The European Union is watching developments around the non-state publication "Narodnaya Volia" and "Nasha Nіva." This was stated by the head of department of the Federal Chancellor of Germany, Minister for Special Assignments, Ronald Pofalla, on May 5. "Prior to this the focus of our attention was the release of political prisoners, but it's unacceptable to close independent newspapers, which we'll also criticize," he said.
According to the minister, the EU considers it unacceptable to close such media as well as the dispersal of peaceful demonstrations. "The independent press is part of a free and democratic society. It is necessary to force the regime through the outside pressure to give journalists the opportunity to work," BelaPAN quoted Ronald Pofalla.
German politician has also said that the European Union intends to support independent journalists.
He believes that the EU policy towards the Belarusian leadership hasn't been flawed, but there have been admitted some mistakes. "I do not think it was a mistake, but we may have overestimated these little fragile shoots of democracy. We have had contacts (with the Belarusian authorities) in the form that has been missing for many years. We would love to continue this process, but all our hopes were cruelly broken on December 19," said Ronald Pofalla.
On April 25 the Ministry of Information of Belarus filed a claim in the Supreme Economic Court to discontinue the two largest opposition newspapers "Narodnaya Volia" and "Nasha Nіva." "Nasha Niva" Editor in Chief Andrey Skurko condemned the information ministry’s suit against the weekly a “political order.”
He noted that "Nasha Niva" had received three written warnings: two for its coverage of “Kryostny Batska” (The Godbatska), a scandalous documentary about Alexander Lukashenko that was produced last year by Russia's government-controlled NTV channel and censored from the channel's version broadcast in Belarus, and one warning for its coverage of the April 11 Minsk subway bombing.
From late 2005 through late 2008, the two newspapers were barred from being distributed through the state subscription system and through the government-controlled Belsayuzdruk network of newsstands. In November 2008, the publications were given back access to the state distribution services, which was welcomed by the European Union as a sign of democratization.
