News

Judge of the Oktyabrsky district court in Mogilev Olga Kravchenko found Brest bloggers Sergei Petrukhin and Alexander Kabanov guilty of organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, insulting a government official. Petrukhin was also found guilty of insulting a judge. Both were sentenced to three years in a general regime colony. The bloggers were not present during the hearings: they were removed from the courtroom at the beginning of the trial. The judge rejected all petitions for the participation of the accused in the process.

Hrodna journalist Dzianis Ivashyn has been kept behind bars since March 12, 2021. He was grabbed by police on the street near his block when walking to a pharmacy to pick up medicines.

The founder of the press club Yulia Slutskaia, who is now in custody in pre-trial prison # 1 in Minsk, passes information through her daughter Alyaksandra about life in the prison cell.

TUT.BY received a draft law on potential amendments to the laws on the media. It is proposed to block internet resources for information aimed “at promoting extremist activity” and materials that may “lead to the emergence of threats to national security.” 

Leaders of 50 journalists’ unions and associations in 34 European countries today called on their governments to intensify pressure and take action in the face of constant violations of human rights and press freedom in Belarus. In a joint letter, they urge their head of government to demand from the Belarusian authorities the immediate release of the 12 imprisoned journalists and the withdrawal of administrative and criminal proceedings against Belarusian journalists.