On May 18, the Belarusian authorities raided the country s largest independent news portal: conducted searches, detained employees and partners, seized equipment and blocked the TUT.BY website. Yulia Chernyavskaya, the retired widow of portal founder Yuri Zisser, was arrested and subsequently admitted to and discharged from hospital. Her current whereabouts are unknown. This is yet another assault on independent journalism and freedom of expression in Belarus.
What is known about the TUT.by case? What is happening in Belarus regarding journalists and the media environment? What were the detention conditions of TUT.BY journalist Ekaterina Borisevich in prison?
Keynote speakers will be:
English By Danila Galperovich Share on Facebook Print this page
Beatings, arrests, court cases, internet blocks and revocation of press credentials being an accredited journalist is no longer a guarantee of protection for independent media in Belarus.
Four members of Press Club Belarus, a network that focuses on journalism, have been in pre-trial detention since December 22, when club founder Yulia Slutskaya, program director Ala Sharko, financial director Sergei Olszewski and operator Pyatro Slutski, Yulia’s son, were arrested on accusations of large-scale tax fraud.
Two others linked to the club are also in custody: Ksenia Lutskina and Siarhei Yakupau.
Lutskina is one of several journalists who resigned from state media in protest at the August 2020 contested presidential election in Belarus, when President Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory in a vote opposition politicians say was flawed. Opposition le