Larysa Shchyrakova: I Am Surprised About Police’s Non-Professionalism

Police made charges against a freelance journalist for appearing in the photo.

An administrative offense protocol was drawn up in Rechytsa against freelance journalist Andrei Miadzvedzeu (Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Belarus - “illegal production and distribution of media products”), writes Homel Spring.

The journalist is accused of making the news piece “Pressure for a published video?” for the Belsat TV channel about Dzianis Barsukou, a resident of Rechitsa, who had a conflict in a clinic with a doctor, video recorded it, and posted it on Odnoklassniki social network. The video had a huge number of views, it was actively discussed by users. After that, pressure on the part of law enforcement agencies began on the resident of Rechytsa.

“The protocol is just a statement,” Andrei Miadzvedzeu comments, “that I, at a certain day (when the video material appeared on the website of Belsat) was located at 24 Kalinin Street in Rechytsa and filmed a video. Thus I allegedly committed an offense provided for by Part 2 of Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. However,they did not specify which exact offense I had committed – there are four offenses listed in Part 2 of Article 22.9.What exactly I am charged with for being on Kalinin Street on September 13, 2018 (which, in fact, wasn’t the true date) is not mentioned in the protocol ”.

This is the first protocol under Article 22.9 for the freelance journalist.

“It surprises me how unprofessionally the police work,” said freelance journalist Larysa Shchyrakova, who was brought to responsibility under Article 22.9 for more than 20 times. “I have reliable information that they didn’t even interview the main character of the story, Dzianis Barsukou. They didn’t ask if he had ever been interviewd by Andre Miadzvedzeu. When the police collect an evidence base against me, they always interrogate people who were in the plot. Here, only on the basis that Andrei was in the video with the hero of the plot, he is accused of making this news piece for the Belsat TV channel. However, nothing surprises me here - this is a continuation of deliberate policy of the authorities to intimidate journalists-freelancers, especially those who cooperate with foreign media.”

Over 20 freelance journalists were brought to responsibility under Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Belarus, “illegal production of mass media products” in 2018, most of them several times (journalist Volha Chaychyts and Kanstantsin Zhukouski were brought to liability over 10 times during the year). The total amount of the fines reached 30 thousand euros.