PACE would like all parties in post-Soviet states to have equal access to mass media

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has addressed the governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. The PACE has urged them to create equal conditions of access to mass media for representatives of all political parties during elections.
According to BelaPAN, it is stated in the assembly’s resolution on mass media on the European mainland.

PACE is also worried about the official warning the Belarusian Ministry of Justice pronounced to the Belarusian Association of Journalists on January 13. According to the PACE, it challenges the activities of this internationally recognized organization protecting journalists’ interests and the freedom of speech. “The Assembly reminds again that the freedom of the press if one of the most important terms of the democracy development and the possibility of membership in the Council of Europe. The PACE urges the Belarusian authorities to stop abusing administrative and other norms and not to limit the freedom of speech and assembly”, - is said in the document.
Taking into account the fact that Belarus is an associate member of the Venice Commission, the PACE is asking the Venice Commission to define whether the warning of the Ministry of Justice is a violation of the universally accepted standards in the field of human rights.