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Can a journalist be punished for their professional activities?

Turns out, that yes. On Thursday, February 18, a court in Belarus sentenced Belsat TV journalists Katsiaryna Andreyeva (Bachwalava) and Daria Chultsova to two years in prison for “organizing riots” in Minsk, after Raman Bandarenka was beaten to death by the Lukashenka regime officers. The journalists live-streamed commemorating another victim of the protests from the yard where he was kidnapped. Despite the absurd accusations and lack of evidence of “directing protesters”, the court in Minsk decided that two young journalists of the Belsat TV channel will spend the next two years in a penal colony. This decision violates not only the generally accepted principles of justice, but even the Belarusian law!

Such a court ruling is a clear a signal to the Belarusian journalistic community that showing the truth about Lukashenka's regime crimes in the media, reporting on the protests and giving the public an honest picture of the current political crisis in Belarus will be treated as anti-state activity and will be punished. It is a show trial designed to intimidate journalists and, consequently, to cut off the entire Belarusian nation and the international community from information about what is happening in the country ruled by Lukashenka for more than a quarter of a century.

Human rights organizations have recognized the detention, imprisonment, and trial of Ms. Andreyeva and Ms. Chultsova as politically motivated, the journalists are political prisoners. There is another criminal case against a journalist – Katsiaryna Barysevich from the internet portal TUT.by. The journalist was accused of revealing medical secrets after she reported that contrary to the claims of the authorities there was no alcohol in the blood of Raman Bandarenka, murdered by the police. This shows that the mass repressions are ongoing, they direct at an increasing number of people, including media professionals if they do not comply with the “official” line dictated by the organized criminal group de facto governing Belarus.

We therefore call on the international community – politicians, human rights defenders, media workers and all those who have freedom of expression at heart – to show solidarity and support for Katsia and Dasha. We appeal to the leaders of the free world – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – use all the available means to help release the journalists, support the rule of law and accelerate the resolution of the political crisis in Belarus. These means, among others may include putting pressure on the regime by strengthening sanctions on Lukashenka and his circle.

Aliaksandr Lukashenka has repeatedly shown that he is incapable of dialogue, and the only language he understands is the language of power. Therefore, to counter the repression of independent-minded, free Belarusians, it is necessary to take decisive action to stop the lawlessness perpetrated by Lukashenka's regime.