Belarus: Revoking accreditation of foreign press is another step in silencing media covering people’s voices

September 2, 2020, Minsk, Belarus -- With ongoing protests sparked after the allegedly false victory announcement of Alexander Lukashenko who has been ruling the country for an iron fist for 26 years, on Sunday, demonstrators marched to the presidential palace to “celebrate” Lukashenko’s 66th birthday. 

During a mass raid on journalists' homes prior to Sunday’s protests, nearly 50 journalists were taken to police stations for “document checks”. Among the journalists detained without due process were members of foreign media. Belarus has been cracking down on foreign press since the days leading up to the election. Independent reports also claim non-Belarusians “who are suspected of being journalists” are being turned down from the border and not allowed entry into the country.

In a statement made by the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs, it was announced that more than 140 protesters were detained on Sunday. It was reported that the press accreditation of at least 17 journalists in Belarus, most of whom work for foreign media organizations and who monitored the protests, was canceled. It was stated that the foreign ministry also rejected members of foreign press who wanted to enter the country to follow the protests. 

BBC reporters Tatyana Melnichuk and Tatyana Yanutsevich along with RFE/RL reporter Aleksandra Dynko were stripped of their accreditations and now are awaiting the decision of the Foreign Ministry as they appealed the decision. 

The BBC has urged the Belarusian authorities to allow access to its reporters. "We believe it is vital for the people of Belarus to have access to impartial, independent information about events in their country. BBC Russian, which reaches more than five million people a week, has been a major source of news for people in Belarus and Russia during the post-election unrest," BBC’s statement said.

With the cancellation of accreditations of foreign press coming days after the mass arrests it is clear that Belarusian authorities are attempting to interfere with independent and impartial coverage of the events in the country. 

Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania after she claimed victory in the election, said the revoking of media accreditations was worrying.

"If true, it is another sign that this regime is morally bankrupt and the only way it will attempt to cling onto power is by fear and intimidation," she said in a statement.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this move by the Belarusian authorities and demands an explanation as to how canceling the accreditation of journalists can be justified. Journalists in the country are already working in precarious conditions and the revocation of their accreditation will only add to their troubles. Authorities in Belarus must stop with their prejudiced tactics against the press, especially independent journalists and media outlets.