Brest court hands 10-year sentence to freelance journalist

August 7, Pozirk. The Brest Regional Court sentenced 54-year-old freelance journalist Danił Palanski to 10 years after finding him guilty of high treason on July 25, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reported.

Palanski was tried behind closed doors, so the details of the case are unknown. The judge reportedly also ordered him to pay a fine of 21,000 rubels ($6,350).

Palanski was most likely arrested on September 19, 2024, after returning from Russia, the BAJ said. There has been no communication with him since that day.

According to the association, earlier that September, Palanski went to Russia to visit his relatives. His car was stopped by Federal Security Service officers, and then the the man was charged with “disobedience,” a misdemeanor, as he allegedly refused to present his documents.

Upon his return to Brest, Palanski was arrested by Committee for State Security (KGB) agents, the BAJ said, citing one of the journalist’s acquaintances.

“Initially, it was assumed that he was detained for committing an administrative offense. However, a few weeks later, it emerged that a criminal case was opened. The journalist awaited trial at the Brest pretrial detention center,” the association reported.

As a cameraman, Palanski cooperated with state and commercial television channels, as well as with independent regional websites. According to the BAJ, recently he was prominent as a volunteer with Angel, a nonprofit that searches for missing people.

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