Searches of Journalists, Activists, and Human Rights Defenders Are Being Carried Out All over Belarus

The usurper fell into complete chaos.

Early in the morning, the press secretary of the public association "Belarusian Association of Journalists" (BAJ) Barys Haretski managed to report that the security forces had come to him. Later it became known that they also came to the BAJ lawyer Aleh Aheeu and the chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Andrei Bastunets. In addition, searches are also carried out on journalists and human rights activists in different cities, tut.by reports.

"Andrei Bastunets is being taken away by the police officers of the Minsk city executive committee. At least that's how they introduced themselves. The house is not searched, but Bastunets is taken away, as the search will be carried out in the BAJ office," said the wife of Andrei Bastunets, Sabina Brylo.

Why a search will be carried out in the BAJ office - she does not know. To the corresponding question, the police officers answer that all the necessary papers will be shown when the time comes.

Later, it was confirmed that the chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Andrei Bastunуts was taken away by the officers of the Minsk City Executive Committee of Internal Affairs.

It was not possible to contact Haretski and Aheeu: Haretski 's phone is available, but he does not answer calls; Aheeu is disconnected.

Sabina Brylo also said that the search took place at her house - the police seized the phones from her son and his girlfriend.

"At about 8.55, a group of several people arrived at the BAJ office. They introduced themselves as employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They said that operational investigative actions would be carried out in the office. Andrei Bastunets was with them," the journalist tut.by reports.

Came to journalists and human rights defenders across the country

From the very morning of February 16, AMAP arrived at the house of the Homel freelance journalist Larysa Shchyrakova. They demand to open the doors of the house. It is reported preliminary that investigators are conducting a search within the framework of a criminal case under article 362 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (murder of an employee of the internal affairs bodies), the HRC website Viasna reports.

A search at this time is being carried out at the Homel journalist Anatol Hatoushchyts.

It is reported that the searches began at the members of the Mahileu branch of "Viasna" Aliaksei Kolchyn and Barys Bukhel.

In Mahileu, a search is being conducted at the apartment of freelance journalist Ales Burakou Jr.

A search came to the coordinator of the campaign "Human rights defenders against the death penalty in Belarus," "Viasna" human rights activist Andrei Poluda.

The search began at the head of the Mozyr branch of Viasna, Uladzimir Tseliapun, as well as at the head of the Svetlahorsk branch of "Viasna," Alena Maslukova.

It is reported that the searches are carried out, among other things, by employees of the departments for combating organized crime (GUBOPiK).

The parents of Vitsebsk human rights activist Iryna Tretstsiakova were searched. They were looking for documents. They took away the flash drive and the book "Monitoring of police departments." Iryna herself is free.

A search began at the press secretary of the Belarusian House of Human Rights named after Barys Zvazkou Yauhenia Parashchanka.

They came with a search to the Minsk "Viasna" human rights activist Natallia Satsunkevich. They knocked on the door for a long time; now it is quiet. But later, the search still began.

The phones of some of the "Viasna" HRC employees do not answer; the situation is being investigated.

In particular, the Brest human rights activist Uladzimir Vialichkin is not yet available, and his wife does not answer either.

In Brest, they came with searches to the parents of volunteers Katiaryna Bazhko and Hanna Bahdanovich.

The search took place at the house of lawyer Krystina Rikhter (Article 342 of the Criminal Code); the phone and documents related to the activities of the BAJ were taken away.

An activist and volunteer Valery Sliapukhin is also being searched in Homel.

They also took on the representatives of the independent trade union REP: searches of Ihar Komlik and Andrei Komlik-Yamatsin.

The leader of the REP Henadz Fedynich and the chairman of the trade union Vasil Zavadski do not answer the phone calls.

The phones of "Viasna" lawyer Pavel Sapelka and human rights activist Dzmitry Salaviou have been unavailable since morning. The situation is being clarified.

In Rechytsa, the police raided the parents of one of the leaders of the By_Sol Foundation, Andrei Stryzhak. They took the hard drive and old mobile phone.

A search began in the office of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" on Independence Avenue 78a in Minsk. The chairman of the organization, Ales Bialiatski, went there.

The search is also taking place in the office of the independent trade union REP.

Homel activist Uladzimir Katsora is also being searched.

In Homel, the apartment of the father of the journalist Yauhen Merkis was searched. They took away the computers and phones of brother and father.

In Minsk, a search was carried out at the place of digital security expert Mikalai Kvantaliani.

In Homel, from seven in the morning, a search of teacher Nadzeya Lashenka-Kazakova is underway. In November 2020, she and her friend were detained by the police for "protest colors." Also, in the morning, at the place of residential registration of activist Sviatlana Karol, several officers in police uniform are on duty under the door of the apartment. The apartment is empty.

Human rights activist of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Dzmitry Salaviou was detained in Minsk. His equipment and phone were taken away from him.

The search in the office of the Belarusian Association of Journalists is over, the doors of the organization's office are sealed. BAJ chairman Andrei Bastunets says that the search will take place in his apartment as well. The search was carried out by people with completely hidden faces.

The search is also taking place at the home of the Homel volunteer Illia Mironau. He is engaged in helping those who have come under political persecution or under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code. It is known that all equipment and phones were taken from Mironau.

In Hrodna, human rights defender and public activist Aleh Kalinkou has already been searched for the second time in the last few days. Searches were carried out both at home and at Kalinkou's dacha. They took place within the framework of the art. 342. The police officers took away the equipment and documents.

Andrei Miadzvedzeu, an independent journalist and human rights activist for Viasna from Rechytsa, was searched. They took papers, notebooks.

Valery Putsitski, a human rights activist for Viasna from Rechytsa, does not answer his phone. He may also be searched.

It became known about the results of the search at the deputy head of the BAJ Aleh Aheeu. The search was very meticulous; they took away the equipment, "all money, left 120 rubles." Aleh Aheeu is free.