His Excellency Aleksandr Lukashenko
President of Belarus
220016, ul. Karla Marxa 38, Minsk

1 April 2008

Your Excellency,

We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 102 countries, to express our serious concern at the arrest of two journalists, one of whom was severely beaten by police, while covering a demonstration in Minsk, and the ongoing intimidation of the independent press.

According to reports, on 25 March Andrej Liankevich, photojournalist of Nasha Niva, was brutally beaten and arrested by riot police as he covered a peaceful demonstration in the capital. He is now awaiting trial. Sjamen Pechanko, another journalist from Nasha Niva covering the rally, was arrested and sentenced to 15 days in jail by a Minsk court. Both journalists have been charged with offences related to organising and holding unauthorised mass events.

On 27 March, the KGB launched a nationwide search of the offices and homes of independent media and journalists, including the apartments of Eduard Mielnikau, Anatol Hatochyts, Alena Stsiapanava, Tamara Shchapiotkina and Hienadz Sudnik, as well as the editorial office of Radio Racyja. The government accuses them of libelling you in cartoons in 2005. Reporter Yuliya Kotskaya was also arrested and temporarily held for interrogation.

We respectfully remind you that the prosecution of Mr Liankevich and Mr Pechanko and the harassment of independent journalists constitutes a clear breach of the right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by numerous international conventions, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 of the Declaration states: ’Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers.’

We respectfully call on you to take all necessary steps to ensure that Mr Pechanko is immediately released from jail, that all charges against him and Mr Liankevich are dropped, and that the beating of Mr Liankevich is fully investigated and those responsible severely disciplined. We urge you to end the state intimidation of independent media.

We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Gavin O’Reilly
President
World Association of Newspapers

George Brock
President
World Editors Forum

WAN is the global organization for the newspaper industry, with formal representative status at the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe. The organization groups 18,000 newspapers in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 11 regional and world-wide press groups. WAN is non-governmental and non-profit.