BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
Jan 30 2006
Ukraine protests alleged seizure of journalists' videotapes by Belarus authorities
(AP) Ukraine lodged a protest Saturday over what it said was the seizure of journalists' videotapes by authorities in neighboring Belarus, whose authoritarian leader has warned there will be foreign attempts to influence the upcoming presidential election.
In a note delivered to Belarusian diplomats, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed concern and asked Belarus to return the tapes.
Belarusian border guards seized three videotapes containing reports about the election to be held March 19 from a crew from Ukraine's Inter television, according to one of the journalists, Oleksiy Ivanov. He said the journalists were told the tapes could contain evidence of anti-government activity.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Belarusian diplomats promised the incident would be investigated. Belarusian Embassy officials could not be reached for comment.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, harshly criticized by Western critics for his intolerance of dissent, is running for re-election and has said he expects a wave of propaganda against himself and his government as the March vote approaches. Under a new law, any journalist found to have discredited Belarus or its leadership faces up to two years in prison.
Belarusian authorities are wary of events in neighboring Ukraine, where a Western-leaning leader came to power a year ago after massive opposition protests over a fraud-marred election. Lukashenko, in power for more than a decade after elections that were deemed illegitimate by Western governments, has vowed not to allow such a scenario to occur in Belarus.
Source:
http://www.kyivpost.com/top/23780/
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