Belarusian Editor May Face Charges for Interview With Opposition Leader
Voice of America
MINSK - A journalist in Belarus may face criminal charges for an interview his media outlet published with opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in another sign of the government's crackdown on press freedom.
Uladzimer Yanukevich, the chief editor of the independent Intex-press newspaper in the western city of Baranavichy, was questioned at a local police department for 4 1/2 hours over the interview, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAZh) said on April 22. According to the BAZh, during questioning on April 21 Yanukevich was handed two administrative charges for violating the law on the distribution of "banned" information via the media and the Internet. Yanukevich was also warned that a criminal case may be launched against him on a charge of "calling for actions aimed at violating the national security of the Republic of Belarus." If found guilty on that charge, Yanukevich may face a lengthy prison term.
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