BELARUS

April 26
Eduard Terlitsky, Radio Liberty, ATTACKED
Elena Lukashevich, Imya, ATTACKED
Leonid Sveridov, Russian State Television (RTR), ATTACKED
Oleg Trizno, Free-lancer, IMPRISONED
Vladzimir Dzyuba, Belarus Radio, IMPRISONED
Oleg Bebenin, Imya, ATTACKED
Oles Mikolaichenko, Nasha Slova, ATTACKED
Tsesary Golinsky, Gazeta Wyborcha, ATTACKED
Police who were dispersing participants in an unauthorized protest march marking the 10th anniversary of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant beat and detained several journalists. Terlitsky, a reporter for Radio Liberty in Minsk, was clubbed by a policeman and received head injuries that required several stitches. Lukashevich and Bebenin, reporters for the Belarusian independent newspaper Imya; Sveridov, a reporter for Russian state television (RTR); Mikolaichenko, a reporter for the Belarussian independent newspaper Nasha Slova; and Golinsky, a reporter for the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcha, were all also beaten by police. The free-lance journalist Trizno, who contributes to several banned Belarusian opposition papers, was arrested and sentenced to five days in jail on charges of Òinsulting a policeman.Ó He was released on May 2. His wife was also required to pay 75,000 rubles (US$6) to cover the cost of his stay in jail. Belarus Radio correspondent Dzyuba was arrested and sentenced to 10 days in jail on administrative charges of Òdisturbing the peace.Ó According to his colleagues, Dzyuba is conducting a hunger strike to protest his detention. In a letter to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, CPJ protested the policemenÕs treatment of journalists and urged Lukashenka to order the immediate release of Trizno and Dzyuba.

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