It’s been a month since the military affairs analyst Aliaksandr Alesin was released on recognizance from KGB detention. The Belarusian Association of Journalists’ press service interviewed the journalist about developments in the case.

Belarusian authorities are being called upon to drop charges against journalists who were accused by the police of holding an unauthorized action. The charges were brought against the group after they took a picture in Vitebsk to support the European Federation of Journalists’ Stand Up For Journalism Day.

Elena Tonkacheva, a famous human rights defender and head of the Centre for Legal Transformation, Lawtrend, was informed that her residence permit in Belarus was annulled. The formal reason was several fines for exceeding speed limit.

A summary of free expression cases by The Belarusian Association of Journalists documents the period from 25 August – 21 September 2014. The cases include the arrest of an activist for owning “extremist” literature, and the detention of journalists covering a civil society initiative.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists declares it unlawful to prosecute reporters whose names and materials appear in foreign mass media. Pressure on these journalists bears clear characteristics of threat and blackmailing, and contradicts national legislative norms.

Civil society groups call for an end to repression of IFEX member the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety, and urge UNESCO to take action to ensure free expression in Azerbaijan.

More than 100 civil society organisations ask the UN Secretary General to recognise the importance of free expression rights in the sustainable development goals.