OSCE media freedom representative concerned over new regulation on newspaper titles in Belarus

VIENNA, 3 June 2005 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, has voiced his concern over a new presidential decree in Belarus, which bans the use of the words "national" and "Belarusian" by NGOs and media in their official titles and names.

In a letter to Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov, Haraszti said that under the 31 May 2005 decree by President Aleksandr Lukashenko, many newspapers will be forced to urgently re-register.

A number of independent newspapers, including Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta, Belorussky Rynok, Belorusskaya Gazeta, Natsionalnaya Ekonomicheskaya Gazeta, will be affected by this decree. But it does not apply to the State media.

"As a result of these changes, independent newspapers will have to re-register within three months, a procedure which by itself has in the past led to temporary or permanent suspensions, loss of distribution rights and other administrative restrictions," Haraszti wrote.

"Additionally, they will be forced to change their logo, layout and other data. This could provide for new 'technical mistakes', and therefore might lead to new hindrances."

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media previously urged Belarusian officials to abolish mandatory registration and re-registration of the print media, in his March 2005 Report on the state of media freedom in Belarus.

"Newspapers use their names to express themselves, and therefore their titles should be protected just like any other means of freedom of speech," Haraszti said. "Whatever the justification given by the authorities for this move might be, it is in fact exercising censorship towards traditional self-definitions by private media outlets."

The full text of the report, which Haraszti presented to the OSCE Permanent Council on 10 March 2005, can be found on the website of the Representative on Freedom of the Media:

www.osce.org/fom