Belarusian police carried out 22 raids on the homes and offices of journalists, human rights activists and trade unionists on Tuesday. The raids were part of an investigation into mass protests against the government, authorities said.
The former Soviet nation has been affected by weekend protests since President Alexander Lukashenko, the strongman, claimed victory in a disputed election on August 9, 2020.
But the authorities cracked down on public resistance, detaining tens of thousands of protesters and members of the opposition.
Who was the target?
The home of the head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), Andrei Bastunets, was raided. According to BAJ, Bastunets was detained by the police, but later released.
The human rights organization Viasna also said it was attacked. Authorities seized phones and other devices, and several members were detained, the organization said in a statement.
Belarus justifies the raids
The Belarus Investigation Committee, a body charged with investigating felonies, said they were part of an investigation into the “organization and preparation of actions that seriously violate public order.”
“As part of a preliminary investigation to establish the circumstances of the financing of the protest activities, the investigators began searches in organizations that position themselves as human rights defenders,” the Investigation Commission said in a statement.
Repression provokes anger
Harassment through searches, arrests and criminal prosecution of journalists and human rights defenders, including the Council of Europe (CoE) and UN partners is unacceptable, CoE Human Rights Commissioner Dunja Mijatovic tweeted.
“Freedoms of expression, association and assembly must be guaranteed in accordance with international human rights standards,” he added.
“A new and sad climax of harassment against journalists has been reached” with the raids, said the Union of Journalists of Germany, DJV said in a statement to DW. “The repression against independent media must end. The arrested journalists must be released immediately ”.
Belarus’ anti-press stance
The government has been tough on independent media during anti-government protests.
Belarus canceled all accreditations of foreign journalists in October 2020, in response to EU sanctions.
Police detained journalists a total of 477 times last year, according to BAJ.
Several now face criminal charges.
Two journalists were due to appear in court Tuesday on charges of organizing and planning protests. The charges can carry a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
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