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INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS THREATENED

The independent media is under threat in Belarus, report the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), a member of IFJ. According to the IFJ, the State Committee for Press of Belarus has issued warnings to six independent newspapers, "Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta", "Nasha Niva", "Naviny", "Narodnaya Volya", "Pahonya" and "Svobodnye Novosti" for violating the press law, allegedly for "calling for the seizure of power." The allegations arise out of publications relating to presidential elections, scheduled for 16 May 1999. According to BAJ, none of the accused newspapers "published such information." On 17 February, BAJ organized a press conference in Minsk, at which editors from the independent media which were sanctioned "stated that despite the pressure, the newspapers will continue to inform the public about political developments, including everything which deals with presidential elections."

BAJ, the Belarusian PEN-Center, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, and other Belarusian NGOs issued a statement on 16 February saying, "The Belarusian authorities continue an unprecedented attack on the freedom of speech and on the constitutional right of Belarus citizens to receive truthful, objective and authentic information." The groups "resolutely protest against another violation of legitimacy and efforts of the authorities to finally strangle the freedom of speech in Belarus" and "call for fellow-citizens, all journalists colleagues and international human rights defense organizations to express solidarity and support to [the] Belarusian independent press."