Reporters Without Borders condemns violence against Belarusian journalists

Journalists are beaten because they cover events, which are embarrassing for the government.

Reporters Without Borders, an international human rights organization, issued a statement condemning escalation of violence against independent Belarusian journalists.

Reporters Without Borders released the following statement regarding the raids which pain-clothed and masked members of the police carried out on the premises of the newspaper “Narodnaya Volya”, and the charter97.org website, beating journalist Natallya Radzina, searches in apartments of Maryn Koktysh and Iryna Khalip.

“There are no legal grounds for these heavy-handed raids, which even violate the Belarus constitution. These journalists are just doing their job and must not be regarded as offenders for exposing cases that are embarrassing for the police and a government ministry.”

We remind that offices of charter97.org and independent newspaper “Narodnaya Volya”, apartments of famous journalist Iryna Khalip, Maryna Koktysh, and politician Andrei Sannikov were searched. Editor of the charter97.org website Natallya Radzina was beaten during the search. All computers were seized.

The authorities claim the actions were connected with the investigation of the so called hunters’ case, but it is obvious the reason for the attack on journalists was the forthcoming presidential elections. Andrei Sannikov, the leader of the European Belarus civil campaign, announced his decision to run for presidency the day before the search.