Belarus / Europe & Central Asia

New York, December 13, 2024—A Belarusian court on Friday convicted freelance reporter Ihar Karnei of “malicious disobedience to the requirements of the prison administration” and sentenced him to an additional eight months in prison. Karnei is already serving a three-year prison sentence after being convicted in March 2024 on charges of participating in an extremist…

New York, December 12, 2024—A Belarusian court in Minsk, the capital, convicted freelance reporter Volha Radzivonava of discrediting Belarus, “incitement to racial, national, religious, or other social hostility or discord,” and defaming and insulting the president of Belarus, sentencing her to four years in jail on Tuesday. “Journalist Volha Radzivonava’s four-year prison sentence is yet another example of…

New York, October 25, 2024— Belarusian authorities should immediately release Belarusian journalist Ihar Ilyash, who announced his detention while possibly under duress in a video published October 22 on a pro-government Telegram channel, and ensure that no journalists are jailed because of their work, said the Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday.  “Ihar Ilyash’s detention is yet another…

New York, September 23, 2024—Belarusian authorities should disclose their reason for detaining journalist Yauhen Nikalayevich ahead of his September 26 trial on charges of violating public order in the southwestern city of Pinsk, and ensure that no journalists are jailed because of their work, said the Committee to Protect Journalist on Monday.  “Journalist Yauhen Nikalayevich’s detention, despite a spate…

New York, September 18, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the September 17 release of Belarusian journalist Andrei Tolchyn, who received a presidential pardon after serving almost a year of a two-and-a-half year prison sentence. “While we welcome the release of journalist Andrei Tolchyn, he should not have spent a single day in prison,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe…

Editor’s note: On October 31, Belgrade Higher Court released Gnyot from house arrest after the expiration of the one-year legal term for detention. Gnyot left for an unspecified European country on the same day, RFE/RL reported. Belarusian filmmaker Andrey Gnyot is stuck in a legal limbo after a Serbian appeals court announced on September 11 that it had sent his extradition case…

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…