DEPARTMENT OF IDEOLOGY CLOSES “NASHA NIVA” DOWN

Right before the Easter “Nasha Niva” got a letter from Mensk city executive committee. It has it: “the allocation of “Nasha Niva” in Mensk is not appropriate”. The motivation is as follows: “… it has been ascertained … that the 22th of March the editor-in-chief of “Nasha Niva” was put under administrative arrest for 10 days”.

It is worth while reminding that the editor was detained while getting off bus #100 at Kastrychnickaja square on March, 21st, at the time of post-election protests, later he was convicted of “foul language”.

The authorities try to close the last link in smothering “Nasha Niva”. Since January, 1st, distribution of the paper was banned under various pretexts by the monopolists “Bielsajuzdruk”, “Minharsajuzdruk”, “Minablsajuzdruk”; and “Bielposhta” did not let the paper into the subscription catalogue. On April, 10th, after a considerable delay, the Ministry of Communications didn’t comply with “Nasha Niva” request to acquire a license for independent subscription. That very date is put on the mail from Minsk executive committee, prepared by the department of ideology and signed by vice-chairman M.Ciciankou. It means the ban on “Nasha Niva” company existence.

The authorities are cynically closing down “Nasha Niva” on the eve of its 100th anniversary. In 1915 the first “NN” was closed after Vilnius was occupied by German troops. In 2006 same thing is carried out by the Lukashenka administration.The authorities used to keep some visibility of legal proceedings. Newspapers paused or ceased to exist according to court decisions and those of the Ministry of Information. Now a mere decision of “the department of ideology” is enough. Legally this is absurd. The Press law presupposes no permits for newspaper allocation from any kind of ideological departments. Furthermore, activity of an enterprise can not depend on administrative penalties imposed on its manager.

“Nasha Niva” never broke the law. It is indicative that the paper hasn’t even had notifications from the Ministry of Information for the last four years.

The first Belarusan newspaper is being closed down.

The last independent paper, fully in Belarusan, is being closed down.

The attempt at “Nasha Niva” is a symbolical beginning of Alaksandar Lukashenka’s third term.

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