Archive

Join Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) for a virtual discussion on the isolation and ill-treatment of political prisoners in Belarus. Speakers include RFE/RL journalist Aleh Hruzdzilovich who was unjustly imprisoned in Belarus from December 2021 to September 2022.

Today, October 17, the Supreme Court of Belarus reviewed the appeals of Hrodna journalist Pavel Mazheika and attorney Yulia Yurhilevich, who were sentenced to prison for “promoting extremist activity”. The Hrodna Regional Court sentenced them both to 6 years of imprisonment on 26 July of this year. The verdict was upheld by the Supreme Court.

The reason for detaining former freelance journalist and democratic activist Andrei Tolchyn in Homel has been revealed. He has been accused of violating Part 1 of Article 361 of the Criminal Code, which relates to encouraging actions that harm the national security of Belarus.

Israel encountered multiple media challenges after the ruthless assault by Hamas militants. On the one hand, journalists are trying to figure out the reason behind the intelligence and special services breakdown and the government’s accountability. On the other hand, they dispel fakes and reconstruct the chronology of terrible events bit by bit. BAJ interviewed Anat Saragusti from the Israeli Union of Journalists, who was a correspondent in the Gaza Strip for many years. We discussed how the media responds to public demands and their reactions.

Although the Belarusian government tries to suppress information about political prisoners, the attempts are unsuccessful. Andrei Aliaksandrau has not been forgotten despite being isolated from the external world. On the thousandth day of the media manager's imprisonment, Index on Censorship launched an inspiring solidarity campaign.

Internet freedom in Belarus deteriorated further during the coverage period. The government intensified its suppression of online critical voices, blocking of independent media outlets and information sources, and use of legislation to criminalize online materials produced by what it deemed to be “extremist” or “terrorist” groups. Although virtually all nonstate media outlets are now operating from exile, they continue to disseminate content via social media and messaging applications.

Homel Viasna human rights activists report that he was transferred to Homel pre-trial detention center №3.

The transfer did not take a long time, as she was previously held at Homel pre-trial detention center.

This is reported by the Homel chapter of Viasna.

The marathon in solidarity with imprisoned journalists continues. This time the campaign initiated by BAJ was supported by Australian journalist Steve Cannаnе, who now lives in London. He heads the European bureau of the ABC television network.

Vyachaslau Lazarau, a freelance videographer from Vitsebsk, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison, while his wife, Tatsiana Pytsko, has received a three-year sentence.

Herman Napolski regularly attends press conferences and official events and is familiar to Belarusian journalists.

According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists' source, Siarhei Hardzievich was detained on September 14 at the Brest border checkpoint as he was returning to Belarus from Poland.

Aliaksandr Mantsevich, Rehijanalnaja Hazeta’s chief editor, will be tried in Maladzechna. Judge Aliaksei Irshyn will preside over the case, reports the Viasna Human Rights Center. Mantsevich was arrested on March 15 after his house in Vileika was searched and has been in custody ever since. The journalist is charged with discrediting the state.

Belarusian independent journalism has been in a troubled zone in recent years. Despite the difficulties, media professionals feel that things have become more stable, even with the profession’s repression and criminalization. During the roundtable discussion arranged by BAJ and the Mixer journalist organization (Poland), evaluations were made.