Belarus: Seven Women Journalists Detained, Three Remain Under Custody For Reporting Protests
Location: Belarus, Minsk
Date: October 8, 2020
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled by yet another serious breach of press freedom. On October 4, 16 journalists were detained in Belarus, seven of them being women. While four of the detained journalists who were impeded at work were released after verification of their documents at police stations; three of them still remain under custody and are awaiting trial.
The journalists were detained for “taking part in unauthorized events”. Since the elections neared; this provision of the law has been used against journalists in order to stifle the voice of free press.
Belarusian Association of Journalists documented over 100 cases of detention of journalists since August 9. Detained journalists were kept in horrifying conditions, raising concern globally. The journalists were also beaten and some were deliberately targeted with rubber bullets.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism has been following the events unfold with great concern. 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. Since the beginning of protests, we have documented at least 20 women journalists detained with three of them having their accreditation revoked.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism signed a joint statement with other international organizations calling for the EU agencies to reintroduce sanctions against Belarus given the deterioration of freedom of the press in the country.
On October 4, Belarusian police conducted several “operations” to prevent independent journalists from reporting the turmoil that the country has been pushed into due to undemocratic practices.
In the city of Homel, police detained Silnye Novosti reporter Nadzeya Puzhynskaya. She was detained near the detention center where she came to bring care packages for her detained colleagues - Anna and Dzianis Yakshtas. Nadzeya was charged with "participation in an unauthorized event".
In Vitebsk, TUT.by and BelaPAN journalist Tatsiana Matveyeva was arrested but was later released after “preventive conversations” that sound like threats made to the journalist to prevent her from further speaking out.
Meanwhile in the capital city, Minsk; Narodnaya Volya and TUT.BY journalists Katsiaryna Hardzeyeva and Daria Sapranetskayawere were detained. The police released them after their press ID check and "preventive conversations". Later Daria Sapranetskaya received a call from the Kastrychnitski district police department. The officer told her to return to the police station. A little later police and Omon officers rang the bell of her apartment, all in balaclavas, Daria reported. Daria promised that she would come to the police department on Monday, to get acquainted with the administrative protocol the police had compiled on her. She did not open the door, but live-streamed from her apartment.
In Babruisk, the police detained Maryna Mauchanava and Alesia Latsinskaya who both have underage children will have to wait until Monday to stand before a judge.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism finds the way women journalists are treated in Belarus, in the 21st century utterly abhorrent. We once again call upon all EU agencies to act with conscience and in a way that prioritizes EU fundamental values and applies sanctions against the Belarus government which treats its citizens and especially its journalists in a condemnable way.
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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