Belarus: Mass Police Raid In An Escalation Of The Crackdown Against Journalists

Location: Belarus
Date: July 16, 2021

Police raided the homes of at least 15 journalists, six of whom were women. The journalists’ laptops, phones and equipment were also confiscated. Continuing crackdown against independent news outlets in Belarus is sharply escalating. A new wave of mass raids jeopardizes the lives of journalists. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) closely monitors the incidents in the country. We urge Lukashenko’s administration to end the oppression against journalists.

Security forces in Belarus repeatedly raided the offices and homes of independent journalists, expanding a new wave of crackdowns on opponents of longtime President Alexander Lukashenko. The police operation against journalists came two days after large-scale raids on human rights activists.

The office of US broadcaster Radio Liberty in the capital of Minsk was searched this morning. Simultaneous searches were also conducted to the homes of a journalist from the Polish TV channel Belsat and several local reporters. The police broke down the doors of the journalists' houses who could not be found in their homes and searched them. Among the six female journalists, Hanna Hayolta's house was searched and she was also detained.

List of women journalists whose homes were searched;

1. Halina Abakunchyk/ RFE/RL's Belarus Service

2. Khrystsina Charnyauskaya/ Independent journalist

3. Hanna Halyota/ Independent journalist

4. Milana Kharytonava/ Belsat TV

5. Lyubou Lunyova/ Belsat TV

6. Maryia Artsybashava/ Independent journalist

Authorities have shut down many independent media outlets and human rights organisations since protests began in August 2020 against an allegedly fraudulent presidential election. After a violent crackdown across the country, thousands of protesters were detained, several killed. Hundreds received prolonged prison sentences for the unrest.

Lukashenko still denies electoral fraud. He has been in power since 1994, claiming his sixth term in office, with 80 percent of the vote in last year's poll, according to official results.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is dismayed over this latest case of threats and violations against a women journalist in Belarus. It has become a norm in the country to not let critical voices breathe. Several journalists have either left the country or are suffering abuse in prisons under the present regime. CFWIJ has designed a detailed report containing all the major cases of press freedom violations in the country against women journalists. We demand Belarusian authorities to end repressing journalists and follow the set standards of press freedom.

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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