Belarusian Association of Journalists

Belarusian Association of Journalists
chairman
Andrei Bastunets

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) (Belarusian: Беларуская асацыяцыя журналістаў Biełaruskaja Asacyjacyja Žurnalistaǔ) is a non-governmental organisation of journalists in Belarus.[1] To have freedom of speech and rights of receiving and distributing information are its desire.[2] It was made in 1995.[3] BAJ is a friend of the International Federation of Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders. It got the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize in 2004.[4] It got Free Media Award [en] in 2021.[5]

On August 27, 2021, the Association was formally closed by the Supreme Court of Belarus.[6] However, it continued to function outside Belarus.[7][8]

On February 28, 2023, the KGB has designated the Association as an 'extremist formation'; as a result, participation in it can be punished with a prison sentence.[9][10]

References

  1. ↑ Каравянкова, Таццяна (2009-05-25). "«Аддаваць» мэдыясфэру ўлады не маюць намеру" (in Belarusian). BelaPAN. Archived from the original on 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
  2. ↑ "Домен продается. Купить в магазине доменов RU-CENTER". Jun 6, 2003. Archived from the original on 2003-06-06. Retrieved Aug 14, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Belarusian Association of Journalists |". Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved Aug 14, 2020.
  4. ↑ "The Belarusian Association of Journalists – Sakharov Prize Laureate 2004". European Parliament. Archived from the original on 2016-10-29. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  5. ↑ Кепински, Ольга (2021-08-12). "Все награды Free Media Awards присуждены белорусским журналистам" (in Russian). euronews. Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  6. ↑ "Belarus Supreme Court dissolves Belarusian Association of Journalists". Committee to Protect Journalists. 2021-08-27. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  7. ↑ Sviatlana Haluza (2022-02-07). "In Belarus, 33 journalists remain imprisoned. This is who they are and why they were detained". ECPMF. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  8. ↑ "Belarus: Crackdown on BAJ and Belsat must stop". IFJ. 2021-11-08. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  9. ↑ "OSCE Media Freedom Representative condemns yet another attack on the Belarusian Association of Journalists". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  10. ↑ "IPI denounces designation of Belarusian Association of Journalists as 'extremist group'". International Press Institute. March 8, 2023. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

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