They do not allow the criticism of the president in any kind,
whether it would be an animated file, a joke, the poster or the
broadcast. So they believe in Minsk and don't understand humour.
For the first time in the world, they threaten creators of flash
with 5 years in prison if authorities prove that hero of films
and the president of Belarus is the same person. Public
Prosecutor has brought criminal case on the fact of distribution
on the Internet site: www.mult.3dway.org cartoon films
(translated to the English too), discrediting honor of the
president of Belarus. The animated films are small plots of
satirical character which main hero looks like Alexander
Lukashenka. The criminal code provides punishment for a similar
crime (slander concerning the president of Belarus) up to 5
years' imprisonment. Site Multclub became popular the last year
after a referendum in Belarus. The majority of citizens on the
official information supported Lukashenka granting him of an
opportunity to take part in presidents' elections once again.
This site offered rather severe flash cartoons. Their authors
directly accused the head of the state in every possible sins -
from a trickery of voters until stealing of state capital and a
genocide of own people. They called hero in cartoons Batka. Here
he lays on the money stolen at citizens as devil, here he
commands to break up demonstration, here he looks at a brotherly
cemetery into which Belarus has turned, here he forges results
of a referendum and cooks false attempt at own life and so on.
Though it is written on main page of a site, that "coincidence
of working characters of a flash serial to real persons is
casual coincidence", all this in situation of modern Belarus
looks rather fearlessly. The most ridiculous in cartoon films
are citations. The citations taken from official sources like
the state TV. Here, for example the description of a plot of one
of flash begins with the known citation made by Lukashenka: - In
the storming sea, there is quiet Small Island... So once
Lukashenka explained where Belarus is situated. Among waves and
ships, there's island with outlines of Belarus. Here sounds the
Song Island of bad luck. On perimeter of island, there's a
barbed wire and watchtowers, in the middle of island - the big
monument - Alexander Lukashenka on the cow. Moreover, on the
fence from a barbed wire there're posters with Lukashenka's
citations: - We are in an enemy environment as in 1941. - I will
not lead the state to the civilized world. - The monstrous
monster, the NATO, has crept to our blue-eyed Belarus - It is
not for us the Europe. The West is not ours! - All have fallen
upon us, in the West and in Russia not because we make something
wrong. Because of envy? On this background, inhabitants drag
bamboo stretcher with hero in a loincloth to a hut with
inscription Presidency. Don't think, that 28 series flash serial
is devoted only to one hero. These are animated cartoons about
the country and a life. - The most ridiculous in our films is a
life in Belarus, - the coordinator of the project Paul Morozov
speaks. Authors of this site are members of youth movement The
Third Way, which idea is more freedom and less Lukashenka.
Members are mostly students. They claim, that members of virtual
community which names they do not know created this cartoon
films. - We were in touch with authors only by e-mail. I found
the first flash on the Internet, contacted the author and
offered our technical support. Besides, people leave the wishes
and ideas visiting a forum of our site. Actually all scripts are
thought out with people. They are ridiculous but who take
offence on clowns? In middle Ages, they were especially at
court! Last days they interrogated the manager of a site Andrey
Obuzov and the coordinator of the project Paul Morozov. KGB made
a search in their apartments. 12 items of PC equipment and tens
disks and papers are withdrawn. The representative of OSCE
recently emphasized, that Belarus is unique country where they
sentence citizens to imprisonment for slander of the president.
For last year, two have been condemned under similar clause. One
of them is still not free. All over the world have popularity
cartoons on political themes, but no one country start criminal
case against their authors. American brothers, cartoon's authors
about Bush and Kerry at which laughed all America, stated that
their site have overtaken all mass media on popularity.
Nevertheless, heroes of flash have not counted themselves
offended. The coordinator of the project Morozov told that for a
long time felt steadfast attention of special services. - When
some times per diem you see the same persons and the cars at
various times and in different places, it is not without
purpose. According to authors, at the Belarus forums it is
possible to find so much discrediting honor of the Belarus
president, that their animation is simply harmless. Audience of
site Multclub has increased until 50 thousand visitors per day.
For two days after scandal, popularity of a site has grown in 55
times. Struggle against animated cartoons has turned back their
free-of-charge advertising. Founders of a site are even grateful
to authorities for this. Many other websites are showing scandal
flash films now. In case, authorities will block Multclub. The
Russian TV channels twisted with pleasure in news fragments from
cartoon films.
About the author:
Michael Garmahis (27) is journalist working in one of the
Belarusian newspaper. Some time was engaged in NGO?s social work
and also worked as a tutor of German and English in college. For
further information, please visit his web site:
http://garmahis.worldfreeweb.com (Michael Garmahis-My stories,
jokes, drawings, photos, links from Belarus)
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