News
Convicted BelaPAN ex-director works in prison sewing shop
This is reported by the Pozirk Telegram channel.
Supreme Court dismissed Siarhei Satsuk’s appeal
Siarhei Satsuk will serve 8 years in prison – the Supreme Court upheld the sentence of the first-instance court. He will shortly be transferred to a correctional facility.
Special council to train journalists to be created at BSU
A special council uniting the heads of the state-run mass media will be created at the Belarusian State University, BelTA reports. They will supervise the training of journalists at the educational institution, Aliaksandr Lukashenka stated at a meeting with research and teaching staff on 9 February.
Prosecution requests 12-year sentence for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski
On January 9, the Lieninski District Court of Minsk started to hear the closing arguments in Viasna trial. The prosecution is seeking to sentence the Nobel Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski to 12 years in a penal colony.
Journalist Andrzej Poczobut sentenced to 8 years in prison
Today, February 8, Hrodna Regional Court Judge Dzmitry Bubenchyk sentenced journalist and Polish minority activist Andrzej Poczobut to eight years of imprisonment.
Narodnaya Volya SMM worker detained
The security forces detained Anastasia Sharkevich who administered the Narodnaya Volya Telegram channel, as reported by a pro-regime Telegram channel. Zerkalo informs that Sharkevich is accused of calling for blocking traffic, mass riots, and other illegal actions.
Andrei Bastunets lodges individual complaint to UN HRC over BAJ’s forced liquidation
The individual communication is filed under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
RFE/RL Belarus director resigns after 25 years
Aliaksandr Lukashuk, RFE/RL Belarus director, is leaving the agency, Radio Liberty reports.
Journalist Pavel Padabed taken into custody after 15 days of administrative detention
February 4 was to mark the release date of cameraman Pavel Padabed from 15-day administrative detention. However, the Belarusian Association of Journalists found out that he was transferred to Minsk pre-trial detention center and a criminal case was brought against him instead.
Viktar Malisheuski appointed new KYKY.org editor-in-chief
In an unusual utopian column, KYKY.org media announced that Viktar Malisheuski, a well-known Belarusian journalist, became the new editor-in-chief of the publication.
Final charges laid against media manager Kanstantsin Zalatykh
The Belarusian Association of Journalists was informed that on 31 January, the final indictment was brought against Kanstantsin Zalatykh, director of the Belorusy i Rynok newspaper. He has been in custody for eight months now. As lawyers of political prisoners are bound by strict conditions on non-disclosure pledges, they refrain from any comments.
List of “extremist” content updated: Ukrainian TV channel, film about Pavel Sharamet, popular pranker’s pages
The Ministry of Information updated the Republican Extremist Content List. New media from Belarus and Ukraine and certain video content were declared extremist.