The European Federation of Journalists has urged the Belarusian authorities to organize an open discussion of the law "On Mass Media".
The corresponding letters have been sent to the President’s Administration, Parliament, Council of Ministers and Ministry of Information.
Belarusian journalist organizations that will express a competent opinion about "the possible changes and the practice of usage" of the law will take part in the discussion, is noted in the letter. The law’s "weak spots and undemocratic essence" have been revealed during the two years since its last version was adopted.
In particular, the Federation considers the permissive order of registration and additional reasons to pronounce warnings to mass media to be the law’s weak spots alongside with the fact that freelance journalists are unprotected and that the activity of mass media on the Internet is regulated.
