March 21, Pozirk. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomed the release of several Belarusian journalists among a large group of dissidents freed two days ago, but stressed that they should never have been imprisoned.
“We call for the immediate release of the 22 media professionals still detained in the country and reiterate that one-off pardons cannot replace justice,” said Jeanne Cavelier, head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.
Preliminary lists circulating among Belarusian independent media outlets and human rights activists indicate that six media workers were among the 250 prisoners freed on March 19 following Alaksandar Łukašenka’s talks with John Coale, US special envoy for Belarus.
The liberation of journalist Kaciaryna Bachvałava (Andrejeva), blogger Eduard Palčys, and analyst Valeryja Kaściuhova has been confirmed to date. Bachvałava and Palčys were taken to Lithuania, while Kaściuhova was reportedly allowed to remain in Belarus.
The 2025 World Press Freedom Index, compiled by RSF, ranked Belarus 166th of 180 assessed countries and territories.
