Hrodna journalist: After 4th non-accreditation officials advised me to lay low for a year

Independent journalist Vitaut Parfyonenka has been denied accreditation for seven years.

One of the most common complaints of the authorities to independent journalists is about their work with foreign media without accreditation. We spoke with Hrodna reporter Vitaut Parfyonenka who was denied accreidtation by MFA 7 times.

Vitaut Parfyonenka: MFA traditionally refuses accreditation to those working for foreign media, prior to the application. Or they do it due to lack of some documents, if you don’t submit something.

 Belsat: Were you advised by people in power some way out of this situation?

Vitaut Parfyonenka: There was one suggestion, it seems, after the 4th non-accreditation, when I finally called them and emotionally asked them what to do. I was advised not to work for year, that is, that my name would not come up, then it is likely that in a year I may get it.

Vitaut Parfyonenka filed a court complaint against the MFA. The court refused to consider it, after which the journalist filed a complaint to the Chairman of the Minsk City Court in order to to force the court to consider his case. Vitaut Parfyonenka has been trying to get accredited as a journalist of Radio Ratsyya.