The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today condemned
a decision by the Belarus Supreme Court rejecting a complaint by the Belarusian
Association of Journalists (BAJ) over a Ministry of Justice warning against them
in January.
The journalists' association say they are suffering legal
intimidation over their rights to support their own members by issuing press
cards and giving them legal advice and support.
But on 22 March the Supreme Court has upheld an official warning by the Ministry
of Justice which accused BAJ of breaching the media law by issuing press cards
when it is registered as an NGO and not a media organisation. The Ministry also says the Association's
internal Legal Centre for Media Protection, which provides legal defence to BAJ
members is not constitutionally established.
"To charge a journalists' association with illegally
issuing press cards is absurd and a blatant attack on freedom of association for
journalists," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "It is clear that the
government is putting legal shackles on the BAJ in response to its
uncompromising campaign for media freedom and journalists' rights."
BAJ faces closure if they fail to comply and receive a
second warning within the next twelve months. The complaint was rejected
despite the fact that the prosecutor failed to identify how the laws were
violated.
Zhanna Litvina, the BAJ Chairperson, said the warning from the Ministry of Justice
is an attempt to put BAJ on the defensive. She said: "I think this is a way to
put us to the test, and it is directly connected to upcoming election campaigns."
The warning targets the key services BAJ provides to journalists
- a press card, and legal assistance. According
to Andrei Bastunets BAJ Deputy Chairperson the legal actions "target directly
every BAJ member."
The European Federation of Journalists, a regional group of the
IFJ, will discuss this court decision at their forthcoming general meeting in
Istanbul. "This assault on the rights of journalists' unions is an attack on all
journalists unions," said Arne König, EFJ President.
In 2009 BAJ hosted a mission by the IFJ and other press
freedom groups to assess the progress towards media reform promised by Belarus
authorities. One recommendation of the mission, endorsed by 13 media freedom support
groups says that the authorities "must allow journalist organizations
to operate freely": http://www.ifj.org/fr/articles/for-free-and-fair-media-in-belarus
The BAJ, an affiliate of the IFJ has 1,200 members and is the
country's most vocal campaigner for press freedom and independent journalism.
It was formed in 1995. In 2004 it received the European Parliament's Sakharov
Prize for Freedom of Thought and regularly addresses governments and European
institutions in its efforts to raise awareness about the lack of press freedom
in Belarus.
For more information contact the IFJ at +32 2 235 22 00
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries
worldwide
