European Federation of Journalists

More arrests of journalists in Belarus

Picture credit: TUT.BY / AFP.

Update (01/09/2020):

Law enforcement officials detained eight more journalists while covering student demonstrations in Minsk on 1 September:

  • Nadzija Kalinina (TUT.BY);
  • Aliaksei Sudnikau (TUT.BY);
  • Sviatoslav Zorki (KP);
  • Mikita Nedaverkau (KP);
  • Maryja Eliashevich (KP);
  • Andrei Shauliyuga (Belapan);
  • Maria Vaitovich (Euroradio);
  • Raman Hadun (Market).

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The Belarussian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reported on Sunday eleven new cases of detention of journalists in Belarus. This brings to 141 the number of journalists detained in the country since 9 August. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) demands the immediate release of journalists and the lifting of charges and prosecutions against them.

According to the monitoring carried out by BAJ, eleven journalists were detained by the police on Saturday and Sunday:

  • Larysa Shyrakova, detained on 30 August in Homel;
  • Ivan Kaliganov (Tass), detained on 30 August in Minsk;
  • Jaugen Mikalajevic, detained on 30 August in Minsk;
  • Ales Sabalewski, detained on 30 August in Mahiliow;
  • Svyatoslav Zorky (KP), detained on 29 August in Minsk;
  • Paulyuk Bykouski (Deutsche Welle), detained on 29 August in Minsk;
  • Zmiter Mickiewicz, detained on 29 August in Minsk;
  • Andrei Rabchyk, detained on 29 August in Minsk;
  • Ales Piletsky, detained on 29 August in Minsk;
  • Kanstantsin Manenkou (AP), detained on 29 August in Minsk and deported;
  • Dzmitry Lavetski (AP), detained on 29 August in Minsk and deported;

Since the fraudulent elections of 9 August, 141 journalists have been subject to administrative arrests in Belarus. Most have been released, but they are being prosecuted, often for alleged participation in an illegal demonstration.

“The EFJ condemns this judicial repression of journalists for just doing their job,” said EFJ Director Renate Schroeder. “We demand the release of all detained journalists and the lifting of all prosecutions. We reiterate our urgent call to the European Union and the OSCE to punish the Belarusian authorities for these unacceptable obstructions which aim to put up a wall of silence on the repression of Belarusian democrats.”