Journalists In Belarus: A Fight For Freedom And Truth

Journalists in Belarus have been subject to harsh treatment by the country's authoritarian regime, with several high-profile cases of detention, arrest, and coercion in recent years. One of the most notable incidents involved Roman Protasevich, a dissident journalist who was arrested in May 2021 after a forced landing of a Ryanair flight. Protasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, were detained on charges of helping to coordinate anti-government protests. They were held in a Belarusian detention centre and later placed under house arrest, with Protasevich making several appearances on state television, confessing to crimes, and praising President Alexander Lukashenko. The international community responded with outrage, and the EU imposed sanctions on Belarus, including banning Belarusian airlines from its airspace. Another case involved Andrei Skurko, a jailed journalist who required urgent hospitalisation for coronavirus-induced pneumonia. The Belarusian Association of Journalists advocated for Skurko's transfer to a civilian hospital, highlighting the harsh conditions and lack of medical care in detention. These incidents are part of a broader crackdown on civil society activists, journalists, and independent media outlets by the Lukashenko regime, which has been widely condemned by human rights organisations and the international community.

Journalist Roman Protasevich was arrested in Belarus after a forced landing

On 23 May 2021, journalist Roman Protasevich was arrested in Belarus after a forced landing of a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius. Protasevich, a critic of veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko, was arrested along with his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, when authorities intercepted their flight and forced it to land in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, causing international outrage.

The 26-year-old Protasevich, who was editor of the opposition Nexta channel on the Telegram messaging app, stands accused of organising anti-government riots and faces serious charges, including terrorism offences. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in jail.

The diversion of the flight outraged the EU, UK, and other Western nations, who reacted by banning Belarusian airlines from their airspace and imposing sanctions on key sectors of the country's economy. They also urged airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace.

After his arrest, Protasevich was held in a KGB prison in Minsk and later placed under house arrest. He has since made several appearances on Belarusian state television, where he has confessed to his alleged crimes and denied being mistreated, although his family and human rights campaigners claim that he was coerced and appeared under duress.

Protasevich and Sapega's arrests are part of a wider crackdown on civil society activists and independent media by the authoritarian Lukashenko regime, which has seen the arrest and detention of numerous journalists and the targeting of non-governmental organisations.

Protasevich's confession was forced, according to his family

The family of Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich says he was forced into confessing on TV to organising anti-government protests. Protasevich, 26, was arrested in Minsk in May 2021 after his Ryanair flight to Lithuania was diverted due to an alleged bomb threat. He was moved to house arrest in June 2021.

In a tearful appearance on Belarusian state TV, Protasevich praised President Alexander Lukashenko and admitted to attempting to topple him. Marks were visible on his wrists, which human rights and opposition campaigners say are evidence of torture. Protasevich also said he had criticised President Lukashenko a lot but "began to understand that he was doing the right thing and I certainly respect him".

Protasevich's father told AFP TV:

> I know my son very well and I believe that he would never say such things. They broke him and forced him to say what was needed... No one should believe these words because they were beaten out, through abuse and torture of my son.

Protasevich's assertions were echoed by exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who said:

> You should understand in what conditions these people are, and they are for sure being tortured and violated, and we shouldn't believe any of the words of these people, including Roman Protasevich, because you have to understand how they are forced to say.

Protasevich's girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, was also moved to house arrest. Sapega's lawyer, Anton Gashinsky, said:

> I think that after the Sochi meeting between two presidents we got these positive movements in Sofia's case. We were waiting for something of such kind to happen. I think it's the first step towards her complete freedom. I can call it a positive step.

In response to the arrests, the European Union banned Belarusian state carrier Belavia from operating flights to airports in the 27-nation bloc and discouraged EU-based airlines from flying over Belarus. The EU also imposed sanctions on key sectors of the Belarusian economy.

Protasevich was moved to house arrest

On 25 June 2021, Belarusian opposition-in-exile reported that journalist Roman Protasevich, who was detained after his plane was forced to land in Minsk, had been moved to house arrest. Protasevich's parents informed an advisor to exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya that their son had been moved.

Protasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, were arrested in May 2021 when Belarusian authorities intercepted their Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania. They were accused of helping to coordinate anti-government protests and were held in a Belarusian detention centre. Both Protasevich and Sapega appeared in "confession" videos, which their supporters said were recorded under duress.

Following their arrests, the European Union banned Belarusian state carrier Belavia from operating flights to airports in the 27-nation bloc and discouraged EU-based airlines from flying over Belarus. The EU also imposed sanctions on key sectors of the Belarusian economy.

While Protasevich's move to house arrest was welcomed as "good news" by opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, she stressed that it was not the end. She noted that Protasevich and Sapega were still facing charges and being closely monitored, effectively remaining hostages of the regime. Tsikhanouskaya also highlighted that Protasevich's parents were not allowed to communicate with their son and were concerned that the regime was playing a game with the couple's lives.

In a Twitter post, Protasevich denied suggestions that he had been tortured by the authorities during his custody. He stated that it would have been unwise to torture him when the world's attention was focused on his situation. However, Belarusian opposition figures maintained that the authorities used coerced video confessions to dissuade the population from supporting opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko.

Protasevich's girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, was also arrested and moved to house arrest

On 23 May 2021, journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, were arrested in Minsk, Belarus. The couple were flying back to their home in Lithuania when their Ryanair plane was diverted to Minsk due to an alleged bomb threat. Protasevich and Sapega were seized and taken to a Belarusian detention centre, where they were held in custody and faced serious charges.

Protasevich, a 26-year-old Belarusian dissident and journalist, was the editor of the opposition Nexta channel on the Telegram messaging app. This channel was widely used during the mass street protests against hardline Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020. Protasevich had been put on a Belarus terrorism list and faced charges of inciting unrest, which carry a potential sentence of 15 years in prison. He was also accused of organising anti-government riots, which could result in a 15-year jail sentence if convicted.

Sapega, a 23-year-old Russian student, was charged with inciting social discord and enmity. She was held in a KGB jail in Minsk, along with Protasevich. Both Protasevich and Sapega appeared in forced confession videos, recorded under duress, in which they admitted to committing crimes against the Belarusian authorities. These videos were a common tactic used by the regime to pressure critics.

In response to the arrests, the European Union banned Belarusian state-owned airline Belavia from its airspace and discouraged EU-based airlines from flying over Belarus. The EU also imposed sanctions on key sectors of the Belarusian economy. The United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada joined the EU in imposing sanctions on Belarusian officials following the forced landing of the Ryanair flight.

In June 2021, Protasevich and Sapega were moved to house arrest. They were placed in separate rented flats, under the surveillance of the KGB. While this move was welcomed by opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as "good news", she emphasised that it was not freedom and that the pair were still facing charges and being held hostage by the regime. Tsikhanouskaya also highlighted the lack of information and communication that Protasevich's parents were experiencing, stating that they were convinced the regime was "playing a game" with the couple's lives.

Belarus has arrested scores of journalists and relatives of dissidents

Belarus has been condemned internationally for its treatment of journalists and dissidents. In one high-profile case, the country diverted a Ryanair flight and arrested journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega. Protasevich was paraded at a media event, appearing under duress, and forced to make a confession on state TV. He was then moved to house arrest, which critics described as a "different type of prison".

Protasevich and Sapega were seized on May 23, 2021, when their flight from Athens to Vilnius was forced to land in Minsk due to an alleged bomb threat. Belarusian authorities claimed the diversion was due to an emailed bomb threat and not because of Protasevich. However, Western nations reacted with outrage, banning Belarusian airlines from their airspace and imposing sanctions on the country.

Protasevich, a critic of President Alexander Lukashenko, was accused of organising riots and faced up to 15 years in jail. He was detained in a KGB prison in Minsk and, according to his family and human rights groups, coerced into making a confession on state TV. During this appearance, he praised Lukashenko and admitted attempting to topple him. Marks on his wrists indicated possible torture, and he appeared to be reading from a script.

In addition to arresting journalists, Belarus has also targeted their relatives and the families of dissidents. The country has been accused of creating unbearable conditions for political prisoners, including placing them in "coronavirus cells". The Belarusian Association of Journalists has called for the hospitalisation of one detained journalist, Andrei Skurko, who developed pneumonia while in custody.

The crackdown on journalists and dissidents in Belarus has been widely condemned by international organisations and human rights groups. The International Federation of Journalists, for example, has called on the international community to denounce the situation in Belarus, highlighting the daily violations of media and citizen freedoms.

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