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On 8 February, Hrodna Regional Court sentenced Andrzej Poczobut, a prominent Belarusian journalist, publicist, and member of the Union of Poles in Belarus, to eight years in prison. Poczobut was found guilty of encouraging actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus and inciting ethnic hostility.

Last year, the Belarusian Association of Journalists won the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. 46 countries, as well as many journalistic organizations globally, nominated BAJ for this award. Among them was the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, BAJ’s close partner.

The security forces detained Anastasia Sharkevich who administered the Narodnaya Volya Telegram channel, as reported by a pro-regime Telegram channel. Zerkalo informs that Sharkevich is accused of calling for blocking traffic, mass riots, and other illegal actions.

The individual communication is filed under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Aliaksandr Lukashuk, RFE/RL Belarus director, is leaving the agency, Radio Liberty reports.

February 4 was to mark the release date of cameraman Pavel Padabed from 15-day administrative detention. However, the Belarusian Association of Journalists found out that he was transferred to Minsk pre-trial detention center and a criminal case was brought against him instead.

The achievement of sustainable development goals in Belarus is undoubtedly impossible without independent media and journalists allowing the general public access to information of public interest. However, the state of media freedom and the right of access to information in Belarus is deteriorating year by year. The 2020 presidential election period has been a critical milestone that launched a large-scale policy process against independent media, accompanied by official attempts to control all information dissemination, as well as suppress dissent.

In an unusual utopian column, KYKY.org media announced that Viktar Malisheuski, a well-known Belarusian journalist, became the new editor-in-chief of the publication.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists was informed that on 31 January, the final indictment was brought against Kanstantsin Zalatykh, director of the Belorusy i Rynok newspaper. He has been in custody for eight months now. As lawyers of political prisoners are bound by strict conditions on non-disclosure pledges, they refrain from any comments.

The Ministry of Information updated the Republican Extremist Content List. New media from Belarus and Ukraine and certain video content were declared extremist.

Relatives of convicted videographer Ivan Murauyou were informed about the designated facility in which he is going to serve his sentence.

January 24, the State Security Committee included the volkovysk.by site and affiliated social media pages in the list of extremist formations.

Hrodna journalist and public figure Pavel Mazheika’s detention term ended on 31 January but was extended for another month. It has been six months since he is behind bars.

The cameraman “disappeared” on 20 January after making some payments at the post office. He never appeared for his following appointment.

RFE/RL Belarus reports that Ihar Losik, convicted in December 2021 to 15 years of imprisonment, received official permission to correspond with his wife Daria Losik, who is also in custody since 18 October 2022. Before the sentence was passed on to Daria, they were not allowed to exchange letters.