Belarus’s practice of penalizing journalists without accreditation is detrimental to media freedom, says OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
VIENNA, 8 May 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his continued disappointment and concern regarding the ongoing practice of imposing penalties on journalists working without accreditation in Belarus.
“This detrimental practice effectively bans journalists from reporting on issues of public interest and has a crippling effect on pluralism and freedom of the media in Belarus. Yesterday’s court decisions against six freelance journalists again underscore the urgent need to address the issue,” Désir said.
On 7 May, the Tsentralniy District Court in Minsk fined Liubou Luniova, Siarhei Krauchuk, Katsyaryna Andreyeva, Iryna Arakhouskaya, Maryja Artsybashava and Aliaksandr Barazenka for contributing to the Poland-based Belsat TV channel without accreditation.
Désir urged the authorities to urgently amend the mass media law and grant all journalists an unimpeded right to seek and disseminate information, and in this regard offered the legal assistance and expertise of his Office. According to available reports, freelance journalists have been fined about 40 times for working without accreditation in Belarus in 2018 alone.
“With journalists continually facing fines for doing their work, Belarus has set a troubling trend, causing press freedom to be degraded,” Désir said. “Accreditation should facilitate the work of the press, not be used as a tool of administrative pressure resulting in punitive measures towards media actors that restrict their freedom of information and impose self-censorship.”
The Representative has raised the issue on several occasions in the past (see https://www.osce.org/fom/218756, https://www.osce.org/fom/150011 and //www.osce.org/fom/131656).
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.