Cases against independent journalists are in Minsk Prosecutor’s Office
- 15.11.2010, 10:43
The Minsk Prosecutor’s Office has requested the criminal case against Natallya Radzina, Iryna Khalip, Maryna Koktysh, and Svyatlana Kalinkina.
The website charter97.org learnt this from senior interrogating officer of the Internal Affairs Directorate of Homel Alyaksandr Puseu. According to him, the case under article “Slander” was suspended on the basis of part 1, article 246 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Belarus (non-identification of a chargeable person) and was in the archives until requested by the Minsk Prosecutor’s Office a month ago.
“I don’t know the purposes why the case was requested. I also don’t have information which investigator examines the case. it was requested by the Minsk Prosecutor’s Office,” the interrogating officer said.
The office equipment seized from Natallya Radzina, Iryna Khalip, Maryna Koktysh, and Svyatlana Kalinkina hasn’t been returned so far. It seems the equipment will be never returned.
“The equipment is stored in a special storage for material evidence in Minsk. A decision on return hasn’t been made. I cannot say why,” Puseu said.
“This criminal case continues to hang over us like the sword of Damocles. The Minsk Prosecutor’s Office, and most likely those who ranks above, was not satisfied with the Homel police, who failed to find “guilty persons” in this case and decided to correct the error. It’s a notable fact that we were not informed the case had been suspended, and I learnt that it had been sent to Minsk Prosecutor’s Office only after a phone call to interrogating officer Puseu. It’s an outrageous fact that we haven’t been returned the equipment after the case as suspended. The authorities seem to think it is dangerous to return 8 seized computers to the charter97.org journalist ahead of the presidential election. I remind that the prosecutor’s office studies another criminal case against the website initiated over a reader’s comment. This situation is a vivid demonstration of the character of the ongoing presidential campaign. Even today it can be called non-free and non-democratic,” charter97.org journalist Natallya Radzina comments on the situation.
Belarusian journalists Natallya Radzina, Iryna Khalip, Svyatlana Kalinkina, and Maryna Koktysh are being prosecuted in connection with the criminal case initiated allegedly for slander in the mass media against Ivan Korzh, a former head of KGB Department in Homel region.
On March 16, offices and apartments of the journalists were searched and their computers were seized. The greatest number of computers, 8, was seized from charter97.org office. The rest journalists were confiscated PCs both from offices and private apartments. Plainclothes policemen tried to enter the apartment rented by Natallya Radzina without showing a warrant. The journalist was hit in her face. Radzina’s appeal against unlawful actions of the policemen was dismissed.