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PRESS RELEASE
Washington,
D.C., March 27, 2008
Maria
Vanshina, Deputy Chief of Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Belarus, Comments to Media on Journalism Practices in Belarus
Question:
Several
media have today circulated allegations about the Belarusian authorities
harassing a few persons who call themselves “journalists of the foreign
media”. Do you have any comments on those allegations?
Answer:
I would
like to remind, in the first place, that the activities of foreign
journalists in the Republic of Belarus are regulated by Law “On Mass Media”.
It says, in particular, that journalists of the foreign mass media require
accreditation to work in Belarus, the way they do in many countries of the
world. Bona fide journalists are well aware of that. Those with permanent
accreditation alone outnumber 200 people in our country.
As regards
those foreign media structures being now mentioned by the media, I can put
it officially that their representatives have no accreditation for the work
in Belarus. Thus, as we understand it, those who we are actually talking
about now are just a few individuals of Belarusian citizenship who have long
been involved in overseas-paid illegal journalism in the Republic of
Belarus. But you must admit: that does not make them foreign media
journalists, does it? As an ancient and wise saying goes, “Hood makes no
monk”. By the way, the illegal nature of the activities of the above
individuals in Belarus has never been concealed by their foreign masters who
ran numerous and direct references to the same effect in the press. Hence,
it is reasonable enough that the relevant authorities of the Republic of
Belarus are now dealing with the situation.
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