English

Journalist Radzina warned against making assessments of post-election protest

Natallya Radzina, editor of the opposition news site charter97.org, has been warned by police against making assessments of the December 19 post-election demonstration in Minsk that was brutally dispersed by riot police.

Ms. Radzina was released from the KGB detention center on her own recognizance last week, along with six other persons charged with organizing mass riots over the street protest.

She was ordered to move to Kobryn where she is registered as a resident.

On Tuesday afternoon, police officers came to the house of Ms. Radzina’s family and took her away to the local police station.

At the station, Ms. Radzina was told that she may not leave the city and must always answer her mobile phone. The district police officer is to keep watch on her.

Ms. Radzina may continue her journalistic activities, but she must refrain from assessments of the December 19 protest, as she remains to be charged in the mass riot case, the police said.

Following her release from custody, Ms. Radzina posted two articles on the news site charter97. One was devoted to her detention in the KGB jail. The other, run under the headline “Dear Europeans, look into the eyes of Danik Sannikaw,” criticized the European Union’s decision to limit its punishment against the Belarusian government to visa bans and asset freezes.

On Tuesday, the parents of prominent journalist Iryna Khalip, who was transferred to house arrest last week, said that the KGB had banned them from speaking to the media. //BelaPAN