OSCE urges Belarus to release journalists
OSCE representative for freedom of media Dunia Mijatovich urged to stop harassment of the Belarusian independent mass media and release all the detained journalists immediately, on Wednesday. "I am deeply concerned by the unprecedented wave of violence, arrests and harassment of journalists which started after the presidential election on December 19, 2010 in Belarus", – Dunia Mijatovich underlines in her letter to the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Siarhej Martynau.
The correspondent of the Russian newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" Iryna Khalip and the editor of the web-site "Charter'97" Natallia Radzina were arrested after the protest action in Minsk. They are accused of organization of "mass disturbances". Both are facing up to 15 years of imprisonment.
Apart from this, the Belarusian law-enforcement agencies searched the editor's offices of the newspaper "Nasha Niva", the European Radio for Belarus and "Belsat" TV-Channel. They also searched private apartments of some of these media's employees and confiscated computer hardware.
Dunia Mijatovich urged the Belarusian authorities to stop such actions and release Khalip and Radzina immediately.
The OSCE representative for freedom of media has informed the Belarusian authorities that she is ready to visit Minsk in the near future and help Belarus to get back to fulfillment of the freedom of media norms through the OSCE office in Minsk, informs "Voice of America".
The correspondent of the Russian newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" Iryna Khalip and the editor of the web-site "Charter'97" Natallia Radzina were arrested after the protest action in Minsk. They are accused of organization of "mass disturbances". Both are facing up to 15 years of imprisonment.
Apart from this, the Belarusian law-enforcement agencies searched the editor's offices of the newspaper "Nasha Niva", the European Radio for Belarus and "Belsat" TV-Channel. They also searched private apartments of some of these media's employees and confiscated computer hardware.
Dunia Mijatovich urged the Belarusian authorities to stop such actions and release Khalip and Radzina immediately.
The OSCE representative for freedom of media has informed the Belarusian authorities that she is ready to visit Minsk in the near future and help Belarus to get back to fulfillment of the freedom of media norms through the OSCE office in Minsk, informs "Voice of America".
