Belarus Deepens Media Repression with Harsh Sentences for Four Journalists

November 17, 2025 – Belarus – 

Belarus has intensified its campaign against independent journalism with the sentencing of four reporters from the regional outlet BAR24, formerly known as Intex-Press, to prolonged periods of house arrest on charges rights groups widely condemn as politically motivated. The August 19, 2025, ruling marks another escalation in the government’s use of “extremism” laws to dismantle remaining pockets of independent reporting.

Journalists Natallia Semianovich, Mikita Piatrouski, Ruslan Raviaka, and Ludmila Zeliankova were convicted of “promoting extremist activity,” a charge that has become a routine instrument in Belarusian courts to criminalise basic journalistic work. Two of the journalists received three-year terms of home confinement; the other two were sentenced to two years. All four were fined 21,000 Belarusian rubles, roughly US$6,160. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the verdict aligns with a broader pattern of punitive actions designed to intimidate and silence local newsrooms.

The conditions of their sentence are severe. Under Belarusian law, house arrest prohibits leaving one’s residence between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., bans travel abroad, and restricts participation in social activities or public gatherings. The journalists have also been placed on the Ministry of Interior’s registry of individuals accused of involvement in extremist activity. This listing functions as a long-term penalty, severely limiting employment opportunities and exposing those named to heightened police monitoring. For many Belarusian reporters, the designation is a form of civil death.

BAR24 and its predecessor outlet have been under government pressure for years. Intex-Press faced repeated raids, and in 2023, its website and social media platforms were labeled “extremist materials,” effectively outlawing the organization’s work and criminalizing anyone who shared its content. The sentencing of its former staff, therefore, fits into a wider strategy aimed at erasing independent regional journalism, which has traditionally been a lifeline for communities outside major cities.

Press freedom groups, including the Belarusian Association of Journalists, estimate that at least 25 journalists remain behind bars across the country. International organisations have condemned the latest convictions, urging Belarusian authorities to drop charges rooted in politically engineered extremism laws. For many observers, these sentences reflect not only a punishment for these four reporters but also a calculated message to all journalists still attempting to document events inside Belarus.

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Belarus court sentences 4 journalists to years of house arrest