Polskie Radio: Charter-97 Is Bur In Throat Of Putin And Lukashenka

Who threatens Natallia Radzina?

Natallia Radzina, the editor-in-chief of the independent Belarusian site Charter97.org, reports that she received an e-mail with threatening, the author of which declares that she had only a few days to live.

Charter-97 writes a lot about the lack of democracy in Belarus, and also opposes Russian propaganda, especially in matters relating to the war in Ukraine, Polskie Radio reports.

Today the editorial board of the website is in exile in Poland, since they had to leave the country after repressions against journalists in Belarus.

The journalist Natallia Radzina was forced to leave Belarus after the presidential elections in 2010. It was then that she was detained in the KGB prison. Dozens of Belarusian oppositionists were charged after the protest against rigged elections, in which many thousands of people took part. Natallia Radzina could also receive a severe prison sentence. The country's most prominent opposition politicians were convicted after those events.

The popularity of the site in Belarus is a bur in the throat of Putin and Lukashenka

The website headed by Natallia Radzina and edited by the journalists who are in exile, is very popular in Belarus.

In January this year, the Belarusian authorities blocked access to the web site Charter97.org in Belarus and that caused criticism of many international organizations and Western politicians. However, the editorial board continued its work, and the Belarusians learnt to bypass the blocking.

Natallia Radzina told the HR organization Reporters Without Borders that, in her opinion, threats came from Belarus, as the authorities hoped that the editorial board would stop working after the site had been blocked in January, but it turned out that the blockage did not reach its goal.

Charter-97 has always confronted the lies of the Kremlin

In recent years, after the annexation of the Crimea and the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the site Charter97.org has written a lot about the influence of Russian propaganda and has been sharing truthful information about the events in Ukraine with Belarusians.

The Kremlin is waging an information and hybrid war against Belarus. Belarusians are increasingly falling under the influence of Russian state mass media. Therefore, the site Charter97.org, which reveals the lies of Russian propaganda, is surely an extremely important source of objective information for the Belarusians.

Threats directed against the journalist

In the e-mail, which Natallia Radzina received on July 22, it is said in a very rude style that the Сharter97.org editor-in-chief was given "only several days to live."

Natallia Radzina draws attention to the fact that she had received threats before, then they stopped for a while, but she has not seen such strong and impudent language.

That's why Natallia Radzina has decided to publish the letter.

The anonymous letter says that the authors of the threats "are already after her," they tell the journalist to "look around more often." Natallia Radzina is called the "fifth column," rough language is used.