Sports journalist arrested in Minsk

September 16, BPN. Police arrested Andrej Iljenia, a journalist with the sports newspaper Pressball, in Minsk on September 14, sports blogger Mikałaj Ivanoŭ said.

A judge has sentenced the journalist to 10 days in jail for a minor offense and he is now held at the detention center on Akreścina Street in Minsk.

Pressball has confirmed the arrest to BPN. An editorial team member said that the journalist might have been prosecuted for social media posts. In particular, he came under scrutiny after his inclusion in the Belarusian national team’s delegation for the upcoming UEFA Nations League.

Iljenia joined Pressball in 2020. He comments on soccer matches on JASNAe TV channel, cooperates with the Belarusian Football Federation and administers the latter’s social media and YouTube channel on women’s soccer.

In July, police briefly detained Raman Kačyna, another Pressball journalist.