BAJ Activists Stand Up for Journalism
Join the Belarusian Stand up for Journalism campaign online and offline! We stand up for the rights of our persecuted colleagues Ales Dzianisau, Andrei Mialeshka, Ales Zaleuski, Maryna Mauchanava, Ales Burakou, Mikhail Arshynski, Alina Litvinchuk, Vital Siamashka, Yury Dziashuk, Yauhien Skrabiets, Mikalai Bianko, Yuliya Siviets, Sviatlana Stsiapanava, Alena Stsiapanava, Maksim Khliabiets, and a broad number of other journalists, either fined or officially warned for their professional activity.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists considers the problem of persecution in relation to freelance journalists, who contribute to foreign media, to be among the most acute challenges, faced by independent media workers in the country. The reporters are subjected to huge fines and intimidated with official warnings of governmental structures.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists invites our colleagues to join the campaign either online or offline.
In particular, it is possible to put yourself in the persecuted journalist’s shoes, taking a picture of yourself in the image of the imprisoned media worker, who “printed articles on foreign Web-sites”, “appeared on foreign TV and radio”, and got punished for that. The special campaign photo-shield can be found at the BAJ Central Office (Kamsamolskaya Str., 7–32, Minsk).
Also, it is possible to play the ‘Accreditation’ on-line game on the Web-site of BAJ.
A series of video-interviews with the recently prosecuted journalists, who contribute to foreign media, can be found in a special section on the Web-site of BAJ.
The BAJ activists in the Belarusian regions joined the IFJ campaign. In particular, independent media workers from Slonim, Vitebsk, Brest, Mahilow, Hrodna, Babruysk, Luninets, Horki, Bialynichy and other cities of Belarus stood up for journalism in their local cities and towns, either supporting the nation-wide campaign scenario or creating their own versions of local campaigns.