Narodnaja Volya (newspaper)

For the 19th century Russian revolutionary group, see Narodnaya Volya.

Narodnaja Volya (Belarusian and Russian: Наро́дная во́ля, Belarusian pronunciation: [naˈrodnaja ˈvolʲa], translated as People's Will) is an independent newspaper founded by Iosif Seredich and originally printed in Vilnius (Lithuania). Its circulation is 55,000. Since November 1997, printing was moved to Minsk (Belarus) in the private publishing house "Magic". It became Belarus' largest independent newspaper.

Seredich was the editor-in-chief. The deputy chief editor was Viktor Svirko.

On June 18, 2002, a Belarus district court froze the Narodnaya Volya bank account because of defamation charges brought by two judges from Zhodzina. The judges sought 2.5 million rubles in damages.

On November 17, 2003, the Minsk City Court on 17 ordered Narodnaya Volya to pay 50 million Belarusian rubles in damages for libel against Yahor Rybakou, the chairman of the Belarusian State Television and Radio Company (BDT). The Court also ordered Narodnaya Volya journalist Maryna Koktysh and former television host Eleanora Yazerskaya to pay 3 million Belarusian rubles each to Rybakou.

Narodnaja Volya was banned from BelSoiuzPechat (government-run distribution network) and is now distributed independently.

External links

• Narodnaja Volya online (Russian and Belarussian languages)