BAJ experts: Media will be risking extinction

Experts bring attention to the article, related to Internet, which envisages regulation of Internet not only by law and also by other legislative acts.

Also, according to the draft law, some media may receive funding from Republican and local budgets as well as from other sources. Other media is prohibited to receive funding and property from foreign legal persons and anonymous sources.

The Draft Law retains permission granting order of the Media registration and the order of re-registration of the Media becomes more restricted.

The Draft Law previews establishment of Civic Coordination Council in the area of mass information. Its composition and activities would be regulated by the Ministry of Information.

BAJ experts also bring attention to the fact that the Draft Law introduces substantial changes to the institute of accreditation. “The issue of granting accreditation would be a matter of a public official. Part 4 of this article contains a provision that professional activities of foreign journalists without accreditation shall be prohibited in Belarus”, say BAJ experts.

Experts named one of the mostly odd articles of the Draft Law: “Information with restricted access” (Art. 37). Moreover, Art.38 regulates types of information, prohibited for dissemination in the media.

An “Apothem of the draft law”, called experts an article, which sets responsibility for violations of the media legislation.

“The harshest measure which could be applied to a media outlet is ‘suspension of its activity’. This decision is rendered by a court following an appeal of the Ministry of Information or a Prosecutor in cases when a media outlet or a media founder receive two or more written warnings in the course of a year”, say BAJ experts.

BAJ lawyers believe that in the case of the adoption of this Draft Law, “a serious coup on the Media, in particular, non-state funded media will be made. The conditions for activities of the independent media will become more restricted and, in fact, they will be risking extinction”.

Source