Hotline for journos: Watchdogs press for safe reporting during 2nd European Games

The European Olympic Committees (EOC) should establish a complaints hotline for journalists during the 2019 European Games, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists said on May, 3.

“Belarusian authorities have a long and sorry history of contempt for media freedom, so it’s likely they may harass independent journalists in the lead-up and during the European Games. The European Olympic Committees should be ready to address this,” said Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central director at Human Rights Watch.

According to the HRW and the CPJ, 2019 is on track to be one of the worst years for media freedom and freedom of expression in Belarus in the past decade: police often arrest journalists covering unauthorized peaceful protests along with the protesters. Belarusian authorities use ‘anti-extremism’ legislation to suppress legitimate speech.

“In April, police raided the Minsk office of Belsat – a satellite television station registered in Poland that is the only independent television channel broadcasting in Belarus. The raid was in connection with a dubious criminal libel investigation brought by a public official in response to an incident in 2018,” the press release reads.

Human rights and media freedom groups have repeatedly urged the European Olympic Committees to establish media freedom procedures for the Minsk Games.

“Media grievance systems have become an important new standard to advance media freedom around mega-events like the European Gamesю In a repressive environment such as Belarus, it is essential for the European Olympic Committees and the IOC to stand up for press freedom and ensure that journalists can do their jobs safely,” said Gulnoza Said, Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The 2nd European Games will be held in Minsk in June 21-30, 2019. For the first time it took place in 2015 in Baku; it was started rolling by Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s close friend, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, who definitely wants it to run and run. However, holding the event may cost Belarusians $30-40 mln.

Belsat.eu, following cpj.org