Independent newspaper threatened in Belarus
Gazeta Slonimskaya, an independent weekly newspaper based in Hrodna has been threatened with eviction (via) by the state-controlled company, Slonimski from which it rents its premises. No reason has been given for the decision and other agencies are refusing to deal with the paper for fear of reprisals.
The paper’s editor, Uladzimir Uladashchuk was also summoned to the local army office on 22nd April and was ordered to begin 26 days of military training starting 20th May. He is convinced that the summons was contrived in order to get him out of the way while the newspaper was being evicted.
A few days before receipt of the eviction order, district chief Mechyslaw Kastsyuk threatened to suspend the newspaper’s licence on the grounds that a woman had sold copies in a place where this is not permitted.
Administrative harassment involving nit-picking application of regulations is officialdom’s favourite method of gagging the independent press in Belarus.
Sunday 11 May 2008 | Paul | Belarus
