Belarus: CFWIJ Condemns Detention Of Former Journalist Ksenia Lutskina Over Charges Of Tax Evasion
Location: Belarus
Date: February 5, 2021
PHOTO CREDIT: AFP
A former journalist, Ksenia Lutskina, was detained over accusations of tax evasion. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the detention of journalists in Belarus as an attempt to suppress free speech.
Ksenia was detained on December 22, 2020 near the Central Department Store where she had gone shopping. That same day her house was raided by the police. Her equipment and documents were confiscated.
She worked for a channel called Belarus 2 and gave 15 years of her life to television. She resigned following the controversial presidential election in Belarus on August 9. She was about to create an alternative channel when she was detained.
“My 15 years at Belteleradiocompany were very different, very rich ... I am very glad that they were, I am glad for the meetings that have been and will be, I am grateful to those people with whom I worked, I was friends and will be friends. 15 years are over ... something new begins),” she said.
Not only Ksenia but also Belarus Press Club founder Yulia Slutskaya was detained over accusations of tax evasion.
A large number of media workers have been arrested after the presidential elections in Belarus last year. The Coalition For Women In Journalism followed the events unfold with great concern. Since the beginning of the protests, we documented at least 20 women journalists detained with three of them having their accreditation revoked.
While women journalists are not the sole target in the protests, the attacks against them must be recognized as women's contribution in the whole Eastern Europe region is very powerful.CFWIJ condemns the detention of women journalists because of practicing journalism. We urge authorities to ensure a safer environment for journalists.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
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