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The RockRadioBY was launched in Ukraine on the website of Ukrainian RockRadio. The radio stream features music by modern and cult-favorite Belarusian-speaking bands, espreso.tv reports.

The criminal case hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in Minsk City Court. Judge Zhana Brysina will preside over the session. Ziankou is charged with participating in an extremist formation. If convicted, he faces a sentence of two to six years of imprisonment or freedom restriction.

On December 12 of last year, Sabaleuski was detained and sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention the following day. Sabaleuski, a former journalist and blogger, was serving his term in the Mahiliou temporary detention center when another administrative report was drawn up against him for distributing ‘extremist’ content. Although he was supposed to be released on January 6 after serving his second term, he was not, as reported by MAYDAY TEAM.

The Operational and Analytical Center under the President of Belarus seized the domain name of the Belarusian Association of Journalists' website baj.by. The organization considers this a gross violation of property rights and another attack on freedom of speech. BAJ applied to ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists has summarized the statistics of repressions against journalists and the media this year.

As campaigning for the 2020 elections began, the Belarusian authorities launched a war on journalists and independent media. They were stripped of their press cards, beaten, shot with rubber bullets, arrested and detained for weeks, and charged with criminal offenses. Since then, journalists have been arrested on more than 500 occasions. The Belarusian Association of Journalists monitors all cases of harassment of journalists and media workers. Below, you will find information on those imprisoned on criminal charges. 

In 2023, Belarusian journalists launched new projects, conducted investigations, and exceeded their targets. Meanwhile, they also faced personal problems such as the death of loved ones and burnout. Some took their first holiday in years. The Belarusian Association of Journalists interviewed representatives of the independent media to find out how they fared during the year.

August – November. DOWNLOAD PDF

Despite working in exile and being labeled as “extremist” by the Belarusian regime, BAJ initiated a high-profile solidarity action last year, continued to provide comprehensive assistance to journalists and editors and, backed by the European Federation of Journalists, resumed the Free Word Award. This is just a short list of what has been achieved. It’s time to review the year.

Today, the court decided to change the prisoner’s detention conditions, transferring him to a high-security prison for one year.

Reform.by’s editor-in-chief, Fiodar Pauliuchenka, explains why the project may be forced to close down.

According to his friends, he never returned from the interrogation at the KGB office that took place after the search of his house on December 5. His location is currently unknown.

Journalist Henadz Mazheika has been released from prison. This follows from the information posted on the website of the Viasna Human Rights Center.

The solidarity marathon, initiated by BAJ in May 2023, reached North America. Representatives of the global network for the protection and promotion of freedom of expression, IFEX, held a rally near Toronto City Hall. They came out with portraits of imprisoned Belarusian journalists. Thus, despite censors and dictators’ efforts, the truth thrives around the world.