Belarus: International Pressure Demands Release of Imprisoned Journalists

December 10, 2024 – Belarus – 

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has intensified calls for the immediate release of all Belarusian journalists imprisoned under President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, now the largest jailer of journalists in Europe.

As of June 2025, at least 40–45 independent media workers remain behind bars, serving lengthy sentences of up to 15 years. They face charges ranging from “extremist activity” and treason to passive defamation—a sweeping criminalization of routine reporting. Among them is Volha Radzivonava, a journalist convicted in December 2024 for “insulting the president” and sentenced to four years in prison.

The situation extends well beyond Belarus’s borders. The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), banned and declared extremist in 2023, continues to operate in exile, documenting abuses, providing legal and security training, and organizing international solidarity campaigns like the “Marathon of Solidarity,” now active in over 26 countries.

Despite a brief thaw in late 2024 and mid‑2025, with the release of some political prisoners—including former RFE/RL journalist Ihar Karnei—the crackdown remains pervasive. Belarusian authorities continue in absentia prosecutions, asset seizure, passport renewal bans, and family intimidation aimed at pressuring exiled journalists.

Worldwide media freedom groups—IFJ, EFJ, CPJ, RFJ, and others—are urging Belarus to cease its harsh policies and restore democratic freedoms. IFJ President Dominique Pradalié has branded the ongoing imprisonments “unacceptable” and has publicly addressed Lukashenko and foreign ministers on Human Rights Day, demanding the liberation of all detained journalists.

Belarus ranks among the world’s most repressive nations for journalists, placing 167th in the World Press Freedom Index, with independent media entirely banned within its borders

Reference – 

https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/belarus-imprisoned-journalists-must-be-freed