29.11.2023 – SEEMO Condemns Belarusian Court’s Verdict Against Journalist Viachaslau Lazarau

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the recent verdict against Belarusian journalist Viachaslau Lazarau (Вячаслаў Лазараў). In a closed trial, the Supreme Court upheld a decision sentencing Lazarau to five years in prison for allegedly promoting extremist activity, reducing his original sentence by six months.

Lazarau’s wife, Tatsiana Pytsko (Таццяна Пыцько), initially sentenced to three years for the same charges, will now be released after the appeal, with the Supreme Court modifying her punishment to a three-year suspended sentence. The court’s decision provides a slight relief for Pytsko, who spent nearly six months in the Vitsebsk pretrial detention center.

Viachaslau Lazarau and Tatsiana Pytsko were convicted on 25 September 2023 for their association with the Belsat TV (https://belsat.eu/en) channel, labeled extremist by Belarusian authorities. Lazarau, a Vitsebsk, Belarus freelancer, had been in detention since 9 February 2023, following a house search that led to the confiscation of his office equipment.

Tatsiana Pytsko, arrested on 6 June 2023, while on maternity leave caring for their one-year-old daughter, faced a traumatic separation as the child was placed in a local children’s hospital until relatives could collect her. Pytsko’s ex-husband took the responsibility for their two older children.

SEEMO condemns this steps by the state against Viachaslau Lazarau and Tatsiana Pytsko. SEEMO calls for the immediate release of Viachaslau Lazarau and Tatsiana Pytsko, urging Belarusian authorities to respect press freedom and journalists’ right to work without fear of persecution. SEEMO stands in solidarity with all journalists facing repression and censorship in Belarus.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the recent arrests of Ulvi Hasanli (Ülvi Həsənli), director and Sevinj Vagifgizi (Sevinc Vaqifqızı) editor-in-chief of the online publication Abzas Media (https://abzas.org). Additional was arrested Hasanli’s assistant, Mahammad Kekalov (Məhəmməd Kekalovun).

Hasanli and Kekalov were detained on Monday 20 November 2023- Hasanli was stopped by the state authorities on the way to airport in Baku . Kekalov was taken from his home by individuals, and his whereabouts are still unknown. The authorities initiated a criminal case against Kekalov. Vagifgizi was detained on Tuesday 21 November 2023.

On Tuesday 21 November 2023 evening, a district court in Baku, Azerbaijan ordered Hasanli and Vagifgizi to remain in custody for four months on charges of unlawfully bringing money into the country, under Art. 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.. If convicted, they could face up to eight years in prison. Hasanli denies that 40000.00 EUR allegedly found in the Abzas newsroom belong to him or to the company.

SEEMO expresses deep concern over the circumstances surrounding their arrests and calls for the immediate release of Hasanli and Vagifgizi. The organization demands transparency from Azerbaijani authorities regarding Kekalov’s location.

The arrests are allegedly widely viewed as an attempt to stifle Abzas Media’s anti-corruption reporting.

SEEMO emphasizes the importance of press freedom and condemns any attempts to silence journalists and media organizations. SEEMO calls on international institutions to closely monitor the situation in Azerbaijan and demand the release of detained journalists.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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The vehicle of Nenad Živadinović, a journalist from Ritam Grada portal (https://ritamgrada.rs/kragujevac/), was vandalized on the night of 20 to 21 November 2023 in Kragujevac, Serbia. The unknown perpetrator allegedly targeted Živadinović car, smashing the windshield, while other nearby vehicles remained undamaged.

Ritam Grada editorial team expresses hope that this act is not a warning against their independent reporting, especially during the ongoing election campaign, but rather an isolated incident. Despite the unsettling nature of both scenarios, the portal trusts that the vehicle was randomly chosen.

The police started an investigation.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the vandalism against journalist Nenad Živadinović’s vehicle and hopes that the police investigation will bring more information soon and if the case is connected to the journalism work of Nenad Živadinović.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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According to Kurdish sources, journalist and activist Ahmed Azad Çağan from Türkiye / Turkey, who sought asylum in Switzerland, is currently detained in Basel, Switzerland facing imminent deportation. Despite applying for asylum last year, Çağan was taken into custody on 6 November 2023, sparking concern among Kurdish communities in Switzerland.

Kurdish communities in Switzerland have formed a freedom initiative, urging authorities not to deport Çağan and calling for his release. A protest in front of the Immigration Office in Bern, Switzerland was staged on Monday 13 November 2023, demanding assurance of Çağan’s safety and the protection of freedom of expression.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is monitoring this case.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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On 17 November 2023, at approximately 3:30 pm, N1 TV BIH journalist Snežana Mitrović received a call alleged from the cabinet of the President of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Milorad Dodik, during which a person presented himself as Dodik and with a voice that sounds like from Dodik, verbally attacked and insulted her. According to N1 the call was from a landline phone number. First with Mitrović spoke a lady who presented herself as Vesna, and after that, she was allegedly connected to President Dodik.

The incident followed a previous verbal assault on Thursday 16 November 2023 by Dodik during a press conference, where Mitrović questioned him about his alleged connection to individuals arrested for drug trafficking. Dodik accused N1 journalists of promoting an “anti-Serbian narrative” and being part of a policy that undermines Republika Srpska. Despite claiming that his accusations were not directed at Mitrović personally, Dodik took the microphone from her hands, stating it was to spare her feelings.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is asking the authorities in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, urgently to investigate the case: if this was really a call from President Dodik or a fake call from a person who presented himself as Dodik. If this was a call from Dodik, as N1 believes, the police should take urgently all necessary measures to protect Mitrović, including filing a complaint for workplace harassment and urging an investigation. If it was a fake call the police should take legal steps against a person who presents himself as President of Republika Srpska.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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The protest against the management of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) on 16 November 2023 escalated into aggression and riots in Sofia, Bulgaria, resulting in injuries to citizens, law enforcement officers, and the detention of 38 protesters. Regrettably, during this protest police violence against journalists were observed.

The Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria (AEJ Bulgaria) (https://aej-bulgaria.org/en/) reported several incidents involving journalists, documenting police brutality. The incidents include allegedly police pressure on Georgi Kozhuharov, a photojournalist of Dnevnik, to delete his photos. Kozhuharov was wearing a helmet with the word PRESS on it. Among additional attacks on journalists is the alleged attack on a Gospodari.com (https://gospodari.com/) reporter while broadcasting live from the event. Other journalists, including those from Darik Radio (https://darikradio.bg/) or one photojournalist from a foreign news agency, who wished to remain anonymous, were also subjected to violence while reporting on the protests.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) calls for an urgent independent investigation into the events of 16 November 2023, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability. SEEMO urges responsible institutions to investigate police violence against journalists.

SEEMO strongly condemns the acts of violence against journalists in Bulgaria. Journalists must be able to perform their duties without fear of intimidation or harm, and those responsible for violence must be held accountable for their actions.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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In a deeply concerning development, on 13 November 2023, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced an evaluation of media accreditation for certain outlets. Prime Minister categorized them a day before on 12 November as “enemies” of the people. Specifically he was targeting TV Markíza (https://www.markiza.sk/), daily and website SME(https://www.sme.sk/), daily and website Denník N (https://dennikn.sk/), and website Aktuality (https://www.aktuality.sk/) – all leading and well respected media in Slovakia.

Fico expressed an intention to scrutinize their access to government and cabinet offices as “unwanted guests”.

Additionally, on 16 November 2023, the Slovak Parliament enacted restrictive regulations limiting the recording of interviews and live broadcasts in the National Council lobby,

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns these actions as blatant infringements on media freedom, democratic principles, and the right to information in one EU member state. Such restrictions undermine the essential role of journalism in holding power accountable and fostering an informed public. SEEMO urges the Slovak authorities to reconsider these regressive measures, uphold media freedom, and ensure an environment where journalists can operate without unwarranted constraints. The recent actions against respected media outlets and the imposition of restrictions raise serious concerns about the state of media freedom in Slovakia and require immediate attention to safeguard democratic values.

SEEMO would like to remind that it had to react many times also in the past when Fico served as Prime Minister previously from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018 In 2018 Fico was forced to resign after the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancee, Martina Kušnírová. Fico became again prime minister in October 2023.

Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová gave a public support for all media and criticized the negative developments in the country.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the recent actions taken by the Italian government coalition against the editorial independence of RadiotelevisioneItaliana (RAI) (https://www.rai.it/), the national public service broadcaster.

SEEMO is expressing concern because the Parliamentary Committee has singled out the authors of a investigative TV show Report, aired on Rai 3 and broadcasted since 1997 (founded by Milena Gabanelli and since 2017 presented by Sigfrido Ranucci), for questioning. Sigfrido Ranucci deputy director of RAI In-Depth Broadcast Directorate (Direzione Approfondimento) and Paolo Corsini, who chairs the Directorate appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on 7 November 2023.

This move is viewed as a form of intimidation against of an investigative journalism critical of the current government.

SEEMO calls on the Italian Parliament to safeguard RAI’s independence and prevent unwarranted political interference in its journalistic work.

Furthermore, SEEMO expresses concern over management changes. These developments, coupled with proposed legislative amendments threatening RAI’s financial autonomy, raise serious questions about the broadcaster’s editorial independence. SEEMO calls on the Italian Parliament to enact comprehensive reforms safeguarding public service media from undue interference, ensuring financial support in line with European media freedom standards.

In a separate development, SEEMO denounces the Italian government’s decision to reduce RAI’s license fee in 2024. The budget plan, reducing the annual license fee from 90 EUR to 70 EUR, poses a significant threat to RAI’s financial stability. In Italy, the TV license fee is paid since 2016 automatically as an additional amount in the electricity bill.

Some politicians in power push for complete abolition of the license fee.

SEEMO calls on the European Commission and other institutions in Brussels to react connected to the developments in Italy.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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The South East Europe Media Organisaton (SEEMO) vehemently condemns the sentencing of Aliaksandr Mantsevich (Аляксандр Барысавіч Манцэвіч), born on 5 August 1958, publisher, founder and editor-in-chief of the regional independent newspaper Regyonalnaya Gazeta (Рэгіянальнай газеты), to four years in prison. This verdict underscores the relentless suppression of independent journalism in Belarus and the authoritarian regime’s determination to silence critical voices.

Mantsevich’s imprisonment is an alarming indication of the escalating crackdown on local independent media in Belarus. The Belarusian authorities started first targeted national independent media and then moved to eliminate journalism at the local level.

Regionalnaya Gazeta was the first governmental critical local media from Maladzyechna (Molodechno- Маладзечна), town with 90000 inhabitants, in the Minsk Region, covering with regional news four districts of Minsk area and three districts of Grodno area. It was founded in 1995 as a print media, and after state pressure it had since 2021 only an online edition.

The charges against Mantsevich revolve around allegations of “discrediting Belarus and its authorities” through his newspaper from 1 January 2020, until his arrest on 15 March 2023. These accusations are part of a broader effort to stifle dissent and curb the freedom of the press.

SEEMO stands in solidarity with Aliaksandr Mantsevich and all journalists in Belarus who are enduring oppression, imprisonment, and exile due to their commitment to truth and free expression. We call on the Belarusian authorities to drop all charges against Mantsevich, release him immediately, and respect the fundamental principles of democracy and press freedom.

It is crucial for the international community to continue monitoring the situation in Belarus, support independent Belarusian media, and advocate for the release of detained journalists and the repeal of oppressive laws. Press freedom remains a cornerstone of democracy, and its violation should not be tolerated. The work of independent journalists is vital in holding those in power accountable and ensuring the public’s right to access truthful information.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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