Marina Zolotova Explained

Birth Name:Марына Васільеўна Золатава
Birth Place:Minsk
Nationality:Belarusian
Occupation:Journalist
Known For:Chief editor of Tut.by
Alma Mater:Belarusian State University

Marina Zolotova (Belarusian: Марына Васільеўна Золатава) is a Belarusian journalist, chief editor of Tut.by media outlet since 2004. In 2021 she was arrested under charges of large-scale tax evasion; later political charges were added to her case. She is considered a political prisoner by the European Union, the United States of America, and numerous human rights defenders. On March 17, 2023, she was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Biography

Early years and family

Zolotova was born in Minsk in 1977. She graduated from BSU Philology department. Zolotova speaks Bulgarian. She worked at the Institute of Science Research, then at the BelaPAN agency.[1]

Tut.by

In Summer 2004, Zolotova started working at Tut.by. Very soon she became chief editor of the outlet. Under Zolotova Tut.by launched its own news block and gradually opened other departments, dedicated to sports, culture, fashions, etc. While in 2004 the site had only 6000 unique visitors per day, by 2020 it grew into the biggest Belarusian Internet media with more than 50 journalists in staff and daily audience of more than 600,000.[2]

Political pressure and arrests

BelTA case

On 7 August 2018, Investigative Committee of Belarus raided TUT.BY office in Minsk.[3] Zolotova was arrested under charges of criminal offense for sharing passwords for paywalled BelTA newsfeed. The other journalists were soon released, but Zolotva was found guilty for ‘inaction of an official’ and sentenced to a fine of 300 Base amounts. Notably, the practice of sharing passwords is widespread in Belarusian media, BelTA took very few precautionary measures and never before served as a criminal complainant in court.[4] [5] The "BelTA case" was condemned by the United Nations, EU, US officials and numerous human rights defenders.[6] [7]

Arrest in 2021

Following the large scale protests of 2020 after presidential election, 2021 became the year of massive state crackdown of independent media and journalists.[8] On 18 May 2021, with several other Tut.by employees Zolotova was arrested under charges of tax evasion.[9] [10] Tut.by was 'punished' by authorities for covering the protests and publishing uncensored news while state-controlled media tried to create fake impression of calm and undisturbed post-election country.[11] [12] Zolotova was put into Volodarka pre-trial detention centre. The sad irony is that her grandmother was imprisoned in Volodarka 80 years ago. Elena Ivanovna Nikolaeva, Zolotova's grandmother, was a head doctor in Minsk hospital. During Nazi occupation, she was arrested and sent to forced labour in Germany for hiding and saving Jewish children.[13]

On 14 September 2021, Bundestag deputy Alois Rainer announced taking over the good parenthood for Zolotova.[14] [15]

By 18 June 2022, most employees of Tut.by were released from prison, however, they remained suspects, most of them have been put on the KGB terrorist list. Although it was initially stated that Zolotova and Chekina would only face economic charges, on 9 January 2023, they were officially accused of "inciting hatred" and "calls for sanctions, other actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus" under chapters 243.2 and 361.3 of State Criminal Code.[16] [17] [18] [19] Zolotova is denied visits, the trial is closed. The case is unanimously considered political by her colleagues, international community and human rights defenders.[20] In late January 2023, Zolotova's lawyer had her license revoked. Despite woman's 20 years experience in the field, the bar claimed her to be insufficiently competent.[21]

On March 17, 2023, Minsk City Court sentenced Zolotova and Liudmila Chekina, general director of Tut.by, to 12 years in a general regime penal colony for tax evasion, inciting hatred and calling for actions against the national security of Belarus.[22] [23] [24]

International reactions

Zolatava's sentence was condemned by exiled colleagues from Tut.by, opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the European Federation of Journalists, the Belarusian Association of Journalists,[25] [26] CPJ and many more.[27] Reporters Without Borders called the sentence "absurd."[28] PEN America stated that Zolotava's sentence is part of the relentless campaign of "the Belarusian government to punish and silence independent media".[29]

In May 2023, BAJ launched the solidarity marathon for imprisoned Belarusian journalists. Along with photos of Andrzej Poczobut, Ihar Losik, and Alexander Mantsevich, participants from all around the world held Zolatava's portrait.[30]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ru. О компании TUT.BY. 2020-12-24. 2005-11-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20051108114914/https://tutby.com/about/.
  2. Web site: ru . Пять фактов о главном редакторе TUT.by Марине Золотовой. Она задержана на трое суток . Nasha Niva . 7 August 2018 . 12 January 2023 . 2021-10-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211002125959/https://nashaniva.com/?c=ar&i=213941&lang=ru . live.
  3. Web site: ru. СК проводит обыск в офисе TUT.BY. TUT.BY. 7 August 2018. 2020-12-24. 2020-11-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20201129050634/https://news.tut.by/economics/603591.html.
  4. Web site: ru. Главреда tut.by приговорили к штрафу в $3,6 тыс. по "делу БелТА". Tut.by editor-in-chief sentenced to a $3,600 fine in BelTA case. 4 March 2019. Interfax. 2023-01-12. 2021-08-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20210814081950/https://www.interfax.ru/world/652924. live.
  5. Web site: ru . Trial Monitoring Report: The Case of Marina Zolotova . American Bar Association . 12 January 2023 . 2022-11-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221127173850/https://www.americanbar.org/groups/human_rights/reports/monitoring-of-the-trial-of-marina-zolotova/ . live.
  6. Web site: Харасти: поправки в "Закон о СМИ" и "дело БЕЛТА" свидетельствуют о подавлении свободы СМИ в стране. Haraszti: The amendments to the "Media Law" and the "BelTA case" are evidence of the suppression of media freedom in the country. 25 October 2018. 2019-02-06. ru. https://web.archive.org/web/20190828034745/https://news.tut.by/economics/613140.html. 2019-08-28.
  7. Web site: Эксперты: "Дело БЕЛТА" стало самым негативным за последнее время сюжетом в отношениях Беларуси с ЕС. Алексей. Александров. БелаПАН. "The BELTA case has become the most negative story in Belarus' relations with the EU in recent times. 18 September 2018. 2019-02-06. TUT.BY. ru. 2019-01-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20190110014025/https://news.tut.by/economics/608453.html.
  8. Web site: Kruope, A. . en . Belarusian Authorities Move to Silence Leading Media Outlet . Human Rights Watch . 19 May 2021 . 12 January 2023 . 2023-01-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230103161445/https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/05/19/belarusian-authorities-move-silence-leading-media-outlet . live.
  9. Web site: uk. Справа TUT.BY: головній редакторці видання загрожує до 7 років в'язниці. 31 May 2021. Novoe Vremya. 2021-10-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20211003150015/https://nv.ua/ukr/world/countries/sprava-tut-by-zatrimano-15-spivrobitnikiv-redakciji-golovredu-zagrozhuye-do-7-rokiv-ostanni-novini-50163165.html. 2021-10-03.
  10. Web site: be. Заява аб прызнанні 15 затрыманых па справе TUT.BY палітычнымі зняволенымі. 25 May 2021. Human Rights Centre "Viasna”. https://web.archive.org/web/20210525092704/https://spring96.org/be/news/103526. 2021-05-25. 2021-05-25.
  11. Web site: Kolb, O. . ru . Мнение: сегодня мы все Tut.by . We all are Tut.by today . Deutsche Welle . 9 January 2023 . 12 January 2023 . 2023-01-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110063237/https://www.dw.com/ru/mnenie-segodna-my-vse-tutby/a-64322816 . live.
  12. Web site: Marc Bennetts . en . Editor Marina Zolotova faces jail in 'revenge for reporting on Belarus crackdown' . The Times . 1 June 2021 . 12 January 2022.
  13. Web site: ru . Прабабушка и внучка в одном минском СИЗО с разницей в 80 лет. История прабабушки Марины Золотовой . Nasha Niva . 9 January 2023 . 12 January 2023 . 2023-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230112145837/https://nashaniva.com/ru/307229 . live.
  14. Web site: 14 September 2021. Members of Parliament from Finland, Ireland and Germany adopt political prisoners Yuliya Kashaverava, Pavel Mazko and Maryna Zolatava. https://web.archive.org/web/20210915221550/https://www.lphr.org/en/abgeordnete-aus-finnland-irland-und-deutschland-uebernehmen-patenschaften-fuer-die-politischen-gefangenen-yuliya-kashaverava-pavel-mazko-und-maryna-zolatava/. 2021-09-15. 2021-09-24. Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights. en.
  15. Web site: ru . Марина Золотова . Viasna . 12 January 2022 . 2021-11-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211101113846/https://prisoners.spring96.org/ru/person/maryna-zolatava . live.
  16. Web site: ru . Тут всё очень плохо . Everything is very bad . Novaya Gazeta Europe . 11 January 2023 . 11 January 2023 . 2023-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230112145826/https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2023/01/11/tut-vsio-ochen-plokho . live.
  17. Web site: ru . Марину Золотову и Людмилу Чекину включили в "список террористов" . Marina Zolotova and Ludmila Chekina put on the terrorist list . Nasha Niva . 20 October 2022 . 11 January 2023 . 2023-01-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230104230450/https://nashaniva.com/ru/301426 . live.
  18. Web site: en . Independent News Outlet Staff Go on Trial in Belarus . The Moscow Times . 9 January 2023 . 11 January 2023 . 2023-01-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110082837/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/01/09/independent-news-outlet-staff-go-on-trial-in-belarus-a79892 . live.
  19. Web site: it . Bielorussia: inizia processo a vertici testata indipendente . Agenzia Asna . 9 January 2023 . 11 January 2023 . 2023-01-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110070914/https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/mondo/2023/01/09/bielorussia-inizia-processo-a-vertici-testata-indipendente_f8d353a9-68be-4ae2-94a2-174018dd0a70.html . live.
  20. Web site: ru . Марина Золотова: "Мы не сдаёмся вот так просто" . Беларуская асацыяцыя журналістаў . 4 January 2023 . 12 January 2023 . 2023-01-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230105075151/https://baj.by/be/analytics/marina-zolotova-my-ne-sdayomsya-vot-tak-prosto . live.
  21. Web site: ru . Лишают лицензии адвоката, которая защищает политзаключенную Марину Золотову . Political prisoner Marina Zolotova's lawyer had her license revoked . Euroradio . 2023-01-23 . 2023-01-26.
  22. Web site: ru . Главред TUT.by Марина Золотова и гендиректор Людмила Чекина получили по 12 лет. Главное в Беларуси за неделю. TUT.by editor-in-chief Marina Zolotova and general director Lyudmila Chekina received 12 years each. The week's highlights in Belarus . BBC Russia . 2023-03-17 . 2023-03-17.
  23. News: ru . Руководителей главного независимого сайта Беларуси Tut.by посадили на огромные сроки. Марина Золотова и Людмила Чекина получили по 12 лет колонии. The heads of the main independent website of Belarus, Tut.by, were sentenced to huge jail terms. Marina Zolotova and Liudmila Chekina got 12 years in jail each . Meduza . 2023-03-17 . 2023-03-17.
  24. Web site: Belarus Jails 2 News Site Managers for 12 Years. The Moscow Times. 2023-03-17. 2023-03-17.
  25. Web site: Four Belarusian women who criticised government get long jail terms at closed trials. 2023-03-17. Reuters. 2024-03-13.
  26. Web site: TUT.by journalists sentenced to 12 years in prison. 2023-03-17. European Journalists. 2024-03-13.
  27. Web site: Belarusian journalist Maryna Zolatava sentenced to 12 years in prison, Valeryia Kastsiuhova to 10 years. 2023-03-17. Committee to Protect Journalists. 2024-03-13.
  28. Web site: Belarus gives media outlet Tut.by staff long jail terms. 2023-03-17. Deutsche Welle. 2024-03-13.
  29. Web site: Charges Against Marina Zolotova Part of Relentless Persecution of Independent Belarusian Media. 2019-03-07. PEN America. 2024-03-13.
  30. Web site: Belarus: RSF joins BAJ's marathon of solidarity with imprisoned journalists as judicial persecution of the media continues. 31 July 2023. Reporters Without Borders. 2024-03-13.

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