Archive

Reporters were not allowed to shoot or were put in conditions which made it impossible to work. Here are some facts from the recent election coverage.

Fundamental freedoms were disregarded and the integrity of the election process was not adequately safeguarded in the early parliamentary elections in Belarus even as the number of registered candidates increased, international observers concluded in a preliminary statement published today

On November 14, the Belarusian Association of Journalists presented the second stage of its Monitoring of the Media Coverage of the Parliamentary Elections-2019.

Situation in Mass Media Field in July – September 2019. The situation in the Belarusian mass media field has remained calm on the eve of Parliamentary elections, which were scheduled for November 17, 2019.  However, at least two journalists faced personal threats, which lacked investigation within the reporting period. After more than a three-month-long pause there were registered new cases of persecution of freelance journalists for their cooperation with foreign media. Claims were filed against several online media outlets to protect the honor and dignity of  certain officials, but the cases are expected to be considered in court in November 2019.

November 12 Minsk district court considered a defamation action brought by the chairman of the Slonim district executive committee Henadz Khomich against Stsiapan Putsila, owner of Nexta channel in Telegram.

Bialynichy District Court imposed a penalty on Mahiliou journalist Darya Chultsova  for a video story about the newly appointed Belarus' chief ideologist Andrei Kuntsevych that she had allegedly made for Belsat TV channel.

Election commissions have already removed four candidates of the “European Belarus” campaign from the elections. But the candidates filed complaints to the Minsk City Commission”, Yauhen Afnahel, coordinator of the civil campaign, told Belsat.

The address of Homiel activist Uladzimir Niapomniashchykh, who had previously been registered as a candidate in the parliamentary elections, was removed from TV air, the UCP reports.

On October 23, 201, the Belarusian Association of Journalists presented the first stage of its Monitoring of the Media Coverage of the Parliamentary Elections-2019.

Bdg.by journalist tried to attend a meeting of District Election Commission of district # 107 in Minsk, where one of the contenders was Yury Hubarevich, chairman of the Movement for Freedom. However, members of the election commission did not let the journalist to observe the meeting.

BAJ member, Hrodna journalist  Viktar Parfionenka has just been denied accreditation by the Belarus Ministry of Foreign Affairs, again.  This was his eleventh attempt as a reporter of the Belarusian Radio Racyja to get official permission to work.

Pavel Sharoyko, convicted of espionage in Belarus, has just been pardoned and released. The President of Ukraine Volodymir Zelensky spread the news during the 2nd Forum of Regions of Belarus and Ukraine in Zhytomyr.

Last week the National Center for Contemporary Arts opened an exhibition of five local artists. One of them – Alexey Kuzmich – came to the opening in a raincoat on a naked body.

Head of Slonim Executive Committee Henadz Khomich sued a number of publications that republished the posting of blogger Stsiapan Putsila (aka NEXTA). NEXTA's Telegramm channel posted that the local top official, as well as his wife a bit later, had been caught drunk driving. Officially, the information has not been confirmed.