Pavel Sviardlou gets accreditation, returns to Euroradio

Journalist Pavel Sviardlou is now accredited for one year by Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Euroradio correspondent. The foreign ministry revoked his accreditation in November 2012 on the grounds that he was sentenced to an administrative arrest for alleged public swearing in the summer of 2012. Under Article 15.2 in the Regulations for Accreditation of Journalists from Foreign Media Organizations, the foreign ministry has the right to revoke accreditation if a journalist has violated the laws of the Republic of Belarus.

On June 22, 2012 in the morning, Euroradio correspondent Pavel Sviardlou was detained by plainclothes men when he walked out from his house entrance on his way to work. The journalist was charged with petty hooliganizm, under Article 17(1) in the Administrative Code. Later on the same day, Judge Tacciana Matyl sentenced Sviardlou to 15 days of arrest. He served his sentence in a detention center in Akrestsina street in Minsk.

The higher courts, including the Supreme Court of Belarus, upheld the ruling of the district court despite the testimony by a witness who denounced the evidence submitted by the police agents.

Under the law, punishement is lifted one year after the sentence. In July 2013, Euroradio's correspondent bureau in Belarus re-applied for Pavel Sviarldou's accreditation. The application was approved. The journalist has resumed working at Euroradio's news desk effective from today, August 20, 2013.