As another devastating year for media freedom comes to a close in Belarus, the International Press Institute (IPI) and our global network today condemn the government鈥檚 relentless efforts at prosecuting, jailing and otherwise silencing journalists, as part of a wider campaign aimed at eliminating all forms of dissent in the country.
In a little over two weeks, five journalists and media workers have been detained, prosecuted and put before courts to answer absurd charges reminiscent of Soviet-era practices. They are: Dzyanis Ivashyn, Larysa Shchyrakova, Iryna Slaunikava, Dzmitry Luksha, Henadz Mazheyka.
At least and media workers are currently being held in detention centres and penal colonies, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), which was by the country鈥檚 Supreme Court in August 2021.
Belarus also has the number of imprisoned journalists in the world, after China, Myanmar, Iran and Vietnam, according to reports.
IPI demands an end to this persecution and to governance by fear in Belarus, a trademark of Alexander Lukashenko especially following mass protests against his rule in August 2020.
In the most recent case on 20 December, the Belarusian Supreme Court a 13-year prison sentence for Dzyanis Ivashyn, who was found guilty of state treason. According to BAJ, his persecution could be linked to an article he published in 2021, in which he investigated the case of former Ukrainian security officials recruited into Belarus鈥� anti-riot police force.
On 6 December, police Larysa Shchyrakova, a long-time freelance journalist based in Homel, a major city in south-eastern Belarus. A little over a week later, BAJ informed that a criminal case for 鈥渄iscrediting the Republic of Belarus鈥� had been opened against Shchyrakova. No additional details were available on the accusations made against her. Suspects found guilty of 鈥渄iscrediting鈥� Belarus face up to four years in prison and a fine under article 369.1 of the country鈥檚 criminal code.
According to Barys Haretski, BAJ vice-president, Shchyrakova鈥檚 case is also serious because she does not reside in Minsk: 鈥淭he situation outside of the capital is particularly difficult, where the number of independent journalists and activists is lower鈥�, he explained in a phone conversation with the IPI. 鈥淚n Homel, this may only be a few dozen people鈥�.
鈥淥f course, Belarusian authorities prefer that independent journalists leave: this makes things easier for them鈥�, added Haretski. 鈥淟arysa decided to stay in Belarus out of patriotism, and because she wanted to look after her son鈥�, he explained.
Prior to her detention, Shchyrakova had been regularly harassed by police due to her activities, an anonymous board member of BAJ told IPI. Eventually security forces had her record a video in which she stated she was ending her career as a journalist, they added.
鈥�2022 has been another devastating year for media freedom in Belarus鈥�, IPI Europe Advocacy Officer Jamie Wiseman said. 鈥淒raconian legislation is making it nearly impossible for journalists to do their job. Laws which forbid 鈥榙iscrediting鈥� Belarus in practice mean that journalists can be jailed for criticizing the government in any form whatsoever.
鈥淲e demand that Belarus immediately revoke this and related legislation, which is aimed solely at silencing free press and undermining all dissenting voices, and demand that government and law enforcement authorities end their vindictive persecution of all forms of independent journalism鈥�.
Legal crackdown continues
On 6 December, the Supreme Court of Belarus also a five-year prison sentence earlier handed to Iryna Slaunikava by a regional court in Homel. On 16 December, the Ministry of Interior included Slaunikava in its list of persons and organizations legally recognized as 鈥渆xtremist鈥�.
The Belarusian journalist, who previously worked for Belsat TV, has been behind bars since October 2021. She stands accused of organizing and preparing actions that 鈥済rossly violate public order鈥� and of participating in an 鈥渆xtremist鈥� group. The group in question, according to Belarusian courts and prosecutors, is Belsat TV, an independent media outlet based in Poland. Actions which 鈥済rossly violate public order鈥� are reporting for this television channel.
According to Haretski, Slaunikava has been transferred to a penal colony for women in Homel, where she is expected to serve her sentence.
Similar charges were brought against Dzmitry Luksha, a Belarusian journalist who reported from the 2020 anti-government protests for Khabar 24, a Kazakhstani television channel. On 2 December, a court in Minsk Luksha to four years in prison for, again, 鈥渄iscrediting Belarus鈥� and 鈥渙rganizing or participating in gross violations of public order鈥�. The journalist was handed the prison term after broadcasting videos from anti-government protests for Khabar 24, which, according to prosecutors, contained 鈥渄eliberately false information鈥�.
On December 1, a court in Minsk against Henadz Mazheyka, a journalist at Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus.
Mazheyka stands accused of hate speech for interviewing a childhood friend of a man suspected of murder. Prosecutors interpreted the interview as apologetic of the murder.
According to Haretski, Mazheyka鈥檚 case is 鈥渋ncomprehensible鈥�, as authorities claim the journalist incited people to hatred by interviewing a woman who said the suspect behaved well at school. 鈥淭his makes no sense鈥�, said Haretski.
On 5 December, Mazheyka was also accused of Alexander Lukashenko. The basis for this accusation was Mazheyka鈥檚 participation, as a journalist, in a meeting with voters organized by a Belarusian member of parliament. One of the participants of this meeting was recorded using a curse word against Lukashenka, with prosecutors claiming this was Mazheyka. The journalist, however, produced evidence which he claims shows he was not the person who used the curse word.
Click here to read more of IPI鈥檚 advocacy work in Belarus