Where are PCs confiscated from journalists?

The police claim that all office equipment confiscated from journalists during searches on March 27 was given back. However, ERB has found out that not a single journalist has got their equipment back so far.
Let us remind you that an investigator of Minsk Office of Public Prosecutor Victar Shaban responsible for the investigation of the “Cartoon Club” case, informed that the case would be closed within a week on June 8. He promised that the equipment confiscated from journalists on March 27 would be given back. ERB has decided to find out when journalists will get their equipment back.

An investigator of Minsk Office of Public Prosecutor Victar Shaban informed that ERB bothered in vain because policemen had kept their word and returned all the equipment to journalists.

Vіctar Shaban: “Everything was returned, all the equipment”.

However, he confessed that he had not returned it to journalists personally. It was returned by the policemen who had confiscated it.

Vіctar Shaban: “No, I did not invite anybody to my office. The policemen who confiscated the equipment gave it back”.

A BelaPAN reporter, the head of Homel affiliate of BAJ Anatol Hatouchyts was searched on March 27. His power unit, notebook, camera, 2 dictaphones, a mini camera, cassettes and even BAJ cash-books were confiscated. The journalist says that nothing has been returned so far.

Anatol Hatouchyts: “Nothing has been returned and there has been no information about it. I wrote to the General Office of Public Prosecutor and to the local KGB affiliate. They said the case was being considered. However, they have not informed us that we could get our equipment back or that they would deliver it to us themselves. I do not know about the others, but I have not got anything back”.

KGB and the police confiscated two HDDs, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, minidisks and a pile of texts of “The Belarusian Dictation” from an independent Navapolstak journalist Andrei Alyaksandrau. They have not returned anything yet.

Andrei Alyaksandrau: “The KGB member who conducted the search told me I had to claim my belongings in the Office of Public Prosecutor. However, he added that it was no use doing it during the following 3 or 4 months. So I haven’t done it. And nobody has phoned me either. Nobody has informed me that I can come and claim my belongings let alone they will return them themselves”.

Meanwhile, ERB has found out that some people and legal entities have received their equipment back. However, not everyone got it. Equipment was returned to certain organizations and people. The investigator who organized it said his name was Leanid Leanidavich and refused to explain it.

Investigator: “I cannot comment on the people who got their equipment back and on those who didn’t. I was ordered to return equipment to certain legal entities and I did it. Unfortunately, I do not have any information about the other equipment”.

He advised that we should ask the Office of Public Prosecutor about all the other details.

BAJ chairperson Zhanna Litvina was not surprised that the words of an investigator of the Office of the Public Prosecutor Victar Shaban were contrary to the fact. She said that officials often permitted themselves to lie to journalists knowing that they would not have to give account for it.  She advised that we should not stop sending appeals asking to return the equipment.

Zhanna Lіtvіna: “Now we can only wait but I doubt that journalists will get back their equipment before the elections. Meanwhile, promises have been made and we should continue expressing our demand to fulfill them. Corporate solidarity will save us. There is no other way”.