Fédération européenne des journalistes

Is this a crime Belarus ?


BAJ action Vitebsk
Members of the Balarusian Association of Journalists staged actions in Vitebsk on 5 November, Stand up for Journalism Day calling for more press freedom in the country. © BAJ

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have today staged an action in Brussels to support its affiliate, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), whose members were accused of violating the law for their campaign action on 5 November, Stand up for Journalism Day.

The EFJ and IFJ (in the picture) have mimicked the action taken by the BAJ members on 5 November in order to show the ridiculousness of the police charges. The charges were brought against the group after they took a picture in Vitebsk to support the Stand Up For Journalism Day of the EFJ held on 5 November. They are now waiting a court appearance on Thursday, 27 November.

The EFJ, together with BAJ, have written an open letter to the Belarusian authorities demanding them to drop the charges against the group who participated in the action.