Iryna Khalip: We Need To Fight, There Is No Other Option

• 5.02.2024, 17:06

A famous Belarusian journalist told why the media under dictatorship cannot be “above the fray.”

Well-known journalist, wife of the leader of the European Belarus civil campaign, former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, Iryna Khalip, in an interview with the German newspaper «Menschen machen Medien» (translation — Charter97.org website) spoke about courage in journalism, why the media cannot to be “above the fray” and the film “This Kind Of Hope,” which was released in Germany.

— What does courage in journalism mean to you?

— For me, this means just doing my job, without thinking about whether it is brave, whether it is risky, whether it is dangerous. And I don’t try to evaluate myself in my profession — am I brave enough, am I doing a good job, do others need what I do. So nothing special.

— After the Lukashenka regime found you guilty of “organizing and preparing actions that seriously violate public order” and sentenced you to two years of suspended imprisonment, which you served in full, you still remained in Belarus. Although your husband Andrei had to go into exile. Why did you stay?

— It was a very difficult decision, taken together with Andrei. It was very important for us to come to exactly this decision; we discussed possible options together for a long time. Of course, this was a risky decision. There were constant threats. But this gave me the opportunity to work in Belarus for several more years and support my parents and mother-in-law.

— You decided to go into exile in 2020 after the protests. What changed your mind?

— If I went to prison again (and I would definitely end up there, like all my colleagues who did not have time to evacuate), then my parents and mother-in-law would not have been able to stand it. They wouldn't have survived. And Andrei would hardly have been able to continue working, knowing that I was in prison. This is the first thing. And secondly, after the complete defeat of independent media in Belarus, the moment has come when the voice from abroad is becoming louder. The efficiency and productivity of my work has increased many times over.

— How has your work changed since you arrived in Poland? What publications do you work for?

— Little has changed in my work — I still write about Belarus. Only the range of topics has become wider — now I move freely around Europe and can go on business trips, working on topics not related to Belarus. That is, my work has become a little “globalized”. I still work at my beloved Novaya Gazeta — however, after the start of the full-scale invasion, part of the editorial staff left Russia for Latvia and created a friendly publication Novaya Gazeta. Europe. So not only did I maintain my readership, but it also increased.

— How interested are the international media in the situation in Belarus?

— Of course, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and Israel’s fight against terrorism, the topic of Belarus disappears from the front pages. Nevertheless, Belarus remains in the focus of journalistic interests, including thanks to Belarusian independent journalists in exile, politicians and human rights activists who do not allow Belarus to completely disappear, becoming a regular black spot on the map.

— You worked for a long time as a Belarusian correspondent for Novaya Gazeta. After Putin closed the publication, can you still work for them and how? How are things going with your colleagues in Russia?

— Novaya Gazeta in Russia was deprived of its media status after the start of the war. And Novaya Gazeta Europe writes freely about everything. So my main work now is for Novaya Gazeta Europe. Colleagues in Russia are forced to comply with some new rules in order to preserve life and freedom. But they still bravely write the truth.

— What is the situation with journalists in Belarus today?

— There are no journalists left in Belarus at all (I, of course, do not mean propagandists from state media). Journalists are either in exile or in prison. There is no longer a single independent media in Belarus. My soul hurts for my colleagues who are now in prison. As for those who managed to escape, of course, exile creates many difficulties in their work, but, believe me, it opens up enormous opportunities for independent journalism.

— There is a scene in the film, as well as in the trailer, when you and your husband were arrested in 2010 after a demonstration against Lukashenka, you spoke to journalists on the phone, and the police pulled you out of the car. How important is the interest of the press and public for your safety?

— At the time of our arrest, I was on the air of the Russian radio station “Echo of Moscow” (this radio no longer exists in Russia, it was destroyed). Overnight, this recording spread all over the world, and even those who did not follow the news from Belarus too closely learned what really happened here. So the role of the media is key. We have been saying for a long time that openness means security. Of course, the interest of journalists cannot ensure anyone’s safety directly. But it can save a life.

— When director Paweł Siczek approached your husband with a request to make a documentary, how much did you like this idea?

— I supported this idea. I believe that the film can help many people in Europe understand what is happening in Belarus. Paweł made a wonderful film, very deep and subtle. I am grateful to him for this difficult, but so important work for my country.

— As a journalist, how did you feel when you participated in the making of a film about you and your husband?

— Over many years of repression, Andrei and I got used to this. I once jokingly said that in my journalistic life I have given more interviews than I have taken. As a journalist, I know how important it is to spread information, and I have never — even when I was dead tired — refused an interview or commentary for my colleagues. Because every word about the situation in Belarus should be heard as loudly as possible.

— When journalists take a political position, are they often accused of lacking neutrality? Is neutrality possible under dictatorship? (What is the difference between journalism and activism?)

— It seems to me that it is artificial to try to separate journalism and civic position, to oppose them to each other. Perhaps in a world of free elections, freedom of assembly and expression, this makes sense. But in totalitarian states, one cannot exist without the other. When there is a struggle between good and evil, it is simply unprofessional for a journalist to remain neutral. We need to fight, there is no other option.

— Europe, like Germany, is faced with nationalist tendencies. What advice would you give to your colleagues in Germany to help them be braver themselves?

— Journalism presupposes bravery, and even at the stage of choosing a profession, a person who has decided to become a journalist realizes that they may find themselves in a risk zone: working in a war, being in the center of clashes between protesters and the police, affecting someone’s financial or political interests — no one knows which topic will put the journalist at risk. And everyone who goes into the profession knows about this from the very beginning. So giving advice on how to become bolder is like teaching journalism to accomplished professionals. My colleagues in Germany are top-class journalists, I sincerely admire their work and am always grateful to them for their support and interest in the situation in my country.