DISINFO: The Head of the Belarusian Language Society Alena Anisim is responsible for Novy Chas “Russophobe” publications about Chechnya
SUMMARY
Alena Anisim, member of the National Assembly (the lower chamber of the Belarusian parliament) and the head of the Belarusian Language Society, is responsible for the “Russophobic” articles about the Chechen fighters from 1990s, published in Novy Chas (New Time in English) newspaper. Alena Anisim has declared her candidacy in the upcoming Presidential elections in Belarus, promoting the Belarusian language and culture. The editorial board of the “Telescope” outlet has reported Alena Anisim to the Prosecutor General, the Minister of Information and the Minister of Internal Affairs, requesting a criminal investigation on the matter.
RESPONSE
An unfounded claim on Ms. Anisim's responsibility for the articles in question. Novy chas is one of the few independent Belarusian newspapers remaining relevant in a difficult situation with the mass-media in Belarus, where most of the independent media outlets are regularly oppressed. Over the last few years political activist and journalist Mikalai Dziadok published several articles on the Chechen military leaders who fought against Russia and for independence during Russian-Chechen wars in 1990s. For these reasons pro-Russian forces have attacked the Belarusian newspaper Novy Chas and used this opportunity to accuse the head of the Belarusian Language Society, MP and potential presidential candidate Alena Anisim, who is allegedly founder of the newspaper operation, of russophobia. In fact, the founder of the Novy Chas newspaper is the Minsk branch of the Belarusian Language Society, not the Central one led by Ms. Anisim.