Belarusian police detained 47 local and international journalists preparing to cover protests in Minsk and Brest, on Thursday. The police confiscated their telephones and identity documents. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) considers these arbitrary detentions as another act of censorship by the Belarusian authorities. The Belarusian Interior Ministry later denied the journalists had been detained. It said the journalists had been driven to the Oktyabrsky District Department of Internal Affairs for officers to check they had valid accreditation allowing them to work as journalists. Most of these journalists had planned to cover a demonstration in which hundreds of anti-government protesters…

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) has documented nearly 40 cases of journalists injured, beaten or raped by law enforcement officials. Other civil society organisations have documented cases of torture, disappearances and killings in Belarus. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) considers that these human rights violations justify the urgent dispatch of an OSCE mission to Belarus. Stories of abuse and brutal beatings by riot police emerge in Belarus as more than 7,000 people were detained after rigged election. “Disputed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko does not seem at all willing to open dialogue with the majority, as requested by the international…

Belarusian journalists are now facing a wave of judicial repression, following police repression. The Belarusian judiciary is stepping up prosecutions for participation in unauthorised demonstrations against journalists who were actually present to cover the events. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) to call on Belarusian law enforcement agencies to immediately stop administrative and judicial proceedings against journalists. Belsat journalist Ekaterina Andreeva (our picture) will be tried in the Zavadski district court of Minsk on Thursday. She was detained while she was covering a protest rally on 14 July. She is accused of participating…

The president of the Italian Federation of Journalists (FNSI), Beppe Giulietti, has been the target of a campaign of harassment and intimidation on social networks since 18 August. The campaign is fuelled by online accounts that advocate extreme right-wing theses. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls for justice to respond. On August 7, the daily newspaper “Libero” issued an article saying that migrants had killed and eaten five dogs belonging to a resident of Lampedusa. Several journalists including Angela Caponnetto of Rai News 24 and Nello Scavo of the newspaper “Avvenire” proved that this  was false information not based on…

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) notes new cases of detentions of journalists in Belarus. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins BAJ in demanding that the authorities let journalists do their job. Moreover, this Monday, Belarusian riot police arrested two leaders of the pro-democracy movement, Olga Kovalkova and trade unionist Sergei Dilevsky, leader of the strike committee at the Minsk Tractor Works. Journalist Yauhen Merkis was detained in Homel on 21 August. He was covering the protest actions when policemen approached and said that they had opened an administrative case against the journalists for participating in the actions. Journalists…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Belarussian Association of Journalists (BAJ) in demanding the immediate lifting of blocking measures on news websites in Belarus. On Friday evening, the Belarusian Ministry of Information announced that it had blocked a large number of news websites and websites of civil society organisations. 73 websites in total. Among the blocked sites: Belsat, By.tribuna.com, Euroradio, Goalsby, Masheka.by, Narodnye novosti Vitebsk, Radio Liberty, Solidarity, Svadoba, Udf.by, The Village, Vitebsk Kurier… Since 9 August, BAJ’s website has been blocked in Belarus. The EFJ affiliate in Belarus is using its Telegram channel to share the most important…

Belarusian border guards denied 17 foreign journalists entry to Belarus, on Wednesday, due to lack of accreditation. On Thursday, at Minsk Airport, journalists from Estonia, Poland, Serbia, Germany and Georgia were not allowed to enter Belarus. At the same time, Russian journalists and technicians were called to join Belarusian state television. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls on the Belarusian authorities to let all journalists do their work on the ground. Today, disputed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko admitted that Russian journalists now work for State TV instead of those who quit in protest: ”I asked the Russians: give…

    In recent days, the affiliates of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have massively demonstrated their support for journalists who are victims of violence in Belarus. Following our call, EFJ affiliates have written to their governments to demand sanctions against those responsible for violence and electoral fraud and a review of cooperation between the European Union and Belarus. Many journalists’ organisations offer logistical or financial assistance to Belarusian colleagues. The EFJ forwarded to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) the expressions of support from journalists’ unions and associations in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania,…

Journalists in the Belarusian city of Grodno, near the Polish border, filed a complaint against the outburst of police violence against them and peaceful demonstrators on 9-11 August. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Belarusian affiliate, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), call on the authorities to launch the necessary judicial investigations to punish the perpetrators of the unjustified violence. The journalists from Grodno claim to have dozens of testimonies of illegal detentions, use of physical force, destruction of civilian vehicles, illegal restriction of movement of people, violence against people during detentions and detention. The journalists’ statement lists…

A group of Ukrainian investigative journalists is being subjected to a campaign of harassment and intimidation, including surveillance and arson attacks. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ), join their Ukrainian affiliate, the National Union of Journalists in Ukraine (NUJU), in urging the authorities to launch a thorough investigation into the intimidation and attacks aimed at muzzling their investigations. The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) also joined the call backing the journalists. The Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty team’s car was set on fire during the night of Monday 17 August. Police found an explosive substance on the wreck of…

As announced by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, EU Heads of State or Government will discuss the situation in Belarus on Wednesday. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) again call on the EU Council to reintroduce commensurate sanctions for electoral fraud and violence against protesters and journalists in Belarus. The EFJ believes the EU must swiftly impose the sanctions it has threatened on individuals in the Lukashenko administration (including state media) and on Belarusian security forces complicit in the crackdown. Together with the ETUC and the Pan-European Regional Council (PERC),…

Update (17/08): Belarus state television employees are on strike. 600 employees of BTRC put their signatures in support of the strike. The CEO of BTRC Ivan Eismant asked everyone who doesn’t agree with government to quit. ——————– Tens of thousands of Belarusians have gathered in Minsk today for the biggest protest in the country’s history, against police brutality and the presidential election results. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the call by state media journalists to finally be allowed to cover events in a fully independent way. They will go on strike this Monday if their demand is rejected.…

Update (15/8): European Union Foreign Affairs ministers agreed Friday to draw up a list of targets in Belarus for a new round of sanctions in response to strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s post-election crackdown. The sanctions will target those responsible for the violence, arrests and fraud in connection with the election. Once the list is finalized, each individual or entity on it will have to be approved unanimously by the EU member states. ——————- We call on Belarusian authorities to stop attacking, detaining and demonising journalists and media workers and work towards meaningful protections for media freedom. Following the disputed Presidential elections in…

At least 16 journalists resigned from the state media in Belarus amid mass protests and detentions. They expressed their disapproval of the repression of journalists by the Belarusian security forces. Many others co-signed yesterday an appeal to the government demanding the release of all detained journalists and an end to the repression. In recent days, several journalists from Belarusian state media announced their resignation. Among them: ONT TV presenter and head of the presidential pool of journalists Dmitry Semchenko. Yesterday, at least 160 journalists from state-owned media co-signed an appeal to the Belarusian Minister of Information Igor Lutsky, asking the…

Since Sunday’s elections, Belarusian law enforcement officials have arrested 65 journalists. Some have been released; some have been expelled; some have been sentenced to heavy fines. Dozens of other journalists have been harassed or abused. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls on the foreign ministers of the European Union, who are meeting tomorrow, to take sanctions against those responsible for the repression of journalists in Belarus. The EFJ welcomes the statement of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet condemning the violent response of the Belarusian authorities to the peaceful demonstrations held across the country in the…

Dozens of journalists have been intimidated and beaten by security forces in Belarus. Many have been detained. Some are still missing. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) reiterates its call for intervention by the international community. In particular, we call on the European Union, the Council of Europe and the OSCE to take urgent measures to stop violence against journalists and citizens who are peacefully demonstrating. Today, journalists’ organisations from the region (see below) are showing solidarity with the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), which is monitoring the many press freedom violations in the country. The EFJ calls on its…