Silencing the Opposition: How coerced confessions and closed courts are used to violate journalistic freedom in Belarus
Journalism is considered by many to be one of the central freedoms protected by the freedom of expression and opinion. It allows citizens to keep their leaders in the public and private sector under scrutiny, however not every nation protects this. Belarus is one that violates this right of expression, especially in regards to journalism. Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, stated in 2021 that “freedom of speech, which we defend, has slided into extremist activity”. He goes on to state that he considers opposing viewpoints are necessary, however the calls for ‘riots’ are not. These riots he refers to were the election protests that occurred in 2020, where police and state security were seen violently suppressing protestors and their freedom of expression. Lukashenko’s statement of support for opposing viewpoints is hollow, as over the past few years, the rights of journalists in Belarus have been violated by the government, which has focused on cracking down on opposition reporters.
There are 27 known cases of imprisoned journalists in Belarus, all of whom expressed their opposition to the Lukashenko regime. Over 400 journalists have been forced to flee the country, out of fear of punishment. Some ran social media accounts, others worked at media outlets. As soon as they opposed Lukashenko and his government, they became targets.
Two journalists, Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Daria Chultsova, were sentenced to two years in prison in 2021 for “organizing activities violating public order”. However, their actions amounted to livestreaming a large protest in Belarus that ended with law enforcement violently dispersing the protestors. Andreyeva was later sentenced to prison for high treason, under the claim that she distributed state secrets to foreign organizations and governments. Her husband has stated that this further sentencing is due to her investigative journalism. No evidence was produced publicly as the trial was held in a closed-door court session.
Most recently, on the 3rd of May, opposition journalist Roman Protasevich was sentenced to eight years in prison, but was surprisingly pardoned weeks after. Although his release was welcomed by the international community, further investigation into his arrest and responses, it is apparent that something else has occurred. In 2021, Protasevich was detained in Belarus. He was a passenger on a flight from Greece to Lithuania when flight controllers in Belarus ordered the plane to land due to a bomb being onboard. The Ryanair flight complied and landed, only to discover there was no bomb, only officials waiting to arrest Protasevich. Along with Protasevich, the Belarusian government arrested his girlfriend who was also on the plane, Sofia Sapega.
After Protasevich’s arrest, he made a statement saying that he was treated properly, however he appeared to be under duress. Sapega had made a similar statement admitting to crimes, however some claim she was under duress. During an interview with state TV, Protasevich looked seemingly worse, with visible marks on him, suggestion “coercion and torture”. After his pardoning, he has been seen on state TV frequently, being interviewed and taking part in discussions with varying hosts. During these interviews and discussions, he has voiced opinions that contrast his previous positions for which he was imprisoned.
These ‘video confessions’ are a common tool used by the Belarusian regime. During the protests over the disputed election results in 2020, the opposition candidate to Lukashenko, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was seen being forced into a government building by Andrei Pavlyuchenko, Lukashenko’s head of security and a known enforcer. Consequently, she came out and read a statement that told those protesting and those who support her to steer clear of the protests, or they were putting their lives at risk. She later told the public that she was presented with two choices when she was forced into the building. Tikhanovskaya could either go to jail, leaving her children on their own, or she and her children could leave the country immediately.
Based on the above, and the established pattern of arresting other journalists and media professionals, it is clear how violative Belarus has been when it comes to the rights of expression and opinion. As long as Lukashenko remains in power and keeps those around him in line, this pattern is unlikely to stop, meaning the freedom of expression and the ability to conduct independent journalism will continue to be violated in Belarus.
Image Credits: Максим Шикунец — Edited by GorStra Team
