English » Belarusian news » 22 ліпеня 2009 а 7⁰⁶

Twenty five copies of gay-magazine «Pride» from the USA were detained by the Minsk regional customs

25 copies of «Pride» magazine, the publisher of which is the international pride-organization InterPride, which member is also the law-enforcement project GayBelarus, were detained by the Minsk regional customs, about what on July, 17th the leader of the project Siarhei Androsenka received a corresponding message. On July, 20th he has visited post customs, where the representative of the Minsk regional customs informed, that magazines couldn’t be received for the reason, that GayBelarus had no legal status, and for the final addressee Sergey Androsenko those things were not of personal purpose. It is caused by the Belarus customs legislation. Thus the sending of English-speaking magazine «Pride» for 2009, consisting of 25 copies, didn’t reach Belarusian readers.

There is no news gay-magazine in Belarus at the moment and it’s caused by numerous factors – possible great difficulties with registration of the publication and with searching the ways of distribution, high rent, low distributing possibility due to stealthiness of Belarusian LGBT-society, which is often brought to secret private meetings, absence of interest to social activism and to fear of responsibility for such activity.

The project also wants to remind, that in Republic of Belarus the rights of freedom speech, distributions and receptions of the information are often limited.

In Republic of Belarus the total control of the state over information space remains and only necessity of improvement of relations with the European countries forces Belarusian authority to go on small concessions.

The rigid control over information space, actual introduction of monopolies for the majority of social and political printed and electronic mass-media, and also for systems of a press and distribution tells upon aspiration of authority to self-defense and shows presence of censorship in the country.

“The weapon of the most destructive forces is in the hands of mass-media, so they should be supervised by the government ” - the president of Belarus Alexandr Lukashenka on February, 12th, 2008 in the foreword before students of BGU (Belarusian Governmental University) during visiting the new case of faculty of journalism declared.

At the same time such approach entirely contradicts article 33 and 34 of Belarusian constitution which forbids censorship.

In connection with the rigid legislation in Belarus processes of registration and activity of NGO of various directions, political parties, trade unions, organizations of public actions, realization of journalistic and law-enforcement activity are complicated.

For activity on behalf of not registered organizations in Belarus the criminal responsibility is stipulated.

Аўтар артыкулу: Siarhei

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