In the offices of the Belarusian popular media were searched
Journalists suspected of stealing information from the state news Agency.
Tuesday morning in the offices of the two Belarusian Internet publications- Tut.by and “BelaPAN” — came the staff of the Investigative Committee. The journalists were charged with unauthorized connection to the news feed of state news Agency “BelTA”. If their fault is proved, the key members of the media may be deprived of the right to occupy his current position, or even arrested. Interlocutors “” in Minsk called the ongoing excuse “to pressure independent and the highest quality media.”
About the searches in the offices Tut.by and “BelaPAN” and publishing house “Belarusian science” first reported the Belarusian office of “Radio Liberty”. News on their website appeared at 6:21 am.
Soon on the website of the Investigative Committee of Belarus has appeared a press-release with explanations. “During the inspection, law enforcement officers revealed numerous facts of illegal access to computer information, is owned by “BelTA”, — it says.— For two years (2017-2018) without the knowledge and consent of the Republican unitary enterprise there were 15 thousand unauthorized access to information stored in a computer system”.
BelTA state information Agency of Belarus and Tut.by and “BelaPAN” — beyond the control of the authorities of the Republic of the newspaper, often critical of the actions of the authorities.
In this case Tut.by the largest and most popular in the Republic, information portal with 1.2 million hits a day. Publishing house “Belarusian science”, unlike Tut.by and “BelaPAN”, — state, and information about the searches and arrests in his edition is not yet confirmed.
On the website of the Investigative Committee of Belarus, the names of the three detainees is the editor — in-chief Tut.by Marina Zolotova, editor of Anna Kaltygina and employee “BelaPAN” Tatiana Korovenkova. “Kommersant” tried to contact MS Zolotova and mistress of Kaltygina, but their phones were unavailable. Later the Belarusian editorial office of “Radio liberty” reported that the detained journalists Tut.by Juliana Bobed and Galina Ulasik. They are all detained for three days.
What information journalists were able to obtain unauthorized access, employees Tut.by just guessing. “We still do not understand, on the website of the Investigative Committee more information than we were told verbally”, — said “Kommersant” the founder of the portal Yury Zisser, who is an exception allowed in the editor.
All I know in addition, (the security forces.— “B”) removed the hard drives of several computers. And it’s the computers not only of two people. No idea why it might be necessary, what secrets are there on the website “BelTA”.Yuri Sessionwall portal Tut.by
“We are talking about an elementary theft and unauthorized access, — said, in turn, the Belarusian newspaper “Nasha Niva” Director “BelTA” Irina Presidium.— “BelTA” is a subscription to information feed — people pay money for it and the first to receive information, which is not yet on the site.”
These people did not pay the money, but under someone else’s password to connect to this tape. Irina Oculovestibular “BelTA”
St. 349 part 2 of the criminal code of Belarus (“Unauthorized access to computer information”), the case which opened the Investigative Committee, assumes punishment in the form of a fine, “deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage in certain activities,” arrest, “restrictions of liberty for a term up to two years or imprisonment for the same term”.
Meanwhile, according to Yury Zisser, the work portal Tut.by not paralyzed.
“Most journalists work from home, job portal not suffered”, — said Mr. Zisser “b”.
On the question, whether it considers the ongoing pressure from the authorities, the founder Tut.by definitely not answered. “To paralyze our work was much easier to close the valve,” he explained.