Expert: The Authority Uses the Legal Mechanisms for the Political Purposes

In our country the legal mechanisms are used for political purposes, thinks Andrei Bastunets the vise chairman of the public association "Belarusian association of journalists" (BAJ).

The lawyer stated that in the interview for news portal www.UDF.BY, commenting the last incidents with the newspaper "Nasha Niva". Such cautions or written warnings, which the edition got last week, could cover also every newspaper, five per unit.

- The example of "Nasha Niva" demonstrates how the legal mechanisms are used for political purposes. Letters of caution or written warnings, tax audits are used by authority just against the undesirable structures, said the expert.

Andrei Bastunets is confident cleaning of Media-space is connected with the coming president elections:

- As closer the elections campaign is as stronger independent mass media, as well as civil society start feel the pressure.

Vice chairman of BAJ considers, that established by authority "unequal economic conditions" contribute to creation of "unfair competitive atmosphere from the side of state Mass Media" in the country.

As news portal www.UDF.BY reported earlier, in the morning the accountancy department of the enterprise "Surodzichy", which edits the newspaper "Nasha Niva", got the call from inspector of the Ministry on Taxes and Dues, who informed about unscheduled inspection of the enterprise.

Besides, last week "Nasha Niva" got two letters of caution from the Ministry of Information because of articles, following the movie of Russian major television channel NTV "The God Father" ("Krestnyi Batska").

"Nasha Niva" is not the first Belarusian edition, which has already two letters of caution. The same "presents" have newspapers "Narodnaya Volia" and "Tovarishch".

According to the article 51 the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Mass Media", issuance of mass medium may be terminated by court decision by a court decision upon an action of the republic body of state administration in the sphere of mass information or of the prosecutor.

As to the enactment Ministry of information may bring an action to the court about termination of the issuance of mass medium in the case of "issuance of two or more written warnings during a year to the legal person which is entrusted with functions of the editorial board of the mass medium or to the founder (founders) of the mass medium".