Belarusian Journalists Group Wins EU's Human-Rights Prize

By: (AP) The Belarusian Association of Journalists received the European Union's human-rights prize Tuesday for providing accurate and independent reports despite increasing intimidation and tightening government restrictions.

European Parliament President Josep Borrell presented the 2004 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the association's chairwoman, Zhanna Litvina, at a parliament meeting in Strasbourg, France.

"This prize recognizes these professionals who daily risk their lives to seek out the truth," Borrell told the assembly. "The authorities [in Belarus] are coming down on independent media, and the pressure is getting worse ... the attacks against the association are attacks against human rights."

EU lawmakers gave a standing ovation to Litvina after she accepted the $66,340 prize on behalf of the association, which includes more than 160 print and broadcast companies and more than 1,000 journalists.

Litvina said the award was "a sign of solidarity and support of the entire Belarusian democratic movement."

Her group monitors alleged violations of constitutional freedoms, particularly by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who some have branded as Europe's last dictator.

"There is total intolerance of criticism and we are not allowed to express ourselves," she said, adding her group's work was the "only source of free information to citizens."

The association's Web site tells of reporters being beaten or harassed for unfavorable coverage of Lukashenko. In October, a journalist working for an opposition newspaper was found stabbed to death, and 19 newspapers have been closed this year in the country of 10 million people.

Borrell said that as a sign of solidarity, the EU assembly's delegation to Belarus would cut off all relations with the Minsk government and deal only with democratic activist groups and non-governmental organizations.

Other finalists this year were Chechen activist Natalya Estemirova and abducted Colombian parliament member Ingrid Betancourt.