People hold posters reading ‘Where do Belarusian journalists end up when they go to work?’, ‘They did their job and ended up in Okrestina’ [detenion centre], and ‘Free Minsk From Violence’ during a rally in support of detained journalists, Minsk, Belarus, 3 September 2020, Natalia FedosenkoTASS via Getty Images
At least 11 journalists and media workers remain in detention, among them Katsiaryna Barysevich, Daria Chultsova, Yulia Slutskaya, Alla Sharko, Siarhei Alsheuski, Sergey Olshevski, Petr Slutski, Ksenia Lutskina, Andrei Aliaksandrau, Katsiaryna Andreeva and Aliaksandr Mikrukou.
This statement was originally published on europeanjournalists.org on 5 February 2021.
Ahead of the International Day of Solidarity with Belarus on 7 February, the undersigned organisations working in the field of freedom of expression and media freedom call for the immediate and unconditional release of all journalists and media workers who continue to be arbitrarily detained.