BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2021) The European Union condemns the closure of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) and pledges to continue to support independent Belarusian media, the EU External Action Service (EEAS) said on Monday.
On Friday, the Belarusian Supreme Court decided to close the association after the justice ministry filed a lawsuit against the BAJ in July, claiming the organization did not take any measures to eliminate violations registered earlier.
"The EU strongly condemns this ongoing repression, calls on the authorities in Belarus to stop it, adhere to its international commitments and obligations within the UN and OSCE, and to finally respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of their own population. The EU continues to stand by the people of Belarus and will continue to support its civil society, including independent and free media," the statement said.
The BAJ is a non-state voluntary community of professional journalists and those who support their activity. The association, founded in 1995, includes over 1,300 journalists, editors, photographers and others. In recent days, the BAJ has repeatedly reported on the violation of journalists' rights in Belarus.
