There will be no investigation
10 September 2020 | Press Service of the NGO “Belarusian Association of Journalists”
On 28 August, the day after the mass detention of journalists in Minsk and Brest, the NGO “Belarusian Association of Journalists” (BAJ) submitted a petition to the Head of the Investigative Committee to initiate a criminal case based on the obstruction of the legitimate professional activities of journalists.
The 4-page document describes in detail the circumstances of the case, as well as the legal justification for the need to initiate a criminal case according to Article 198 of the Criminal Code.
On 10 September, the BAJ received a reply from the Head of the Department for Work with Citizens’ Petitions from the Investigative Committee’s central administrative office.
“We inform you that the information provided in the petition is abstract in nature and as a result, there are no grounds for the Investigative Committee to conduct any investigations or take any action in accordance with the manner prescribed by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Belarus,” the reply says.
We would like to remind that on 27 August in Minsk, 47 journalists were detained by officers of internal affairs institutions in Freedom Square, Independence Square, on Independence Avenue, as well as in Brest.
Police officers randomly destroyed original photo and video materials, which are the intellectual property of journalists and the media. All this was accompanied by threats to damage or destroy journalists’ professional equipment.
Source: Press Service of the NGO “Belarusian Association of Journalists”
To Head of NGO “BAJ”
Bastunets A.L.
Kalvariyskaya st, 16-265
220030, Minsk
The central administrative office of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus has reviewed the petition of NGO “BAJ”, submitted on 31 August 2020 regarding initiating a criminal case based on the “obstruction of the legitimate professional activities of journalists”.
We inform you that the information provided in the petition is abstract in nature and as a result, there are no grounds for the Investigative Committee to conduct any investigations or take any action in accordance with the order prescribed by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Belarus.
At the same time, a copy of this petition has been submitted for review to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.
In accordance with Article 20 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus dated 18 July 2011 “About petitions of citizens and legal entities”, the response to the petition can be appealed in court in the manner prescribed by the law.
We express our gratitude for the active civil position in strengthening the rule of law and order in the Republic of Belarus.
Head of the Department for Work with Citizens’ Petitions
V.A. Zhukouski
