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January 24, 2025 – Belarus –
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has filed a formal complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his regime of committing crimes against humanity through the systematic persecution of journalists since 2020. The landmark move comes just weeks ahead of Belarus’s controversial 2025 presidential election, widely considered a sham by international observers.
The complaint, based on extensive documentation, outlines how Lukashenko’s government launched an aggressive campaign to silence independent media following the disputed 2020 election. According to RSF, at least 397 journalists have been arbitrarily arrested, many on multiple occasions. Over 40 journalists remain imprisoned, including high-profile editors like Marina Zolatava from the now-banned independent outlet Tut. by.
Beyond arrests, the government has used surveillance, torture, forced exile, and even branding journalists as “extremists” to criminalize press activity. Independent news outlets have been shut down, blocked, or forced into exile. Many journalists have fled the country, continuing their work in hiding or from abroad.
Jeanne Cavalier, head of RSF’s Eastern Europe desk, emphasized that the repression against journalists in Belarus is not random but deliberate and sustained, forming a clear pattern of state-led targeting of media workers. RSF’s complaint urges ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan to open an investigation and pursue legal action against those responsible, including Lukashenko himself.
This is the first time a press freedom organization has brought a case to the ICC focused specifically on the persecution of journalists as a crime against humanity. RSF argues that the Lukashenko regime’s actions meet the legal threshold due to their scale, systemic nature, and political intent.
International pressure on Belarus is mounting. In parallel, Lithuania has also referred Belarus to the ICC for broader human rights abuses, including forced deportations of protestors. Belarus remains one of the worst countries in Europe for press freedom, and the media landscape has been nearly obliterated under Lukashenko’s rule.
The ICC’s response to this complaint will be a critical test of whether the international community can hold political leaders accountable for weaponizing repression against the free press.
Reference –
https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-media-watchdog-icc-complaint-lukashenko/a-71394987
https://www.barrons.com/news/media-watchdog-files-belarus-complaint-at-icc-df55e6e0
