Homelskaya Prauda Apologizes to Homel UCP Chair Andrei Tolchyn and His Family

16.03.2007.

The state-owned regional newspaper Homelskaya Prauda had to publish its apologies to Andrei Tolchyn, chairman of Homel city branch of the United Civic Party, and his family. The newspaper was obliged to bring apologies by Chyhunachny court of Homel. On March 15, on page 6 with classified ads, the newspaper printed a paragraph which said that some statements of Piotr Kuzmin, the author of the article “No matter how you sit, friends…”, were his private thoughts and opinions. In particular, the statement that “none of the members of pro-democratic organizations can afford the luxury, which their leaders have” was a private opinion of the author.

It was pointed out that while the author called the leader of the city branch of UCP and his family homeless, in fact, they live in his sister’s apartment for 10 years. In the end of the note the author of the article Piotr Kuzmin and the editorial team brought their apologies to A. Tolchyn and his family.

“The staff of Homelskaya Prauda do not follow either the law on mass media, or the code of professional journalists’ ethics”, -- Andrei Tolchyn told BelaPAN commenting on the article, which the newspaper had to apologize for.