Sentenced for Reporting: Belarus Jails Yauhen Nikalayevich

December 19, 2024 – Belarus –

Yauhen Nikalayevich, a former video reporter for the independent outlet Media Polesye, was sentenced on October 3, 2024, by a court in Pinsk to one and a half years in prison for allegedly “organizing or participating in gross violations of public order.” The verdict, which was connected to his coverage of the 2020 Minsk protests demanding President Lukashenko’s resignation, was upheld in December after his appeal was rejected. The sentence remained concealed until December 19, when it became public following a court’s decision to reject his appeal, triggering widespread criticism from press freedom advocates.

Nikalayevich was previously arrested on August 10, 2020, while covering protests in Pinsk. His detention was reportedly accompanied by physical abuse, and he received a brief administrative jail term in November of that year. After fleeing the country and stepping away from journalism, he returned in early 2024 and was immediately re-arrested. In December, Belarusian authorities designated him as involved in “extremist activities,” a move that intensifies the legal and political pressure he faces.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the sentencing as a vindictive act by Belarusian authorities aimed at punishing journalists who report on dissent. Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, declared that the conviction underscores the regime’s hostility toward independent media and called for Nikalayevich’s immediate release along with all imprisoned journalists in Belarus. The German and British embassies in Minsk have joined international concern, pointing out that Belarus now holds around 40 journalists behind bars, ranking among the world’s most repressive environments for press freedom. Reporters Without Borders confirms Belarus is now the fourth-largest jailer of journalists globally.

Under Belarusian law, convictions for organizing protests may lead to up to four years of imprisonment, but fair process—including timely trials and access to appeal—is frequently absent. Nikalayevich’s extended pretrial detention and delayed public announcement of his sentence reflect broader due-process violations. Authorities have not responded to inquiries from CPJ, and no credible evidence has been offered to counter allegations of politically motivated persecution.

Nikalayevich’s case exemplifies the environment of repression created by Belarus’s political leadership, in which independent reporting is criminalized and journalists face severe legal retaliation. His imprisonment intensifies calls from international bodies for Minsk to promptly release detained journalists, cease its crackdown on dissent, and uphold basic democratic and legal norms.

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Belarusian court sentences journalist Yauhen Nikalayevich to 1½ years