Zhanna Litvina

Zhanna Litvina (born August 30, 1954) is a Belarusian free speech activist. She currently serves as chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Biography

Litvina was born in Minsk, and studied journalism at the Belarusian State University. After graduating she worked as an editor of youth programming at the Belarusian state television station for the better part of 20 years before being dismissed. Following her termination, Litvina and her associates created and operated their own independent news and music station “Radio 101.2”, only to have it closed by the state in 1996.^[1] The closure encouraged Litvina to move the operation out of the country, and she continued to broadcast from Poland, so as to avoid the ire of the Belarusian government and belie the possibility of shutdown.

Belarusian Association of Journalists

Litvina co-founded the Belarusian Association of Journalists in 1996, and continues to serve as chairman. Their goal is to protect the rights of journalists in Belarus, and offer support by promoting free speech, public access to information and legal aid to journalists who have been targeted by the government.

Awards

• In 2003 she was a Golden Pen recipient. She was awarded for her journalism and "courageous resistance to the repression of the media by President Aleksander Lukashenko."
• In 2004 she was awarded the Louis Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism .
• In 2008 she received the Ebert Foundation’s Human Rights Award in 2008

External links

• Oslo Freedom Forum

References