The editor of an independent Internet portal Charter 97, Natalia Radina, on April 29 at a press conference in Minsk, reported that the General Prosecutor's Office of Belarus initiated a criminal case on the comments on Charter 97 web-site. According to the journalist, she became aware of the case from human rights activist, Oleg Volchek.
«In comments to articles on the site, prosecutors found «an insult and slander», said Natalia Radina, the press center of Charter 97 informs. According to the editor of Internet portal, it’s «about the article reprinted from the newspaper of Alexander Lukashenko’s administration, Sovetskaya Belorussia».
«The author of the article is Afghan war veteran, Alexander Ryzhankov», the journalist told. «This article was written in the tradition of Soviet propaganda: condemning the soldiers-«Afghans» who oppose the authorities and refused to take a medal from the hands of Lukashenko. This article provoked an outrage of many web-site’s readers».
According to Natalia Radina, the prosecutor’s office has already summoned to examine the co-chairs of the republican public association of Afghan war veterans «Defenders of the Motherland», Oleg Volchek and Alexander Komarovsky. Natalia Radina recalled that in Europe, and more recently in Russia, according to the law, online mass media are not responsible for readers’ comments.
«However, in our country you can expect everything», the journalist said. «This is unprecedented case. Now, Internet is the only source of truthful information about the situation in the country».
The journalist also noted that Internet «do not only informs, but also mobilizes people over the world on the eve of election campaigns». «The authorities clearly frightened. There were no obscene insults in the comments. It was the general indignation with persecution of men of principle in the state mass media», Natalia Radina stated.
