NO BTV IN LITHUANIA

31.03.2006.

Lithuanian TV and radio Commission prohibited all state-owned and private TV companies of the country to broadcast the programs of Belarusian state channels.
The decision was preceded by the resolution of the Lithuanian parliament which recognized the election invalid. In its resolution the parliament of Lithuania calls the Belarusian authorities “dictatorial regime of Lukashenka”. It condemns the “repression against the opposition”. The Commission also says in its decision that Belarusian state TV channels spread misinformation.
Danius Radzevicius, chairperson of the Lithuanian Journalist Association, member of the Lithuanian Commission for TV and Radio, comments:
“This channel not only spreads misinformation about Lithuania, the channel itself is used as a tool of propaganda of the regime which is undemocratic. Besides that, we demonstrated our position about the election which Lithuania does not consider democratic. I think a ban on the channels is a moral evaluation of what is being broadcasted, what is being shown to people. This is unacceptable in Lithuania”.

Juozas Jurelionis, director of the Lithuanian Association of Cable TV, says the Association which unites about 50 companies, will implement the decision.

Belarusian Information Minister Uladzimir Rusakevich told Interfax that Lithuania had put a ban on Belarusian channels “fearing that Lithuanian citizens will receive unbiased information about the situation in Belarus”.

Last Saturday the Belarusian state TV reported that Javier Solana, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Lithuanian Embassy had prepared and managed the protest rallies in Minsk. The President of Lithuania and other Lithuanian politicians stated that they were not going to debate with TV channels controlled by the dictatorial regime.

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