In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, foreign ministers of Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) condemned the recent targeted raids on the homes and offices of human rights activists and independent journalists in Belarus, saying that they were yet another example of the blatant “assault on civil society and liberties” in the country, which has faced tremendous oppression from the Lukashenko regime.
Continuing their mission to silence dissent in the country, the police in Belarus on Tuesday searched and, confiscated equipment from, the offices of various human rights organisations and media centres, along with the homes of their members. Reports suggest that at least 30 people were briefly detained, and at least 10 of them remained in custody, facing criminal charges.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” by his critics, has been in power for more than 26 years. After securing a six-term in August last year, tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets to protest the results and have continued to do so every day since, calling for his resignation. The opposition claims that the election was rigged and has demanded re-election followed by significant constitutional reforms. Belarusian authorities have cracked down heavily on protests, detaining hundreds every day, and imprisoning critics and journalists. The country’s main opposition candidate, Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya, has taken refuge in neighbouring Lithuania due to security concerns.
Canada and the UK acknowledged the heroic and relentless efforts of the various individuals and organizations to defend human rights and hold the Belarusian leadership to account and called on the government to “immediately cease their campaign of violence and harassment” them. The countries highlighted their previous sanctions against those responsible for the brutal crackdown against the opposition and said that they would continue to support work “to implement the recommendations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Moscow Mechanism report.”
Just one day after Ottawa and London’s statement, two Belarusian journalists were sentenced to two years in prison for reporting live from an anti-government rally in Minsk in November. On Thursday, Katsyaryna Andreyeva, 27, and Darya Chultsova, 23, both reporters for Belsat, a Polish-based satellite television station focused on Belarus were found guilty of “organizing public events aimed at disrupting civil order.”
Their imprisonment drew international condemnation, with the European Union calling it a “shameful crackdown on media.” EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said that the bloc “strongly condemns and calls for reversal of sentencing of Belsat TV Katsyaryna Andreyeva and Daria Chultsova for just doing their jobs. We call on Belarus authorities to respect fundamental freedoms and stop targeting journalists.”
Canada, UK Condemn Persecution of Human Rights Organisations and Journalists in Belarus
Just one day after releasing their statement, two Belarusian journalists were sentenced to two years in prison for reporting live from an anti-government rally in Minsk in November.
February 19, 2021
Journalists Katsyaryna Andreyeva (right) and Darya Chultsova (left) at their trial in Minsk on February 18. SOURCE: CNN