Prosecutor General: A journalist “has the right”, but police “have power” too
- 15.07.2011, 14:34
Prosecutor General of Belarus Ryhor Vasilevich sent a letter to Minister of Internal Affairs Anatoly Kulyashou.
“With the aim of steadfast implementation of laws on public order and prevention of violation of the Law on Mass Media, which provides for inadmissibility of illegal restriction of freedom of press, the Prosecutor General has sent a letter to the Minister of Internal Affairs saying that rights and duties of journalists are specified in the Law on Mass Media, in accordance with which a journalist has the right to attend mass events on editor’s order in accordance with the established law and report information from the site,” the press service of the General Prosecutor’s Office says.
The letter says that a journalist is obliged to fulfill the law, respect the rights, freedoms and legal interests of individuals and legal bodies, and show his or her press card on demand. Foreign journalists can work only if they have been accredited in Belarus.
At the same time, “law enforcement officers have power to restrict temporarily or to ban access of citizens to certain places and objects,” the letter says. “They also have the right to order citizens to leave certain places for personal and public safety.”
“The above mentioned power can be applied to media representatives,” the letter emphasizes.
“in this regard, fulfillment of legislation should be organized in a way allowing both law enforcement officers and journalists to carry out their professional duties and exercise their rights guaranteed in the laws mentioned above,” the letter says.
The press service also remind that the General Prosecutor’s Office considers a collective appeal journalists of a number of media sent on July 13 regarding detentions of correspondents at unauthorized mass events, seizure of footage and professional equipment. “Publications of the same content have widely been spread on the Internet,” the press service notes adding that an “inquiry will be carried out” in connection with the appeal.