Belarus world’s toughest place for journalists for five years, press freedom advocate says

May 21, Pozirk. Belarus has been the world’s toughest place for journalists for five years, said Alieh Ahiejeŭ of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) at a forum in Vilnius on May 21.

He cited data from Reporters Without Borders on imprisoned journalists by year: eight on December 1, 2020 (2.1 percent of 387 journalists imprisoned worldwide); 32 in 2021 (6.6 percent of 488 imprisoned journalists); 31 in 2022 (5.8 percent of 533); 39 in 2023 (7.5 percent of 521); 40 in 2024 (7.3 percent of 550); and 32 in 2025 (6.4 percent of 503).

For five consecutive years, Belarus has topped the list of countries by the number of imprisoned journalists per 100,000 residents.

“Based on our population, it is obvious that the Łukašenka regime more than anyone else in the world deprives journalists of their freedom.”

Ahiejeŭ said that 21 journalists remain behind bars in Belarus, sentenced or prosecuted on politically motivated charges.

In addition, five journalists are serving “restricted freedom” sentences under house arrest. As many as 50 journalists have been released, and one journalist has already served two prison sentences.

Belarus released four journalists in 2021, five in 2022, two in 2023, 10 in 2024 and 26 in 2025, he said.

“Despite pardons and the completion of sentences, criminal cases, detentions and instances of persecution remain roughly at the same level. Only the forms of persecution change. Now persecution of journalists working in exile has been added,” he said.

Of the 50 released journalists, 35 went into exile, including 22 in Poland, 11 in Lithuania, one in Germany and one in Portugal.

Authorities in Belarus persecute not only journalists but also their audiences, jailing readers for likes, reposts and subscriptions. Longer sentences are imposed on journalists and their readers for alleged association with extremist groups, he said.

Ahiejeŭ spoke during the third part of the Congress on Belarusian Political Prisoners. The first part was held in Poznań on May 19.

After voting in a presidential election in Minsk on January 26, 2025, Alaksandar Łukašenka actually admitted that journalists were among the main targets of his political crackdown.

“We don’t forgive [those who worked] in the media because they are public figures. It is difficult to forgive journalists, they are public figures,” he said.

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