Belarus: CFWIJ condemns the detention of Iryna Leushyna and BelaPAN staff members

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August 31, 2021- Chief editor of BelaPAN news agency, Iryna Leushyna, was detained on August 18, along with accountant Katsyarana Boyeva and former director Dzmitry Navazlylau. Police searched the homes of staff members and also raided the agency’s offices in Minsk. The detainees were subsequently sent to prison. Reportedly, the news websites BelaPAN.by and BelaPAN.com have also been suspended since the raid. 

Authorities in the country have intensified the restrictions against media and civil society. Since last year's presidential election, several women journalists have left the country, anticipating the widespread crackdown on freedoms. Journalists and media houses face relentless persecution through unjustified imprisonments and raids. 

The CFWIJ urges government officials to stop targeting voices of opposition and allow women journalists to work free of fear and intimidation. 

Iryna, as well as Katsyarana and Dzmitry, was suspected of "violating the public order by participating or organizing an action". The charges follow the agency’s news coverage of protests and opposition events. The Belarusian State Investigative Committee shared a statement on Telegram, a messaging app, that the police arrested three people, including Iryna and Dzmitry. The statement further stated they opened an investigation into the mass protests and riots that violated public order. 

The Belarusian Association of Journalists has demanded the immediate release of the detainees. The raid of the oldest independently-run news agency is another example of President Lukashenka's repression of journalists and the free press. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on authorities to stop targeting staff at BelaPAN news agency and immediately release Iryna Leushyna, Katsyarana Boyeva, along with other staff members. The CFWIJ has created a detailed report on the violations committed against women journalists and press freedom in recent months. We have observed an alarming pattern of state-backed intimidation and harassment. A staggering number of women journalists face threats and even imprisonment for speaking their minds. We call on the Belarusian authorities to allow women journalists to report without interference.