Belarus finally apologizes for detaining journalists

VILNIUS-Belarus finally apologized to Lithuania for the incident involving the detained accredited Lithuanian journalists in Minsk a month ago.

The Belarusian Ambassador issued the apology to Lithuania's Vladimir Drazhin at a meeting with the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry'sUndersecretary Laimonas Talat-Kelpsa in Vilnius on Tuesday.

Journalist of the Lithuaniannational television's news-desk, Ruta Lankininkaite-Ribaciauskiene, and acameraman were detained on March 25 as they were preparing their coverage ofthe protest demonstration in the Belarusian capital.

The Lithuanian journalistswere forcibly detained in MinskTuesday and taken to a militia station, where their tape recording of theactions of Belaruspolice and military against demonstrators was taken away.

The recording has yet to be returned to the journalists.

In response to the detention, the LithuanianForeign Ministry handed a diplomatic note to the Belarusian ambassador,requesting a detailed investigation of the incident, as well as an explanationand return of the seized videotape.

The rally in Minsk was held tomark the 90-year anniversary of Belarusian independence.