On October 2, the Foreign Ministry adopted new rules on foreign mass media accreditation in Belarus and annulled all previously issued accreditations. Some said their equipment was destroyed. World Report 2018 - Belarus. Seven journalists – Andrei Aliaksandrau, Yulia Slutskaya, Siarhei Alsheuski, Ala Sharko, Piotr Slutsky, Kseniya Lutskina, and Dzianis Ivashyn – are awaiting trial behind bars on criminal charges of violating public order, tax evasion, and interfering with police work. Court hearings started in November and were suspended pending TUT.BY’s appeals about the warnings. The court’s ruling says Dolgaya “called for fair elections while wearing a panda costume.” August 29, 2020. Under the Belarus’s Law on Mass Media, after two warnings in one year, a court can strip a media outlet of its accreditation. Human Rights Watch: Peaceful Protesters’ Arrests Reached Unprecedented Level In Belarus In 2017. Belarus should not extradite or deport the athlete, Parviz Tursunov, or otherwise facilitate his forced return. Two days later, a court sentenced them to seven days in detention on administrative charges of “participating in an unsanctioned mass gathering” because they livestreamed the gathering. The authorities also warned media outlets about alleged mistakes in their reporting and criticism of the government. Our researchers investigate human rights crises in some 90 countries around the world. Wherever brutality hides, we will find it. rules on foreign mass media accreditation in Belarus, illegal production and distribution of mass media products. The human rights situation in Belarus continued to deteriorate in 2006. In recent months, Belarusian authorities deported at least two journalists with Russian citizenship, apparently in retaliation for their work in Belarus. “The authorities should guarantee that all journalists in Belarus are able to carry out their work without fear of reprisals and without abusive restrictions.” At least 100 were given short administrative jail terms between December and March, while others were fined on administrative charges of “violating the rules on mass gatherings,” “disobeying the police,” and “violating the laws on mass media.” February 18, 2021 Dispatches Two Journalists in Belarus Jailed in Retaliation for Their Work . Belarusian state-owned printing houses refused to print at least five independent newspapers. Judicial and Police Harassment The journalists reported being summoned for police questioning, threatened with criminal charges, and subjected to home and office searches and seizure of their equipment. On November 1, a Belsat cameraman, Dmitry Soltan, was reporting on the same protest, wearing a press vest, when the police knocked him down, kicking and beating him with truncheons while the camera continued recording. Dolgaya said she spent at least two days in a cold cell, awaiting trial. Belarusian authorities should not extradite or deport the activist, Farhod Odinaev, or otherwise facilitate his forced return to Tajikistan. She remains in custody. Human Rights Watch, New York, New York. HRW – Human Rights Watch World Report 2019 - Belarus In 2018, civil society activists, lawyers, rights groups, and independent media continued to face government harassment and pressure. Several journalists told Human Rights Watch that “press” vests felt like a target on their backs rather than a symbol of protection. She said that the police questioned Dolgaya about her work as a journalist, threatened her with criminal charges, and issued her a citation for allegedly participating in two unsanctioned mass protests, one of which she was reporting on. They ran the livestream from an apartment with the owners’ permission. On March 12, law enforcement officers detained Dzianis Ivashyn, an investigative journalist working with Navy Chas newspaper, and searched his apartment, seizing all his devices. Government Human Rights Bodies: The government took minor steps to implement the Human Rights Action Plan adopted in 2016 to outline, in the government’s words, “main activities for us to implement our international obligations” on human rights. Joint Statement on Belarus: End Reprisals Against Human Rights Defenders, “You Can't See Them, but They’re Always There”, Abusive Israeli Policies Constitute Crimes of Apartheid, Persecution, Civilians Harmed in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Border Clashes, US: Pass PRO Act to Empower Workers, Protect Rights, Covid-19 Fueling Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia Worldwide, was unjustly stripped of its media credentials. Luniova, a journalist with 25 years of experience, was previously arrested by riot police on December 7 while reporting on a protest in Minsk. They should stop prosecuting, harassing, and otherwise pressuring journalists who are carrying out their work.” Possession of Extremist Material in Kyrgyzstan, Censorship and Freedom of the Media in Uzbekistan, Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in 90 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice. 3,161 were here. In December, Information Minister Igor Lutskiy went so far as to claim that Belarus is fighting an information war aimed at destroying the state, smearing independent media working in the country. A video clip from the courtroom captured Dziashuk filming the room, and when his face is visible he is not shouting. The authorities summoned the editor of 1reg.by, Pavel Daylid, on December 24 for questioning about the case, which 1reg.by had covered. The raids also targeted the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), a human rights organization providing assistance to journalists in Belarus. In August, the state-owned Belarusian Print House refused to print these outlets, allegedly due to technical issues. The Belarusian Association of Journalists said that between August 2020 and March 2021, the authorities detained about 400 journalists on administrative charges. A flawed presidential poll in March led to the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenka for a third term. The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch has presented an annual report on the human rights situation in the world. Foreign reporters must be citizens of the country where their media employer is registered, posing challenges for some international media outlets. “Belarusian authorities should stop pretending that freedom of expression is a threat to national security,” Williamson said. On October 9, law enforcement officers detained a REFORM.by journalist, Evgeniya Dolgaya, next to her house, in front of her eight-year-old daughter. Help us continue to fight human rights abuses. On October 12, after she was fined, a court released her and Dolgaya fled Belarus fearing criminal prosecution in retaliation for her work. For detailed accounts, please see below. Yakupov, a Russian citizen, was deported to Russia that day and forbidden entry to Belarus for 10 years. Ivashyn’s wife told Belarusian Association of Journalists that the search warrant was issued on allegations of spreading an officer’s personal data. Two days earlier, Dziashuk was filming at the trial of an activist, Vitold Ashurko, when spectators started shouting “Shame!” in response to Ashurko’s sentence. From August to September, the Information Ministry issued four warnings to TUT.BY for “spreading false information” over its reporting on such issues as election fraud and a police raid at the apartment of TUT.BY’s editor. The project was scheduled to begin operating in January, but it did not. Tax Evasion (Article 243), On December 22, police detained five employees of the Belarus Press Club, an independent organization working to protect press freedoms, in relation to a criminal tax evasion investigation. A week earlier, police had searched her home, seized her electronic devices, and detained her. Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich, right, and Dr. Artsiom Sorokin attend a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus, 19 February, 2021. Authorities across Belarus arbitrarily detained at least 700 people in March 2017 in connection with peaceful protests, Human Rights Watch said today. and handed Sorokin a two-year suspended sentence and a fine. In the interview, Sokolovsky alleged that the first deputy interior minister, Aleksander Barsukov, had punched him twice when he was in detention. The UN Human Rights Council, which will hold an urgent debate on Belarus during the session that will run from September 14 to October 6, and the OSCE should promptly open inquiries. Human Right Watch defends the rights of people in 90 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice. Human Constanta, a Belarusian human rights organization that is providing legal assistance to Odinaev in Belarus, said that Russian authorities had conducted an inspection of Pomoshch’ Migrantam in 2013, at the behest of the Tajik authorities. Under the new regulations, foreign journalists can work in Belarus, even on short reporting trips, only if they are newly accredited. On Democracy and Human Rights in Belarus David J. Kramer, Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Statement Before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Washington, DC September 16, 2008. The majority, including more than 100 journalists and 60 human rights activists, were detained in connection with peaceful protests marking Belarus’ annual Freedom Day on March 25. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. Personal stories told by the families of independent journalists arrested in retaliation for their peaceful legitimate work. If convicted, they face a maximum three-year prison sentence. Human Rights Watch, Ms. Laila Matar Amnesty International, Mr. Kevin Whelan Ingenieurs du Monde, Mr. Zachary Margulis Ms. Anaïs Marin, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus (Final Remarks) More Information. In early September, investigators summoned Martsinovich for questioning, demanding that he reveal the author of the article. Those condemned to death are executed by a shot to the head. The police also searched the homes of his mother and grandmother. 22.01.2018, 13:31 ; 5,096; PHOTOS: SVABODA.ORG. At least one newspaper that switched to printing on its own said that on one occasion, law enforcement confiscated an entire print run without any legal documents sanctioning such action. “Belarusian authorities are targeting human rights … We are waiting for you. In October, Belarusian Post, the country’s postal service, refused to include in 2021 subscription packets the independent news outlets BelGazeta, Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi, Narodnaya Volya, and Svobodniye Novosti Plius. The authorities threatened to deprive at least three journalists of custody of their children. But on January 29, the department summoned for questioning three people who were working for Orsha.eu in relation to a criminal investigation. Investigators searched her apartment, seizing laptops and memory sticks, she said. Katsiaryna Barysevich, a journalist for the independent TUT.BY news website enters a court room during a trial in Minsk on 19 February, 2021. An independent journalist and political opposition activist risks torture or other ill-treatment if he is forcibly returned from Belarus to Tajikistan, a group of eleven human rights groups said today. He said he was later diagnosed with a perforated eardrum and a severe ear infection that resulted from it: The entire time I had my “press” badge dangling around my neck, and I kept showing it to them, but they reacted with a fair amount of profanity. — Human Rights Watch World Report 2017. Bandarenka’s sister said that during the trial, which was closed, relatives testified that they had given Barysevich permission to publish the medical data. On January 15,  First Deputy Interior Minister Gennady Kazakevich claimed that Aliaksandrau and Zlobina had been financing protesters by paying their fines with money from BYHELP, a fund established to assist victims of repression in Belarus. She temporarily fled Belarus, fearing prosecution. The police notified him he was a suspect in connection with a criminal libel case. Stripping Accreditation or Registration Journalist Evgeniya Dolgaya holds a poster “hands off pandas” in support of the defendants in the so-called PandaDoc case. On November 24, Belarusian migration police deported a Russian citizen, Roman Popkov, a MBKh Media journalist, “in the interests of public security.” On November 7, law enforcement had detained Popkov while he was reporting on a women’s protest in Minsk. Officials said the raids were part of a criminal investigation into unsanctioned protests and appear to equate providing legal assistance to detained protesters with organizing protests. In October, the Department of Financial Investigations opened a tax evasion investigation against the owner of the Orsha.eu website, Ihar Kazmerchak, in relation to a shop he owns. In March, the authorities questioned the group’s leader, Andrey Bastunets, and its deputy director, Barys Haretski, as witnesses in a case. Police in Belarus have arbitrarily arrested journalists, bloggers, and political activists ahead of the August 9, 2020 presidential election and pressed charges against two potential candidates. Law enforcement officials also raided the newspaper’s office that day, and seized all the equipment. Please give now to support our work, Stop Prosecutions, Guarantee Freedom of Press. Belarus: Crackdown on Political Activists, Journalists | Human Rights Watch On January 19, Information Minister Igor Lutsky said that the authorities continue monitoring TUT.BY’s website and warned that it could be blocked if it violates media or other laws. The official blamed Soltan for allegedly provoking the guard. Belarusian authorities wrongly equate reporting on unauthorized demonstrations with participation in them, particularly if the reporter works for an outlet that the authorities refuse to grant accreditation, Human Rights Watch said. Breaching Medical Confidentiality (Article 178), On November 19, the Prosecutor General’s office opened a criminal case against a TUT.BY journalist, Katsiaryna Barysevich, and Artsiom Sorokin, a doctor, who spoke up about Raman Bandarenka, a protest activist beaten to death in November in Minsk, allegedly by plainclothes police officers. Between late September and March, Belarusian authorities opened at least 18 criminal cases against journalists, apparently in reprisal for their work. She felt unwell after she was taken to Okrestina. On March 19, Ivashyn was indicted and will be held for at least two months in pretrial detention. Belarus has an obligation under international law not to unduly prevent journalists from doing their job, including reporting on unsanctioned protests. On November 2, a court in Minsk sentenced Soltan to 13 days in detention for violating rules on mass gatherings and disobeying the police for reporting on the November 1 protest. At least one newspaper had to temporarily close due to a threat of criminal prosecution, raids, and confiscated equipment. Interference with the Work of a Law Enforcement Officer (Article 365) Join our movement today. They should also continue to protect journalists, including by providing greater assistance to journalists under threat. “These raids are part of a blatant intimidation campaign,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. What Detained Protesters Endured at the Hand of Police. Severe restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, of association and of peaceful assembly remained in place. Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Belarus (Final Remarks) One journalist is under house arrest, accused of insulting the president. Stop Prosecutions, Guarantee Freedom of Press, OSCE, UN Human Rights Council Inquiries Needed, Arrests, Criminal Charges, Police Beatings Ahead of August 9 Presidential Vote, Olympic Officials Should Ensure Reporters’ Safety, Parliament Should Reject the Bills, Guarantee Media Freedom, Families of Arrested Reporters Tell Their Stories, Interactive Dialogue on Human Rights Situation in Belarus, Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Daria Chultsova sentenced to two years in prison, Countrywide Raids Target Top Rights Groups, Activists, Journalists, Arrests, Torture of Peaceful Protesters Follow Disputed Election, Online News Outlet TUT.BY Stripped of Media Credentials. Protesters have been demanding fair elections and justice for abuses since August 9, 2020, when the official results of the presidential election were announced. © 2021 RAMIL NASIBULIN/BELTA/AFP via Getty Images. In January, police searched the homes of two more 1reg.by journalists in connection with the case. At least one media outlet was unjustly stripped of its media credentials for violating the media law. On December 31, he was indicted. Later that day, the investigator notified Dmitriyev that he was a suspect in a criminal case on violating public order charges in relation to the protest he was reporting on. While she was in detention, an unidentified official questioning Dolgaya accused her of being a bad mother and threatened that her daughter would be sent to an orphanage. On December 25, the police placed him under house arrest. The investigation springs from an interview in Nasha Niva with Vlad Sokolovsky, one of two DJs prosecuted for playing the song “We Want a Change!” at a public event before the August 9 election. On February 8, the police again detained Soltan, together with a Belsat journalist, Liubov Luniova, when they were interviewing passers-by in Minsk. Our researchers investigate human rights crises in some 90 countries around the world. The crackdown on journalists is part of the government’s efforts to silence media reporting on human rights violations and peaceful, countrywide protests. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. The newspaper’s staff continues to publish online, Volodashchuk said: [After the death of] the chief editor, publisher, and my husband Viktor Volodashchuk, my son and I have been leading this business together – our newspaper, our brainchild… which was taken from us in one day. Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808, Deputy Director, Europe and Central Asia Division, Associate Director, Europe and Central Asia Division, New Laws Further Stifle Freedom of Speech in Belarus, Belarus: Crackdown on Independent Journalism, Witness: Journalists Wait for Justice in Belarus, Belarus: Systematic Beatings, Torture of Protesters, Belarus: Crackdown on Political Activists, Journalists, Belarus: Media Under Attack as European Games Loom, Joint Statement on Belarus: End Reprisals Against Human Rights Defenders, HRC46: Joint NGO letter addressing human rights crisis in Belarus, Belarus: UN Human Rights Body Should Strengthen Scrutiny, Reporting on Belarus, Two Journalists in Belarus Jailed in Retaliation for Their Work, Belarus Escalates Crackdown on Independent Journalism. “Instead of ensuring justice for sweeping police brutality and other abuses, Belarusian authorities are prosecuting journalists reporting on sensitive issues,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Belarus: Systematic Beatings, Torture of Protesters International Inquiry, UN Human Rights Council Action Needed. Authorities have arbitrarily prosecuted dozens of journalists on a variety of grounds and in June 2018 the government adopted further restrictions on internet freedoms. On November 9, a Slonim investigator notified Anna Volodashchuk, publisher of Slonimskaya newspaper, that she was a witness in a criminal case on insulting a public official on a Telegram channel. Three journalists – Katsiaryna Barysevich, Katsiaryna Andreyeva (Bakhvalava), and Darya Chultsova – were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six months to two years. In December, Belarusian Post sued Narodnaya Volya for failing to supply the printed issues since the end of August, when the printing house refused to print the newspaper, despite the Narodnaya Volya offered to supply their issues printed by a private printing house. Beatings and Ill-Treatment in Detention. On December 22, law enforcement officers detained Siarhei Hardziyevich, a journalist with 1reg.by, an independent outlet that covers news in the Brest region. On December 30, they closed the case. Tuesday 15 September 2020. While serving his sentence at Okrestina, Soltan was taken for a “preventive conversation” with a prison official. On March 4, the investigator questioned him again. On 20 January, Yury Dziashuk, a freelance journalist, was detained for 72 hours in Lida and charged with “disturbing public order” for allegedly shouting in a courtroom. When police took Dmitriyev to the station, he reiterated that he was a journalist and asked to notify the Central Internal Affairs Department’s press service about his detention. Criminal Charges All other Belarusian printing houses, the vast majority of which are state-owned, also refused to print the newspaper. Belarusian authorities should immediately and unconditionally free Andreyeva, Chultsova, and Barysevich, and quash the verdicts against them, and free Slutskaya, Slutsky, Sharko, Alsheuski, Lutskina, Aliaksandrou and Ivashyn and drop all charges against them. The officers destroyed the camera and confiscated the memory card. Since the presidential election, Brestskaya Gazeta’s employees also faced arbitrary detentions, online threats, and police harassment: Even now people keep calling us, asking whether the newspaper will get printed. After Daylid left the police station, he realized that the Viber group he administered, where Hardziyevich had allegedly posted the insult, had been deleted from his smartphone, which had been in a locker at the police station during the interrogation. On December 31, Slutskaya, Alsheuski, Sharko, and cameraman Piotr Slutsky were charged with “grand tax evasion,” and they remain in pretrial custody. When she finally was taken to a hospital, Luniova was diagnosed with a hypertensive crisis. The investigation is pending. The government continued to refuse co-operation with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus. They searched his home and confiscated all devices for allegedly insulting the president in a message to a public Viber group with 5,000 members. Dmitry Soltan shows bruises still visible on his stomach sustained during his 15 days in detention. But on March 2, the Moscow District Court sentenced Barysevich to six months in prison and a fine and handed Sorokin a two-year suspended sentence and a fine. Belarus: UN Human Rights Body Should Strengthen Scrutiny, Reporting on Belarus . After TUT.BY lost these appeals, hearings resumed. On March 24, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution condemning the “arbitrary arrests and detention of opposition members, journalists and media workers,” and the “prison sentences handed down to media workers for performing their professional duties” and calling for the immediate release of “all political prisoners, journalists and other media workers.” Belarus’ international partners should continue to press the government to end threats, attacks, and reprisals against journalists and should call for those responsible for grave violations, including torture and ill-treatment, to be held accountable, Human Rights Watch said. Both were charged with hooliganism and sentenced to 15 and 10 days in detention, respectively, for allegedly insulting officers at the station. Human Right Watch defends the rights of people in 90 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice. He was also notified that he was a suspect in a criminal case on charges of organizing activities violating public order. Volodashchuk said she did not know what the alleged insult was. On November 11, the Brest printing house stated that it would refuse to print Brestskaya Gazeta starting January 1 after 18 years of cooperation, allegedly for technical reasons. Soltan was later diagnosed with a dislocated clavicle, torn ligaments in the left shoulder, and bruises on the head. The Belarusian authorities should respect freedom of expression and assembly, Human Rights Watch said. Open Video Chapters. At least four people were executed and four people were sentenced to death. (Moscow) – Belarusian authorities have escalated repression against independent journalists in the past five months, Human Rights Watch said today. On November 13, the deputy chief editor of Narodnaya Volya stated that riot police confiscated all print copies of the newspaper. Soltan says he was beaten on the stomach and lower back with a truncheon by a guard at the detention facility Okrestina. Lutskina worked at Belarus One, the state television channel, but quit in August and joined the Coordination Council, the political opposition body. On December 3, a court stripped TUT.BY of its media credentials. The government continues to severely restrict the activities of the media, political opposition, and human rights groups. Human Rights Watch interviewed 19 independent journalists reporting on Belarus, their lawyers, and relatives. On November 2, he was sentenced to 10 days in detention for violating administrative rules on mass gatherings and disobeying the police. HRW – Human Rights Watch. In November 2016 and April 2017 respectively, authorities executed Belarus: unchanged oppression of human rights necessitates continuation of UN mandate, Special Rapporteur says GENEVA (26 June 2018) – The departing UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti, is urging the Human Rights Council to continue the mandate because the country’s leadership shows no sign of stopping its oppression of the rights and freedoms of its citizens. On November 29, Barysevich and Sorokin were indicted for “breaching medical confidentiality that led to grave consequences.” They say, “We are worried about you, hold on there. 2.7M likes. This year’s EU Parliament Prize, recognising defenders of human rights, was awarded to the Belarus opposition. Journalists Ekaterina Andreyeva (Bakhvalova), right, and Daria Chultsova embrace inside the defendants' cage during a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus, February 9, 2021. February 17, 2021 News Release Belarus: Crackdown Escalates . Join our movement today. Reporters without Borders, an independent media rights group, has called Belarus Europe’s most dangerous country for journalists due to the government repression against independent journalists peacefully doing their legitimate work. We must bring what is happening in Belarus to the world's attention and hear from those on the ground. Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of the Commission, I am honored to appear before you today to discuss the state of democracy and human rights in Belarus and … They took Dmitriyev to a police vehicle, where riot police officers beat and kicked him. Authorities do not inform families of the execution date or the burial place. Mr. Yury Ambrazevich. Their work has led to significant change. But the staff only called an ambulance after Luniova’s cellmates pressed the emergency button more than five times: Women were saying, “We have a journalist, she feels unwell. “They should drop bogus criminal charges and immediately free those behind bars. Print and Post Subscription Refusals Donate Now Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. There are serious and credible concerns that the February raids foreshadow potential new bogus criminal charges against journalists. The police claimed the department’s response was that they should prosecute him. Medical documents leaked to TUT.BY, a major independent news outlet, proved he had not been intoxicated, and videos shot the day of Bandarenka’s killing showed men chasing and beating Bandarenka and bundling him into a van. Civil society activists, lawyers, rights groups, and independent media face government harassment and pressure. The couple remains in custody pending the investigation. On December 28, after two weeks of treatment, a court sentenced her to a fine for “violating the rules on public gatherings.” Interactive Dialogue on Human Rights Situation in Belarus. They searched Kazmerchak’s shop and apartment. And I was told, “You are not allowed [to have them].”. Organizing Activities Violating Public Order (Article 342), On November 15, Katsiaryna Andreyeva (Bakhvalava), a journalist with the Poland-based broadcaster Belsat, and her colleague and camerawoman, Darya Chultsova, livestreamed a protest in Minsk demanding an investigation into Bandarenka’s death. Call the ambulance.” And the guard replied, “Yeah, but she was not feeling bad when going to the [protest on the] square? Livestream from an apartment with the case for 10 years entry to Belarus for 10 years investigator questioned him.. A panda costume. ” August 29, 2020 death penalty and relatives in and! Providing assistance to journalists in Belarus, their lawyers, and when his face is visible is... 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Three-Year prison sentence in detention respect freedom of expression and assembly, human rights Watch said chief editor Narodnaya.