Official who put Belsat TV under ban ‘ready for constructive dialogue’ on media freedom
The media sphere, one of the ‘top-priority goals in the cooperation with the OSCE’, is ‘dynamically developing’ in Belarus, Alena Kupchyna, Deputy Foreign Minister, says.
It is Mrs Kupchyna who denied accreditation to Belsat TV. The decision she sanctioned means that journalists are not allowed to work for the independent channel: as a rule, Belarusian judges impose fines for ‘illegal production and distribution of media content’.Belsat journalists and contributors repeatedly draw fire from public officers.
According to the top official, at the moment great effort is being invested to build a ‘constructive engagement between journalists and law enforcement agencies’ and to ‘create proper conditions for the parties’ effective fulfilment of their professional duties,’ she said during a workshop organised by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media in Minsk on September, 15.
“The workshop is not the first example of the successful cooperation between Belarus and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. It is a kind of continuation of the workshop on online journalism which was held together with the OSCE in 2013,” Mrs Kupchyna stressed.
Dunja Mijatovich, the OSCE Representative on Freedom, expressed the hope that the workshop would ‘enhance the knowledge about journalists’ rights for collection of information’. At the same time, the event is aimed at law enforcers’ better understanding of the interaction with the media, she said.
“The both sides should work together to guarantee the freedom of the media in Belarus. To achieve this goul there shoul be a political will, the government’s decision. The number of detentions [of journalists has recently decreased, but even if one detention happens I will raise the question,” the OSCE Representative stated.
Belsat journalists and contributors repeatedly draw fire from public officers.
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On September, 4 the Supreme Court of Belarus retried the case BelsatPlus vs Belsat TV. Although a plaintiff failed to show any new evidence, the verdict passed was against the first independent channel. The judges forbidden Belsat TV to use its name and trade mark.
