Natallia Radzina To Belarusian Businessmen: Maybe It's Time To Stop Serving Your Time In Jails?

Maybe it's time to stop giving all the money earned to the authorities?

The Belsat TV channel discussed the situation in Belarusian independent media with Natallia Radzina, the editor-in-chief of Charter97.org website. Here is the verbatim conversation.

– It's not a secret for anyone that an attack on independent media is taking place in Belarus. News portals are blocked, the high-profile BelTA case, detentions of journalists, endless fines. Natallia Radzina, the editor-in-chief of Charter97.org website, is now in the studio with me. Good evening!

– Good evening!

– I looked through the published Amnesty International's report and its first page immediately mentions Charter-97, namely, the fact that it is blocked in Belarus. It also says that you are receive personal threats.

– Yes, this all takes place today. I really received death threats recently. The attack on freedom of speech in Belarus began in January this year, it was another serious wave, when the Charter-97 website was blocked. And I then warned, if there is no solidarity among journalists, then this attack will continue.

Look what happened in the last six months. The Law on Media was amended in order to increase censorship on the Internet; criminal cases have been initiated even against independent bloggers and editors of moderate media; editorial offices of several leading independent media, which, actually, are not the most critical of the authorities, were searched. 18 journalists were detained, I receive threats of murder. Today, the authorities also use another method of pressure on journalists – financial strangling. On September 3, I had to ask our readers to help the Charter97 website financially, support it, and I told about the situation forming today with all independent media of Belarus.

There are several possibilities to destroy media: murders and arrests of journalists, criminal cases, searches in editorial offices, blocking and closing of publications, and financial choking. Charter-97 went through all these stages, and now we see that the last stage began by regime's behest. International funds began to deny us financial assistance. And all Belarusian independent media face this situation today, they all are in a difficult financial situation and can close at any time.

Why is this happening? We need to talk about this, we need a discussion. Why amid the loud statements about a fight that is allegedly being waged against the Russian, with Putin's propaganda, media in the post-Soviet space are abandoned, turned out to be needed by no one and can hardly continue their work?

Moreover, we are talking about leaders, because the Charter is a media leader in Belarus. Yesterday I was shocked that the most famous and oldest independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta announced having financial difficulties simultaneously with us. I recently was in Kiev and met with the leadership of the Crimean Tatar television channel ATR, which today broadcasts to the occupied Crimea, and it turned out that they, too, barely make ends meet. I know that the Russian blocked site Grani.ru faces the same situation. Armenian media experiencing the same problems, too. Literally today, Karine Harutyunyan, the editor-in-chief of Gala TV, said me: "We have exactly the same problems as yours. Funds deny us help." Why is this happening?

– Why do financial donors implement such a policy against the Belarusian, Ukrainian and Russian media?

– I see such a tendency on the example of Belarus. The funds that should support democracy began to refuse to support us at the time when the so-called improvement of relations between the West and the Lukashenka regime began. And we see that now European officials often visit Minsk, and at the same time, the leaders of these same funds, which should support democracy, meet with Lukashenka. They meet with the dictator. He shakes hands with them; he thanks them for something. For what does he thank them?

I have known for a long time that the Belarusian authorities constantly call on European officials and, in particular, fund managers to stop supporting the Charter-97 website and other independent media. There is a situation today where the funds that are supposed to support democracy are more supportive of the dictatorship. These are just facts. We see that today, the European Union renders its financial assistance basically to the so-called GONGO organizations in Belarus – quasi-independent organizations that are created by the authorities. We see that the EU has sharply reduced its support to human rights organizations – the organizations that are truly engaged in the protection of human rights. Support for independent media, which try to cover the situation in the country from independent, not pro-power positions, was also cut down.

– But is it possible that the Western officials do not see this situation? Don't they see, that there is a civil society in Belarus, which resists the authoritarian regime? Don't they understand this, don't they see it? Or is it just such a policy?

– Today, the European Union adheres to such a policy towards the Lukashenka's regime. But these are non-governmental funds, which also rely on contributions and donations. Their mission is to support democracy. And they today... I noticed that many fund managers – I'm not talking about everyone, though, – have turned into officials. They are real officials, bureaucrats. You tell them what you went through, what journalists went through, how we work, in what conditions we work, what is happening in Belarus, how difficult it is for journalists to live in the country. They are not interested, they do not understand this. This, in general, is not important for them. This is not what these people live and breath. I do not know what it is connected with.

– I see what the Belarusian authorities are trying to achieve. For them, the most important thing is that there is one official opinion – their opinion. And no alternative is allowed. And what are the Western organizations trying to gain this way? They have strategies for development, activities and so on. Then what is their strategy?

– I want to thank Poland and Lithuania, who are now helping the Charter website and other Belarusian independent media. For some reason, I do not have such problems in Poland. Here, the authorities understand perfectly well how important freedom of speech in Belarus is. Another thing is that today, the Polish aid is not enough for us, it does not cover all our expenses, which have been cut to minimum today. In general, they are not that heavy, given the amount of our work and the huge audience of the site. Today, the question is why other states do not help, why there’s such a policy of funds. Maybe, it's time to discuss this issue?

Today, much emphasis is on the fight against Putin's propaganda, but Putin finances his media. Look, what goes on in Belarus: there is a huge media giant, Sputnik, and this octopus is constantly growing. Almost every day, new pro–Russian sites come out. All the Russian TV channels broadcast, the Belarusians are brainwashed. At the same time, the Belarusian independent media, which uphold the idea of Belarusian sovereignty, are in a state of survival. This must be discussed. Why does this happen to independent media in Russia, why in Ukraine, in Armenia, in Azerbaijan? Why is this a common problem in the entire post–Soviet space? Why do the media loved and respected by people find themselves in such a situation?

There is no real fight against Russian propaganda. It's just idle talk. Maybe, it’s a good idea to change the leaders of these funds? Maybe, to create new funds?

– And with whom to discuss it then?

– This should be discussed with the European Union leadership.

– What, if they do not see the current situation? If they make these decisions themselves?

– I think they will be able to see this problem if we talk about it. Since this problem must not be hushed up. Some people have this trait: "Let's not say anything. If we do say, it might get even worse." Guys, it will not get any worse. If now we do not save, let us say, the Charter website, then the same thing will happen to other independent media.

Recently, I’ve seen the application form of one Western fund, which had previously helped Belarus' independent media quite actively, and there was a new question in it: "How will the central and local authorities in Belarus react to your project?" What's this? They ask the dictator whether it is possible to help the applicants for help? This is a bit extreme.

– Or, maybe, this is their new strategy to reconcile the opposition and those who are critical of them, with those who are at the helm in the country today, to bring them at one table to talk.

– I can say, on the contrary, that yesterday, human rights activists announced that the situation with human rights in Belarus had worsened, and we see what is happening with freedom of speech, it is being destroyed in the harshest possible way. The authorities are bearing down on everyone. They want to close not only Charter. Tut.by, BelaPAN, Belsat might be the following ones. Belsat is being persecuted constantly, you are paying off crazy, huge fines.

– That’s right, we have paid 28 thousand dollars of fines since the beginning of this year.

– This is a huge amount.

– Do not the Belarusian authorities see the Russian propaganda, Sputnik and various media that are being created now? Do not the Belarusian authorities understand this problem? It seems to me that at the last council, when Lukashenka brought together the new leaders of his television, Sovetskaya Belorussia, he set the task of "knocking out" this Russian content.

– I see the opposite. After the blocking of the Charter website, the Belarusians did not start reading Belarusian official websites. We remain more popular than all the official sites put together. As the Belarusians(we want to thank our readers) bypass the block and want free independent information. I only see that Lukashenka, destroying the independent Belarusian media, works towards Moscow’s benefit.

Remember what happened in Ukraine. The clique of Yanukovich destroyed independent media in the Crimea and the Donbas. That was done by the order from the Kremlin. What Lukashenka is doing today, destroying independent media, persecuting journalists, repeats the scenario the Kremlin was playing in Ukraine before occupying its territories. And that is why all this may happen in Belarus today.

Thank you for inviting me. I would like to take this opportunity and address the readers of the Charter website, thank them all for their support. Believe me, this is incredibly important for us. It just moves to tears. I understand how hard it is for everyone, but believe me, we work for you. We have been working for you for 20 years now, and let's support each other. Since, at the end of the day, we must change the situation together.

I would also like to address Belarusian businessmen. Maybe it's enough to partake of His Majesty's hospitality? Maybe it's enough to give the authorities all the money earned? Maybe it's worth helping those people who are trying to change the situation in the country, which includes helping you work peacefully in Belarus?

I would also like to address the Belarusian diaspora. Please, do help independent media financially and politically today, contact the governments of your countries and encourage them to pay attention to the situation in Belarus, to the situation with independent media, involve them in the affairs of Belarus.

Believe me, we will succeed and we will definitely win.

– Thank you so much. There is nothing more to add. We have been talking in the Hot Comment to Natallia Radzina, the editor–in–chief of the Charter'97 website. Thank you very much for the conversation.

Charter-97 editor-in-chief Natallia Radzina has given notice of the threat to the information resource’s work because of dramatic reduction in in funding.

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