreditation.

The operation of the targeted broadcasters appears to have been affected little by the KGB crackdown.

“We continue round-the-clock broadcasting,” a source at the Radio Racyja headquarters in Bialystok, Poland, told BelaPAN. “Despite the seizure of equipment, our reporters continue doing their job, the only difference being that now they speak over the phone when on air.”