A/HRC/20/8 newspaper Nasha Niva for “publication of false information on the terrorist act of 11 April”. It also issued a warning to the newspaper UzHorak in Mahiliau oblast, and the next day issued another to the newspaper Narodnaya Volya “for dissemination of untrue and offensive data”.42 The Ministry then filed lawsuits to have Nasha Niva and Narodnaya Volya, the largest independent newspapers in Belarus, closed down.43 On 13 July, the Ministry withdrew its claim against Narodnaya Volya. 57. During the period under review, the Government continued to impede journalists from exercising their professional duties. For example, on 3 July 2011, several journalists, members of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, were detained and sentenced after covering a “silent protest” in Minsk. On 12 July, 30 journalists signed a collective appeal to the Prosecutor-General and the Minister for Internal Affairs regarding numerous police attacks and detentions of media workers during the protest.44 58. Throughout 2011, at least 95 journalists were detained during “silent protest” actions: 22 journalists stood trials in courts, 13 were sentenced to various terms of administrative arrest, while others were fined.45 At the end of 2011, the authorities had further tightened Internet control, including through additional measures for Internet regulation.46 F. Freedom of association and human rights defenders 59. According to article 22.1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his/her interests. Nevertheless, the Criminal Code criminalizes the “organization of unregistered public associations” (art. 193.1). Throughout the period under review, human rights defenders and non-governmental organizations were subjected to various forms of pressure, including arrests, interrogations, office raids and confiscation of materials, as well as acts of intimidation linked to contacts with international and intergovernmental organizations. These actions violate the Covenant, as well as articles 5(c), 9.4 and 12 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. 60. As an indication of the seriousness of the human rights situation in Belarus, a case of reprisal against the Belarusian Helsinki Committee for cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers was included in the report of the Secretary-General on cooperation with the United Nations, its mechanisms or representatives in the field of human rights.47 61. In the spring of 2011, several human rights defenders (citizens of the Russian Federation and Ukraine) from the International NGO Observation Mission to Belarus were deported from Belarus; some had not been allowed to enter the country.48 For example, on 16 March 2011, the Head of the Mission, Andrei Yurov (Russian Federation), was briefly detained by Belarusian law enforcement agents under part 2 of article 371 of the Criminal 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Viasna, Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (11-17 April). Available from http://spring96.org/en/news/42705. OSCE press release, 16 May 2011. Belarusian Association of Journalists, Belarus Media News, 13 July 2011. Belarusian Association of Journalists (see footnote 7). Presidential decree No. 60, February 2009. See A/HRC/18/19, paras. 28-30. See statement of the Committee on International Control over the Situation with Human Rights in Belarus of 22 April 2011. 15