Council of Europe Commissioner Made a Harsh Statement Regarding Searches of Journalists and Human Rights Defenders in Belarus
- 16.02.2021, 15:28
Dunja Mijatović reacted to the lawlessness of the Belarusian authorities.
Harassment of journalists and human rights defenders in Belarus is unacceptable, said Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović, naviny.online reports.
"Harassment in Belarus through searches, arrests, and criminal prosecution of journalists and human rights defenders, including partners of the Council of Europe and the UN, is unacceptable," she wrote on Twitter. "Freedom of expression, association, and assembly must be ensured in accordance with international human rights standards."
Earlier, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) demanded that the Belarusian authorities immediately stop persecuting representatives of the media and the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ). The statement was a reaction to a series of searches of the BAJ leaders and the organization's office, as well as in the homes and offices of journalists and human rights activists. EFJ calls on the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and the European Union "to take measures to restore the rule of law in Belarus."
Searches of journalists and human rights defenders began on the morning of February 16 in different cities of Belarus.
During the search in the BAJ office, equipment, a safe, a folder with applications to join the organization, and some copies of the Abazhur magazine were seized. The office is sealed. The chairman of the BAJ, Andrei Bastunets, who was present during the search, was not detained. His deputies Barys Haretski and Aleh Aheeu, who were also visited by security officials, were not detained either.
At the moment, a search continues in the Minsk office of the Viasna human rights center, which has been deprived of state registration.
The security forces also came to the home of lawyer Krystsina Rykhter (equipment and documents related to the activities of the BAJ were seized from her), human rights defenders Andrei Paluda (coordinator of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders Against the Death Penalty"), Natallia Satsunkevich and Dzmitry Salaviou (he was taken away after a search), to the leader independent trade union REP Henadz Fedynich, chairman of the trade union Vasil Zavadski, members of REP Ihar Komlik and Andrei Komlik-Yamatsin, to digital security expert Mikalai Kvantaliani.
In Homel, journalists Anatol Hatoushchytsa and Larysa Shchyrakova, press secretary of the Belarusian House of Human Rights Yauhenia Parashchenka, volunteers of the Viasna center Valery Sliapukhin and Illia Mironau, activist of the For Freedom movement Uladzimir Katsora, as well as the parents of journalist Yauhen Merkis were searched.
In Rechytsa (Homel region), the parents of BYSOL co-founder Andrei Stryzhak were searched. In Svetlahorsk (Homel region), security officials came to the human rights activist Alena Maslukova.
In Mahileu, the attention of security officials was attracted by the head of the local branch of the Viasna center Uladzimir Tseliapun, human rights activists Aliaksei Kolchyn and Barys Bukhel, journalist Aliaksandr Burakou Jr.
In Vitsebsk, the parents of human rights activist Iryna Tretstsiakova were searched, in Brest - the homes of human rights activist Uladzimir Vialichkin and Viasna volunteers Katsiaryna Bazhko and Hanna Bahdanovich.
Searches of the BAJ, as well as of journalists and human rights activists in the regions are carried out as part of the investigation of the case under Art. 342 (organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order or active participation in them) of the Criminal Code, the Investigative Committee reported. "As part of a preliminary investigation in order to establish the circumstances of financing protest activities, the investigation initiated searches in organizations positioning themselves as human rights defenders. The carrying out of procedural actions was entrusted to the employees of the GUBOPiK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and authorized by the General Prosecutor's Office. The final legal assessment of the situation will be given after the entire complex of procedural actions has been carried out," the press service of the IC says.