BAJ reminds independent journalists were raided one year ago
One year ago on March 27-28, 2008, KGB agents raided the editorial offices of several foreign media, the offices of non-governmental organizations and private apartments of journalists across Belarus, the press office of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reminds in a statement. Within those two days, 25 journalists were affected, when security agents seized computers and other information carriers. As of today, the seized equipment has been returned to all the journalists, although some of them had to write dozens of complaints.
The raids were ordered by Aliaksei Stuk, the then deputy prosecutor of Minsk to V. Veger, the first deputy chairman of the State Security Committee (KJB). The document mentioned 17 people who allegedly worked for the Poland-based Belsat satellite TV channel. The order also mentioned that the raidsd should be carried out at the locations of "other activist of the radical politicized groups".
Meanwhile, Belarus's foreign minister spokeswoman Maria Vanshyna said that the raided journalists and their editorial offices operated in Belarus without accreditation.
However, numerous attemps of the journalists working with foreign media to obtain accreditation, has been unsuccessful one year after the raids.
The raids were ordered by Aliaksei Stuk, the then deputy prosecutor of Minsk to V. Veger, the first deputy chairman of the State Security Committee (KJB). The document mentioned 17 people who allegedly worked for the Poland-based Belsat satellite TV channel. The order also mentioned that the raidsd should be carried out at the locations of "other activist of the radical politicized groups".
Meanwhile, Belarus's foreign minister spokeswoman Maria Vanshyna said that the raided journalists and their editorial offices operated in Belarus without accreditation.
However, numerous attemps of the journalists working with foreign media to obtain accreditation, has been unsuccessful one year after the raids.
