KRYCHAU -- A Belarusian journalist has received an official warning over an article casting doubt over authorities' claims to have arrested those responsible for this month's deadly Minsk metro bombing, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports.
The prosecutor in Belarus's eastern district of Krychau, Uladzimer Dzyubayla, sent Syarhey Nyarouny a written warning saying he may be held responsible for "distributing false information about the investigations into the Minsk subway bombing."
Nyarouny wrote in an article titled "Black Days" printed in the local independent newspaper "Volny horad" ("Free Town") that it is not clear whether the persons arrested as suspects in the April 11 bombing are really those who perpetrated it.
Dzyubayla's written warning to Nyarouny says his article aims to "discredit and insult law-enforcement officers [and] Belarusian statehood and society."
Nyarouny told RFE/RL that he does not agree with the warning and plans to appeal to the prosecutor-general of Mahileu region.
He said the Belarusian authorities are using the terrorist act to oppress journalists.
"We just wrote in our article that the investigations should be transparent and fair, we criticized statements by the nation's leader regarding the investigations, and we believe the national leader has no right to make any statements about a case that is still under investigation," he said.
Dzyubayla's letter to Nyarouny warns him that he will be held accountable if he publishes similar articles in future.
The bomb attack in the Minsk subway killed 13 people and injured dozens more. The Minsk authorities arrested five suspects -- reportedly including one woman -- from the eastern city of Vitsebsk on April 13.
Neither the suspects' names nor their pictures have officially been made public yet.
Authorities last week reprimanded two leading independent newspapers -- "Nasha Niva" and "Narodnaya Volya" -- over their coverage of the bombing.
Read more in Belarusian here
The prosecutor in Belarus's eastern district of Krychau, Uladzimer Dzyubayla, sent Syarhey Nyarouny a written warning saying he may be held responsible for "distributing false information about the investigations into the Minsk subway bombing."
Nyarouny wrote in an article titled "Black Days" printed in the local independent newspaper "Volny horad" ("Free Town") that it is not clear whether the persons arrested as suspects in the April 11 bombing are really those who perpetrated it.
Dzyubayla's written warning to Nyarouny says his article aims to "discredit and insult law-enforcement officers [and] Belarusian statehood and society."
Nyarouny told RFE/RL that he does not agree with the warning and plans to appeal to the prosecutor-general of Mahileu region.
He said the Belarusian authorities are using the terrorist act to oppress journalists.
"We just wrote in our article that the investigations should be transparent and fair, we criticized statements by the nation's leader regarding the investigations, and we believe the national leader has no right to make any statements about a case that is still under investigation," he said.
Dzyubayla's letter to Nyarouny warns him that he will be held accountable if he publishes similar articles in future.
The bomb attack in the Minsk subway killed 13 people and injured dozens more. The Minsk authorities arrested five suspects -- reportedly including one woman -- from the eastern city of Vitsebsk on April 13.
Neither the suspects' names nor their pictures have officially been made public yet.
Authorities last week reprimanded two leading independent newspapers -- "Nasha Niva" and "Narodnaya Volya" -- over their coverage of the bombing.
Read more in Belarusian here
