Belsat TV journalists Katerina Bakhvalova (R) and Daria Chultsova, who were detained in November while reporting on anti-government protests, flash the V-sign from a defendant's cage during their trial in Minsk on February 18, 2021. (AFP/Stringer)

CPJ testifies on threats to press freedom in Belarus at Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission

Yesterday, at a hearing on Democracy and Human Rights in Belarus before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Gulnoza Said gave testimony on the threats to press freedom and safety of journalists in Belarus. 

Said spoke on the sharp increase in press freedom violations and journalists’ detentions since the August 9, 2020, contested elections in Belarus and highlighted the most egregious cases of prosecution and imprisonment of journalists. She also discussed the censorship mechanisms employed by the regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko, including legislative measures, aimed at wiping out independent media and outlawing journalism. Said provided recommendations on how U.S. policymakers can effectively protect press freedom and ensure journalists’ safety in Belarus.

A full copy of Said’s testimony can be read here.