Belarus Media Is Under ‘Wave of Repression’ 

Belarus has never had a strong tradition for media freedom but a mass crackdown after contested elections last year has made an already repressive situation even more dire, local journalists say.     More than 500 journalists have been detained since August last year, when long-term leader President Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory and the opposition leader was forced to flee.     Collectively, they have spent upwards of 1,200 days in jail, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ). A further 60 journalists were injured as police violently shut down protests.    State-owned printers have refused to print at least five newspapers, one print run was confiscated, websites were blocked, and the largest web portal TUT.by was stripped of its media status, watchdogs have said.    “This is very sad both for journalists and for human rights activists. We are faced with a wave of repression unprecedented in the history of independent Belarus,” said Boris Goretsky, deputy chair of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ). 

“If authorities think that our association or some human rights organization likes the fact that our country holds such a low place in the international rating of press freedom, then they are greatly mistaken,” Goretsky added.    The harsh response to coverage of the contested elections and protests resulted in a five-point decline for the country in the world press freedom index. It currently ranks 158 out of 180 countries, where 1 is the most free, according to data published by media watchdog Reporters without Borders (RSF).    The arrests of journalists and repression of citizens in Belarus were also cited in a resolution adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives on April 21, which condemned the violent crackdown.  “The detentions of journalists are still happening, although not on such a massive scale as in the fall, because there are no protests now,” Goretsky said. “But on March 25, we had a small street rally, and the police detained all the participants, especially the journalists. These are the conditions that we now have to live and work in.”     Belarus has defended its response to protests. In an interview last month, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said actions by law enforcement were an “absolutely adequate and necessary” way to deal with protests, which he characterized as “non-peaceful” and an attempted coup.    Makei added that anyone detained unjustly had been released.   Repressive conditions    Two cases cited by the BAJ chair are the conviction of Belsat TV journalists Daria Chultsova and Katsiaryna Andreyeva, who were sentenced to two years in prison on “organizing activities that violate public order,” and the case of Igor Losik, a blogger and consultant for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), who has spent more than 300 days in pre-trial detention.   Losik, who faces charges of participating in the organization of mass riots, went on a hunger strike for six weeks.    RFE/RL and VOA are both independent outlets funded by the U.S. Congress.