Belarus: Arbitrary detention of journalists continue, Maryna Drabyshevskaya was released after 10 days in detention

September 21, 2020, Homel, Belarus -- Arbitrary detention of and violence against journalists in Belarus has become the “norm” in the past month, following the elections on August 9 and the disputed “victory” of Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for 26 years.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism documented more than 25 cases of violations against women journalists since August 9 of 2020. Mass arrests and arbitrary detentions are the most used “tactic” to intimidate journalists. 

On September 11, Strong News editor Maryna Drabyshevskaya was taken under custody following a raid at her house. Maryna said that the police had been following her since she attended a protest that she was covering for news. Later, her mother noticed a suspicious car with two men in plain clothes in front of the house, parked right in front of Maryna's car.

Maryna described that at about five o'clock that evening there was a knock on the door and a voice stating, “Open, police, we are looking for Maryna Drabyshevskaya”. A couple of minutes later she was taken into police custody. She was then sentenced to ten days in jail for participating in an “unauthorized protest” under Article 23.34. This Article is often misused in Belarus in order to legally harass journalists who perform their journalistic duties. 

Maryna was released today, with her friends and family welcoming her with flowers and gifts. She said of her detention: “I explained that I was not a participant, that I performed my duties in the same way as their employees who go there. I believe that it was captivity [and] I was brazenly stolen from my parents, my relatives, and friends and imprisoned for 10 days.”

The Coalition For Women In Journalism has been following the events unfold with great concern. While women journalists are not the sole target in the protests, the attacks against them must be recognized as women's contribution in the whole Eastern Europe region is very powerful. Women journalists amidst the attempts of censorship and silencing of the people’s voices are risking their lives to tell the whole world about the reality of which the official media in Belarus is silent. On August 18, The Coalition For Women In Journalism signed a joint statement with other international organizations calling for the EU agencies to reintroduce sanctions against Belarus given the deterioration of freedom of the press in the country. While in this instance we welcome Maryna’s release, we reiterate our call to the relevant authorities and urge them to respect rule of law and fundamental rights and freedoms in the country.