Belarusian journalist detained for 2 months, charged over reporting
Paris, May 19, 2022 — Belarus authorities should immediately release and drop all charges against journalist Dzmitry Luksha and let the press report freely on the war in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On March 11, law enforcement searched the home of Luksha, a freelance journalist with the Kazakh state-funded television station…
Belarusian journalist Yury Hantsarevich detained for 10 days, charged with extremism
Paris, May 9, 2022 – Belarus authorities should drop all charges against journalist Yury Hantsarevich and let the press report freely on the war in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On May 5, the pro-government Telegram channel Obratnaya Storona published a video in which Hantsarevich, a correspondent for the independent news website…
Belarusian journalist Aksana Kolb arrested, no charges disclosed
Paris, April 20, 2022 – Belarusian authorities should release journalist Aksana Kolb immediately and drop any charges against her, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Wednesday, April 20, law enforcement officers arrested Kolb, editor of the independent weekly Novy Chas, in Minsk, the capital, and ordered her to be held for up to…
Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva facing up to 15 years in prison on treason charges
Paris, April 8, 2022 – Belarusian authorities should drop the treason charges against journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva, release her immediately, and stop charging and imprisoning members of the press over their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “By charging imprisoned journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva with treason, Belarusian authorities show how far they are willing to…
Belarus court sentences journalist Yahor Martsinovich to 2.5 years in prison
Stockholm, March 15, 2022 – In response to Tuesday’s decision by the Zavodski District Court in Minsk, Belarus, to sentence journalist Yahor Martsinovich to two years and six months in prison, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “Today’s sentence against Yahor Martsinovich demonstrates once again how Belarus authorities will resort…
Belarus authorities sentence journalist Aleh Hruzdzilovich to prison; label more media ‘extremist’
Stockholm, March 11, 2022 – Belarus authorities should reverse their recent designations of German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), local independent news site Regiyanalnaya Gazeta, and three videos by Russian blogger Yuriy Dud as “extremist”; release journalist Aleh Hruzdzilovich, a former correspondent with U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Belarusian service known locally as…
Belarusian photojournalist Uladz Hrydzin sentenced to 13 days in jail
New York, February 8, 2022 – Belarusian authorities should immediately release journalist Uladz Hrydzin and allow him and the country’s media to work freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Monday, February 7, the Frunze district court in the capital Minsk sentenced Hrydzin, a freelance photojournalist who formerly contributed to the…
Belarusian journalist Aliaksandr Ivulin sentenced to 2 years in prison for protest coverage
New York, January 19, 2022 – In response to the sentencing of Belarusian journalist Aliaksandr Ivulin to two years imprisonment on Wednesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “Belarusian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Aliaksandr Ivulin and let all members of the press work freely and safely,” said…
Number of journalists behind bars reaches global high
Editor’s note: Numbers for each prison census are adjusted yearly as CPJ learns of arrests, releases, or deaths in prison. The numbers for CPJ’s 2021 census have been revised from 293 to 302 in accordance with this policy. For the most recent data, see cpj.org/data/imprisoned/ The number of journalists jailed around the world set another record…
In Belarus, Lukashenko’s vindictiveness reaches new heights
On May 23, Belarusian authorities caused a global outcry when they diverted a Lithuania-bound commercial flight to the Belarus capital of Minsk so they could arrest two passengers on the plane: self-exiled journalist Raman Pratasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega. This shocking tactic was seen as emblematic of just how far President Aleksandr Lukashenko is…