28 January 2003
Former deputy director of Belovezhskaya Pushcha says that authorities threaten to sack him if he participates journalists' expedition to the national park
Georgy Kozulko, the former deputy director of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, has chosen not to take part in the January 29 expedition of journalists to the national park because, as he says, authorities threaten to
sack him from his job in a local village school where he teaches biology, geography and ecology.
The expedition was initiated by a group of Belarusian and Russian journalists, led by Valery Dranchuk, chief editor of the newspaper Belovezhskaya Pushcha and leader of the newly established association Terra-Konventsiya.
The journalists intend to verify reports about commercial logging in the unique forest. They proposed Neil Buhne, UN resident coordinator in Belarus, to participate in the expedition and he reportedly accepted the proposal. Mr. Kozulko was supposed to participate in the expedition,
Mr. Dranchuk said, adding that they considered him to be the only person able to show them logging sites and give competent explanations.
The management of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha is actively preparing for the forthcoming expedition; they have ordered to clear the possible route of the expedition from felled trees, an employee told BelaPAN, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Mr. Dranchuk said that he and reporters of a number of independent publications also might be barred from visiting the park.
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