More Newspapers Excluded from State Subscription Catalog

12.11.2007. Tags: freedom of expression, mass media.
Source: Charter`97.

Several Russian newspapers – Kommersant, Novaya Gazeta, Moskovskiy Komsomolets and Nezavisimaya Gazeta - were not listed in the subscription catalogue of the Belposhta (Belarusian Post) enterprise for the 1^st half of 2008.

According to head of the department of press distribution Iryna Astrouskaya, the Belposhta has the legal right to select the press for its catalogue. There are no laws telling to include certain printed media to the catalogue. The Belposhta, ‘as a management entity, is entitled to seek economic profit in its commercial activity’, I.Astrouskaya remarked.

As advisor of the printed media department and foreign relations of Belarus’ Information Ministry Halina Husakova told BelaPAN, there are no limits on Russian newspaper in the country. The Belposhta doesn’t need an authorization of the Information Ministry to include these media to its catalogue. Nevertheless, an authorization is required to include other foreign media to the catalogue. ‘We refuse to authorize foreign newspapers on rare occasions’, she remarked.

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