A/HRC/26/44 79. In 2013, amendments to the law on information and the protection of information59 introduced changes to the procedure for the State registration of publishing activities. Organizations engaged in publishing activities must be registered with the Ministry of Information (in addition to needing to be licensed for these activities). Several NGOs attempted to provide proposals for the legislative process, but none were taken into account. 80. Journalists continue to face interference in their work. Arbitrary detention of journalists continued in 2013. The Belarusian Association of Journalists reported 45 detentions as of November 2013; 20 of these cases saw journalists detained, with 4 resulting in administrative arrests of between 3 to 15 days.60 81. No progress has been reported in the cases of journalists Veranika Charkasava (murdered on 20 October 2004), Vasil Hrodnikau (found dead on 18 October 2005) and Aleh Biabenin (found dead on 3 September 2010).61 An investigation into the case of Veranika Charkasava has been suspended;62 details of the official results of the investigations into the deaths of Vasil Hrodnikau and Aleh Biabenin are being challenged by relatives.63 82. The Special Rapporteur notes that Belarus has been repeatedly called upon to effectively guarantee the freedom of expression, which is both an international and constitutional obligation of the Government.64 Deep concerns have been expressed about the Government undermining the independence of print and audiovisual media, its harassment and intimidation of journalists and dissident Internet users, and its denial of access to public broadcasting facilities by political opponents to the Government.65 Belarus has frequently been called upon to remove all forms of excessive administrative, financial and legal restrictions on the freedom of the media, in order to permit the widest possible dissemination of independent media and suppress all forms of direct and indirect censorship.66 J. Access to information 83. In Belarus, there is no legislation that guarantees citizens’ right to access Government information of public interest and to protect the privacy of their personal data.67 84. Despite the January 2014 amendments on the law on information, information technologies and protection of information, guarantees are still lacking in the protection of 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 http://www.pravo.by/main.aspx?guid=3871&p0=h10800455&p2={NRPA}. Belarusian Association of Journalists, “Mass media in Belarus: e-newsletter”, October–December 2013 (http://www.baj.by/sites/default/files/monitoring_pdf/5342013_mass_media_in_belarus_en.pdf). Belarusian Association of Journalists, “Unsolved cases”, 30 December 2011 (http://baj.by./en/scandals). Belarusian Association of Journalists , “Investigation into Veranika Charkasava cases suspended”, 22 October 2013 (http://baj.by/en/node/22632). Index, “Suspicions over ‘suicide’ of Belarus activist Aleh Byabenin”, 4 September 2010 (http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2010/09/belarus-aleh-byabenin/). A/HRC/15/16, para 97.39; CAT/C/BLR/CO/4, para. 14(b). CCPR/C/79/Add.86, para. 17; CAT/C/BLR/CO/4, para. 25; ; E/CN.4/2005/35, paras. 34–42; A/HRC/23/52, paras. 74–81; A/68/276, paras. 42–43; A/HRC/25/55/Add.3, para. 63; A/HRC/20/8, paras. 52–58. E/CN.4/2005/35, para. 94; A/HRC/20/8, paras. 51 and 75(h). Access Info Europe/Centre for Law and Democracy, “Global right to information map”. Available from http://www.rti-rating.org/. 15