Another penalty for working with Belsat


On March 8, independent journalist Larysa Shchyrakova was summoned to the police station and charged with ‘illegal media production’.

The protocol was drawn by the head of the Central law enforcement  department Lieutenant Colonel, Yury Panin, said the journalist.

Larysa Shchyrakova is accused of alledgedly producing an article about tax raises for entrepreneurs found at Belsat site by the police on 13 January.

The entrepreneurs interviewed by the police confirmed that it was Shchyrakova that interviewed them, hence the journalist will be tried under Article 22.9 of the Belarus Penal Code. The maximum penalty for this article is a fine of 50 basic units or nine million rubles.

The journalist believes that she did nothing wrong. “What kind of illegal media production is meant here, if the Constitution gives me the right to collect and disseminate information? Secondly, the election is approaching, there is severe economic crisis in the country and it is necessary to silence independent journalists covering these events,” believes Larysa Shchyrakova.

Previously, for cooperating with Belsat were already tried Ales Zaleuski, Maryna Malchanava and Ales Lyauchuk. With the help of the KGB, the police and the courts, authorities persecute independent journalists across the country. Over twenty administrative protocols have already been drawn. Last week, journalist from Byaroza Tamara shchapyotkina was tried for the second time. She learned about her own court from an SMS, but was not allowed to be present there and still has not received a court decision.

On March 13, in Ivanava, journalist Inna Khomich will be tried for cooperation with Radio Ratsyya. In this case, the police do not mind tha fact that Ms. Khomich is a regular journalist of the newspaper Berastseiski Kurier.

AL, belsat.eu/en/

TWITTER