International media watchdog criticizes Belarus’ new accreditation rules

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has criticized the accreditation rules set out in Belarus’ new Media Law that took effect on February 8.

The measure will set up an “obstacle course for journalists seeking the government-issued accreditation needed to report in Belarus,” the media watchdog said in a report on February 10. “Journalists must obtain accreditations from multiple agencies, international journalists may not work without accreditation, and local and federal agencies have broad authority to deny accreditation without explanation.”

The CPJ expressed the opinion that a “new set of registration requirements” illustrates the government's determination to “obstruct news outlets.”

It said that the law’s requirement that all outlets should apply for re-registration within a year would grant the authorities the power to “pull licenses from existing news outlets that irritated or offended them.”

It also expressed criticism over provisions allowing the authorities to suspend or close news outlets if content is deemed inaccurate, defamatory, "not corresponding to reality," or "threatening the interests of the state or the public." //BelaPAN