Experts critical of situation regarding freedom of speech in Belarus
The situation regarding freedom of speech in Belarus has been “very grave” this year, according to legal experts of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ).
In an interview with BelaPAN, Mikhail Pastukhow, head of the organization’s Legal Protection Center, accused the Belarusian authorities of exerting pressure on independent media outlets, citing distribution and office rent restrictions that many pro-opposition newspapers have faced this year.
The expert predicted that the enactment of new laws governing the media and information distribution would make conditions for the operation of independent media outlets even worse.
Mr. Pastukhow expressed gratitude to international organizations for supporting Belarusian independent reporters. “Many authoritative organizations sent petitions to the legislature and the president, urging them not to enact the new Media Law and send it to international organizations for an examination. Unfortunately, these petitions were ignored,” he said.
BAJ Deputy Chairman Andrey Bastunets described the outgoing year as “very hard” for journalists. “Its beginning was bad: the arrests of Nasha Niva journalists and Lithuanian reporters at the March 25 demonstration, mass searches at reporters’ apartments on March 27 and 28,” he said.
The expert also pointed to the enactment of the new Media Law and the entry into force of a new law against extremism, which he said has been used by the government to pressurize critical media outlets.
However, he added, the events that took place later in the year, mainly the government’s move to give two major pro-opposition newspapers, Nasha Niva and Narodnaya Volya, broader distribution rights “give grounds for cautious optimism.” “We understand that this has been done, above all, under pressure from the West, but this did not happen for three years. There are no guarantees so far that the situation will continue developing in this manner. Nevertheless, it gives a slim hope to us,” Mr. Bastunets said.
