Free Press Cut from State Distribution Network

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 001387

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/15
TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO
SUBJECT: Free Press Cut from State Distribution Network

Ref: Minsk 1193

Classified by Ambassador George Krol for Reasons 1.4 (B,D)


1. (SBU) Summary: On November 4 and 11, Belarusian state
postal service provider RUP Belpochta announced it would
remove four independent newspapers from the list of
periodicals available for subscription in 2006. On
November 9, the Ministry of Information issued a warning to
the editor of "Zhoda" for defaming Lukashenko. In response
to the GOB's actions, the newspapers are considering
distributing their publications for free, publishing on the
Internet, or establishing "underground" operations as in
Soviet times. End summary.

Sorry, You are Not on the List
--------------


2. (SBU) During the past week, the Belarus state postal
service provider RUP Belpochta officially informed four
independent newspapers - "Narodnaya Volya" (NV),
"Salidarnasts," "Zhoda," and "Regionalnaya Gazeta" - that
their publications will not be included in the list of
periodicals available for subscription in 2006. Belpochta
has made a similar comment unofficially to "Borisovskiye
Novosti." Since Belpochta has a monopoly on the
distribution of subscription media, this announcement will
likely severely cripple the newspapers ability to reach
readers.


3. (U) On November 10, Poloff met with NV Deputy Editor
Svetlana Kalinkina, Salidarnasts Editor-in-Chief Aleksandr
Starikevicha, and Zhoda Editor-in-Chief Aleksei Korol to
discuss Belpochta's decision. In separate letters to the
respective editors, Belpochta explained in detail its
reasoning for excluding the newspapers on the state
subscription list, which included minor technical
violations by each of the papers. Belpochta also included
in the letters to Salidarnasts and Zhoda that "each
economic entity has the right to be guided by economic
expediency in its commercial activities."


4. (SBU) The newspaper representatives considered
Belpochta's actions to be a form of government repression
of independent media before the election. Belpochta's
action follows the October 1 decision of Belsoyuzpechat Q
the state monopoly controlling kiosks and newsstands in
Belarus Q to end its contract with NV because of alleged
violations of media law (reftel). [Note: Belsoyuzpechat
has ended its contracts with Zhoda and Borisovskiye
Novosti; Solidarnasts' contract is still valid, but
Solidarnasts expects Belsoyuzpechat will terminate it
shortly. End Note.]

Zhoda Gets a Double Whammie
--------------


5. (U) On November 11, Zhoda received an official warning
from the Ministry of Information for printing materials
that defamed President Lukashenko. The warning also
mentioned the USD 2600 fines Zhoda's two editors-in-chief
received in September for allegedly disseminating false
information. Payment of the fines is due November 15.
[Note: Such a serious warning in conjunction with the
previous fine could provide sufficient "legal"
justification for the closing of the newspaper. End note.]
These fines followed a March police raid on Zhoda's office
in response to an anonymous complaint about Zhoda's alleged
"subversive" activity. The police seized Zhoda's computers
after finding portraits of Lukashenko on the walls, which
had been altered to ridicule the president.

The Newspapers Next Steps
--------------


6. (C) Both NV and Zhoda have filed suits against
Belpochta, but neither newspaper expects to win its case.
The majority of the newspapers do not consider setting up
an independent distribution network as a viable option
since it would require licensing from the GOB, which will
almost certainly be denied. Instead, they are
contemplating changing the focus of their enterprises from
"commercial" to "political" by distributing copies of their
papers for free. NV Q the paper with the largest
circulation - proposed setting up 20 distribution centers
around the country and asking volunteers to put copies of
the paper in mailboxes and hand them out on the street

MINSK 00001387 002 OF 002


without charge. Since the papers are registered, this
action would be entirely legal under Belarusian law.
Kalinkina said NV was exploring funding for this initiative
and hopes to launch it by January 1, 2006. The other
editors mentioned pursuing similar courses of action, but
on smaller scales. If free distribution via volunteers is
not successful, the newspapers mentioned creating websites
and publishing on the Internet. If all else fails,
Solidarnasts mentioned "working underground" as independent
newspapers did before the 1917 revolution and during Soviet
times to ensure that people have access to independent
media.

Comment
--------------


7. (C) The GOB has taken bold steps to limit further
Belarusian citizens' access to independent media and
tighten its control over free press. The "economic entity"
Belpochta claimed it was "guided by economic expediency" in
its decision-making; however, the three simultaneous
notifications on November 4 and an additional notification
one week later suggest the decision to weaken the
newspapers' distribution capabilities was a coordinated
effort from on high. Zhoda's warning and the exclusion of
the four independent newspapers from the subscription list
are just the latest in a series of actions by the GOB
efforts to stamp out state media. The trend will almost
certainly continue and will most likely increase in the
lead up to the 2006 presidential elections.

KROL