{"id":87677,"date":"2024-05-28T22:34:14","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T19:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/87677\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"lukasenka-accuses-politically-imprisoned-journalists-of-treason","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/87677\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka accuses imprisoned journalists of treason"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n The detention of journalists in central Minsk in the summer of 2020\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (tut.by \/ Vadzim Zamiro\u016dski)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

May 28, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> The government has imprisoned “individual journalists” because they were “breaking and smashing the country,” Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon’t feed us all sorts of gibberish about the supposedly independent media and democratic values. We see them throwing their own journalists into prisons, shutting down media outlets and persecuting anyone who dares to disagree with the official policies and activities,” he told a media forum in Mahilo\u016d today, according to his press office. This oppression is present around the world, “from the United States and the European Union to Moldova, the Baltic States, Ukraine and Georgia,” \u0141uka\u0161enka said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Some may try to draw parallels with the situation in Belarus in 2020, but this is an absolutely false comparison. We charged individual journalists not because of their opinions or positions, but because they behaved like traitors. They started breaking and smashing the country to pieces, so we resisted. Among other measures, we held journalists accountable for violating laws,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka urged the state media to step up its propaganda and ideological work. “Do not be shy about these words and concepts. Are there none in the West? There are. They just have a different word: PR, public relations. But the essence is the same. So let them do public relations in their own territory.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), 35 media workers are held in prisons in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partner organizations of the Council of Europe’s journalism safety platform said in their annual report that more than 20 journalists were arrested in Belarus last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus is Europe’s biggest prison for journalists, according to the report. There were 38 media workers in prison when the document was prepared and 37 as of December 31. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For comparison, 27 journalists were imprisoned in Russia and 17 in the Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine. Turkey locked up 18 reporters, Azerbaijan jailed 15 and the United Kingdom and Poland, one each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After suppressing mass protests against the rigged 2020 presidential election and police brutality, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka cracked down on the critical media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key independent media outlets were crushed. Many of their employees were prosecuted or forced into exile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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