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This was reported by Andrei Stryzhak, head of the BYSOL Foundation, in his Telegram channel.

Raman Pratasevich, a former editor of an opposition Telegram channel who was handed a prison term earlier this month after the commercial flight he was on was forced to land in Minsk in 2021, told journalists on May 22 that he had received a pardon.

21 May: PEN International, the literary and free expression organisation, has released a letter signed by 103 Nobel Laureates, expressing solidarity with writer, human rights defender, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and PEN member Ales Bialiatski, and condemning the Belarusian authorities’ brutal, relentless, and systematic crackdown on independent voices. Today marks the International Day of Solidarity with Prisoners of Conscience in Belarus. The solidarity action was featured in the Guardian.

Today, marking the Day of the Political Prisoner in Belarus, the undersigned organisations reiterate our condemnation of the Lukashenko regime's ruthless crackdown on civil society and independent media. We continue to stand in solidarity with courageous Belarusians who persist in their fight for freedom. The international community will keep demanding the unconditional release of all political prisoners.    

MOST Media and its social media pages, as well as other projects and personal social media accounts of Hrodna journalist Ruslan Kulevich, have been declared “extremist formations” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus.

When journalist Dzianis Ivashyn was arrested on March 12, 2021, his home was searched by KGB agents. As a result, several dozen books were confiscated. Today it became known that the court ordered the destruction of 25 titles.

Viasna human rights center has designated May 21 as a Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus. On this day two years ago, political prisoner Vitold Ashurak died in the Škloŭ penal colony No. 17. No criminal proceedings have been initiated following his death, while the situation with political prisoners has significantly deteriorated. Last year, the Day of Political Prisoners theme was the yellow tag used in colonies to mark inmates. It was Ashurak who first talked about it in his letter. This year human rights defenders propose to make the theme of the Day of Solidarity with political prisoners in Belarus letters and the right to correspondence, which the Belarusian authorities have deprived hundreds of political prisoners. Viasna calls on people to express solidarity with all political prisoners on May 21, draw the attention of the Belarusian and international community to their problems, and once again demand the release of all political prisoners from the authorities. The Belarusian Association of Journalists joins the events! The authorities are trying to destroy independent journalism in Belarus. Support the Solidarity Marathon!

  How much is needed? 15,000€ — The amount collected will go to pay for lawyers, as well as to buy the necessities of life and to cover household expenses for Pavel's family.

33 names, 33 journalists behind bars, 33 portraits in the center of Vilnius... In order to draw attention to the situation of the media, on May 3 Belarusian and Lithuanian journalists started a marathon in solidarity with imprisoned Belarusian journalists.

On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, we interviewed colleagues and friends who remain in Belarus. They talked about their hopes and dreams, explained how they take care of themselves, and what helps them not to get demoralized and keep working. Names have been changed for safety reasons.

On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, we interviewed colleagues and friends who remain in Belarus. They talked about their hopes and dreams, explained how they take care of themselves, and what helps them not to get demoralized and keep working. Names have been changed for safety reasons.

Thirty-three names, thirty-three journalists behind bars, thirty-three portraits in the center of Vilnius... This number is particularly dramatic today, on World Press Freedom Day. In order to draw attention to the situation of the media in Belarus, Belarusian and Lithuanian journalists held a solidarity rally. This is the first action within the whole solidarity marathon, which is to be held in many countries of the world. 

The participants of the conference of the European Federation of Journalists joined the marathon of solidarity with Belarusian colleagues, which was launched by the Belarusian Association of Journalists and the Lithuanian Union of Journalists in Vilnius.