The group is committed to advocating for discussions on the situation in Belarus at the international level, providing support for independent media, and protecting journalists.
This is a translation of the original article, published in February 2023.
Representatives from organisations including IFEX, the European Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, Article 19, Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, Journalists For Justice, PEN America, and PEN Belarus participated with the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) in a meeting of the Belarus Freedom of Expression Coordination Group, held in Brussels on 23 and 24 February 2023. BAJ was represented at the meeting by the deputy chairmen of the organization, Oleg Ageev and Boris Goretsky.
The Group was established by international organisations with the assistance of BAJ and PEN Belarus, shortly after the country’s mass protests began, in 2020. The Group is a source of information about the situation in Belarus for many international and interstate institutions and participates in solidarity actions. BAJ strives to provide the Group with relevant information about the situation with independent media and journalists in Belarus, its needs, and what joint actions should be implemented.
“International solidarity is an important moral support for many Belarusian media workers who have been repressed, are behind bars, forced to leave the country or live in fear in Belarus. Therefore, meetings at the international level are an important platform where we can explain what kind of actions by the international community are most important for independent Belarusian media today, what kind of support Belarusian media workers expect from the international community, and how together we can help our colleagues to feel more secure. That is why we will continue to communicate actively with our international partners and look forward to coordinating our efforts. It is also essential for us that the international community continues to discuss the situation in Belarus, and those discussions remain on the agenda in Europe and worldwide. It will demonstrate that our colleagues who stay behind bars in Belarus are not forgotten.” – Boris Goretsky, Belarusian Association of Journalists
The meeting included discussions around public actions in support of Belarusian cultural workers, who are also suppressed by the government.
