Belarusian Court Says Photojournalism Book Extremist

A picture from a book showcasing from the 2011 Belarus Press Photo competition. A Belarusian court has described the publication as "extremist."

A Belarusian court has declared that a book showcasing some of the country's best photojournalism is "extremist."

The album consists of photos that won prizes in the 2011 Belarus Press Photo competition, including images of a police crackdown on protesters against authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Some of the photos were made by photographers working for international news agencies.

The Belarusian security service, the KGB, had asked the Ashmiany district court to ban the album saying it contained "fabrications about the life activities of the people of Belarus."

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The three photographers who had put the album together -- Yulia Darashkevich, Vadzim Zamirouski and Aliaksandr Vasiukovich -- were summoned to the court.

They said they would appeal the ruling.

Last November, border guards seized 41 copies of the album Darashkevich and Zamirouski were bringing into Belarus from Lithuania.

With reporting by AP and Charter97