Belarus / Europe & Central Asia

New York, August 26, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Belarusian journalist Dzmitry Luksha, who received a presidential pardon after serving 30 months of a four-year prison sentence. “Belarusian journalist Dzmitry Luksha unjustly served 2 ½ years behind bars when he shouldn’t have spent a day in jail,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program…

New York, August 6, 2024—Belarusian authorities convicted freelance reporter Ales Sabaleuski and freelance camera operator Yauhen Hlushkou, on extremism charges and sentenced them to four and three years in prison, respectively, on Wednesday, July 31. “The court’s sentencing of journalists Ales Sabaleuski and Yauhen Hlushkou to three and four years in prison is yet another…

New York, June 20, 2024—Belarusian authorities must immediately disclose the reasons behind charges against journalist Alena Tsimashchuk, who was sentenced to five years imprisonment, and ensure that no members of the press are jailed for their work. On June 3, a court in the southwestern city of Brest convicted Tsimashchuk of discrediting Belarus, “incitement to…

New York, May 21, 2024 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Belarusian authorities to stop harassing exiled journalists and ensure the media can work freely, both abroad and at home. On Thursday, May 16, officers with the Belarusian State Security Committee, or KGB, and representatives of the Ministry of Taxes and Duties sealed…

New York, May 14, 2024 — Serbian authorities should not extradite Belarusian journalist Andrey Gnyot to face criminal charges in Belarus and release him immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Serbian authorities detained Gnyot upon his arrival in the country on October 30, 2023, based on a September 21 Interpol arrest warrant issued…

New York, April 23, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns Belarusian authorities’ decision to cancel the domain names of news websites they labeled as “extremist” and calls for an end to the use of extremism legislation as a censorship tool to silence independent reporting. In an April 4 order, the Operational and Analytical Center (OAC)…

New York, April 19, 2023—Belarusian authorities must immediately release journalist Aliaksandr Ignatsiuk, who was sentenced to six years imprisonment, and ensure that no members of the press are jailed for their work. On April 5, a court in the southern city of Stolin convicted Ignatsiuk of extortion, organizing or participating in gross violations of public…

New York, March 22, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the sentencing on Friday of Belarusian journalist Ihar Karnei to three years in prison and a fine of 20,000 rubles (US$6,115) on charges of participating in an extremist group. “It took three days for the Belarusian authorities to send Ihar Karnei to prison for three…

New York, March 21, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for journalist Andrei Tolchyn’s immediate release after a Belarusian court on Thursday sentenced him to 2½ years in prison for facilitating extremism and defaming President Aleksandr Lukashenko. “The 2½ year prison sentence handed to journalist Andrei Tolchyn on unfounded charges is yet another demonstration of…

New York, January 30, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Belarusian authorities to stop using extremism laws against journalists following a Belarusian court’s Tuesday sentencing of Aliaksandr Ziankou to three years in prison for allegedly participating in an extremist group. “The sentencing of veteran journalist Aliaksandr Ziankou to three years in prison is yet…