Belarusian Association of Journalists

Uladz Hrydzin was sentenced on 7 February after being found guilty of refusing to follow police orders to let them enter and search his apartment.

In early November, the Belarusian authorities deemed the BelaPAN news agency and the Belsat TV channel ‘extremist’ organisations, thereby putting journalists, readers, subscribers, and followers of these media organisations at risk of criminal prosecution.

The ruling means that a person or entity will face penalties for distributing any piece of the two websites’ content.

The authorities have launched proceedings to liquidate dozens of organizations that work on a wide array of issues ranging from freedom of expression to disability rights to providing assistance to senior citizens.

“The BAJ is not only a legal address and a registration license but 25 years of successful work that keeps going. This is more than 1,300 media people who remain members of the BAJ despite pressure. We are confident that our community will not disappear” – BAJ

Multiple journalists, prominent news organisations and rights organisations were targeted in raids on 16 July as the government’s crackdown on independent media and civil society continued.

The Ministry has placed BAJ under inspection and demands that it submit thousands of documents going back to January 2018, including membership lists, records of incoming and outgoing messages, financial records, minutes of meetings and more.

On 23 May, blogger Raman Pratasevich was detained by Belarusian security forces at Minsk National Airport, following the forced landing of a Ryanair passenger plane.