Belarusian Journalists Still Face Charges In “Belta Case”

The journalists are demanded to pay money.

The journalists, who are accused of causing financial losses to the state news agency BelTA, are offered to compensate this money, the BAJ press service reports.

However, even if the journalists pay the amounts claimed, this neither removes the charges from them, nor exempts them from litigation.

Six tut.by editors have already been charged.

The charge was brought against the BelaPAN editor-in-chief Iryna Leushyna, BelaPAN columnist Tatsiana Karavenkava, the Deutsche Welle correspondent Pauliuk Bykouski and the Realt.by chief editor Uladzislau Kuletski.

It is known that some persons involved in the “BelTA case” do not yet want their names to be disclosed.

After the questioning at the Investigative Committee, editor in chief of the BelaPAN news agency Iryna Leushyna said that she had to repay a large amount for the damage. Investigators also returned to the things that had been taken after the search: notebooks, the telephone book.

– This was the indictment. I did not admit guilt, refused to answer some of the questions. It was more of a conversation with the investigator. And I found confirmation that the investigators understood everything, and that they had been given orders what to do. It was clear to everyone. The total amount that I have to repay is more than 12 thousand rubles.

BelaPAN works as usual.

All the journalists caused BelTA different amounts of damage.

On August 7, the tut.by and BelaPAN offices were searched. Tut.by chief editor Maryna Zolatava, portal editors Hanna Kaltyhina, Halina Ulasik and Hanna Yermachonak, BelaPAN editor in chief Iryna Leushyna and diplomatic analyst Tatsiana Karavenkava, Deutsche Welle correspondent Pauliuk Bykouski and website editor of the Belarusians and Market newspaper Aliaksei Zhukau were detained.

All of them spent a few days in the temporary detention facility in Akrestsin street. On August 27, most suspects were banned from leaving the country.

The journalists have been supported by the European Union, Council of Europe, the United States, as well as international human rights organizations.

On September 25, tut.by editor Dzmitry Bobryk, made a statement on his Facebook. The journalist said that since the beginning of the investigation in the Belta case, he had been under pressure, he had been threatened with the disclosure of details of his personal life.