Belarusian government continues to harass journalists
Belarusian authorities use a variety of methods to silence and intimidate media following last year’s fraudulent elections
By Iryna Vidanava, editor of 34mag, Minsk
Since the December 19th flawed election and violent crackdown, the Belarusian regime has launched a war against independent media. According to the Minister of Information, and a former head of the Ideological Department, Alaksandr Pralaskouski, “Belarus has become an information battlefield.”
Of the more than 700 people arrested and assaulted on Election Night, more than 30 were journalists; others reporting on the peaceful demonstration had their cameras and other equipment confiscated and smashed. Seven members of the Belarusian Association of Journalists have been accused of taking part in “mass riots” and actions that “violate the public order.”
Silencing the media
There have been casualties. Alaksandr Atroshchankau, a web-journalist and a spokesperson for former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau, was given four years. Dzmitry Bandarenka received a two-year sentence. Natallia Radzina, the head of Charter 97, one of Belarus’ most popular opposition websites, has fled abroad and asked for political asylum in Europe.
The others, including international award winner Irina Khalip, await their day in court. In addition, Andrzej Paczobut, a journalist from Hrodna and a correspondent of Poland’s second largest daily, Gazeta Wyborcza, was arrested last month and awaits trial on charges of “defaming the President of Belarus.”
KGB destroys property but not ideas
Following a carefully laid out strategy, the KGB has assailed editorial offices and assaulted journalists’ private apartments. Over 114 pieces of professional equipment have been confiscated. Of all its electronic devices, only a tea kettle was left in the editorial office of the local newspaper Borisovskiye Novosti after a search in January. Yet, its next issue was published on time, thanks to assistance from colleagues and readers. When the office of Nasha Niva, Belarus’ oldest independent newspaper, was stripped of all its equipment, more than 40 computers were donated by loyal readers.
The Ministry of Information is allied with the KGB and Prosecutor’s Office in striking at independent voices. Autoradio, a popular private FM station, was deprived its broadcast license for allegedly disseminating information that “contained public appeals for extremist activities.” Nasha Niva, and Belarus’ most popular independent paper, Nardonaya Vola, have received numerous official warnings and are now threatened with being closed down altogether for their coverage of election campaign and April 11th explosion in Minsk metro.
A faltering regime
Nevertheless, the regime is losing its war. Not a single independent newspaper or website has stopped publishing due to the raids. The attacks on independent media are nothing more than manifestations of a faltering regime that is fearful of losing its popularity amidst a sudden economic and political crisis. With little room for international maneuver after its shameful election and cruel crackdown, the regime is lashing out against what it calls “fifth columns.”
But the more the authorities try to restrict access to independent information, the more citizens seek to obtain it. The few independent newspapers allowed to be distributed in state kiosks disappear immediately. In 2010, the readership of eight leading independent news and information sites grew by 82 percent, compared to an 18 percent increase in Belarus’ total Internet audience.
Demand for information
Every day more than 400,000 people visit Internet news sites, equaling the size of the daily audience of a state TV channel. The audiences for external media focusing on Belarus, such as the Poland-based BelSat satellite television channel and the Czech-Republic based Radio Liberty, have also witnessed dramatic gains.
Following the April 11th bomb blast in a Minsk subway station, hits on independent web sites skyrocketed, indicating that citizens do not rely on state media, which is more like war-time propaganda these days. A December 2010 public opinion poll found that trust of independent media has increased by 9 percent since the 2006 election, while trust in the state media has declined, despite their ever growing state funding.
Curtain rises
As the battles continue, it is not surprising that the government is calling for greater media regulation, especially of the Internet. But even if the regime destroys all independent newspapers and blocks all independent websites, it will not be able to defeat the independent voices who will continue to speak out through the pages of underground publications, waves being broadcast via cross-border radio and satellite TV, and pixels of social networking sites. Facing a united, determined and battle-hardened independent media community, some 3.5 million Internet users, and growing credibility gap, the state propaganda machine has already lost the fight to fence in Belarusians behind an information iron curtain.
Update: Since this article was written, journalist Iryna Khalip was handed a sentence of a two-year suspended prison term. Khalip was able to walk free after the verdict from the Minsk court, which also cancelled the house arrest that she had been subjected to until now according to the Office for a Democratic Belarus.
