Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi journalist goes on trial
December 1, BPN. The Minsk City Court has started hearing a case against Hienadź Mažejka, a former journalist with Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi charged over his coverage of a shooting incident in Minsk, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.
Mažejka is accused of inciting hatred and insulting a public officer for including positive quotes about the victim in his report. Prosecutors also accuse him posting negative online comments about Alaksandr Łukašenka.
Judge Taćciana Falkoŭskaja presides over the proceedings.
Mažejka has been in custody since October 2021 over an article he wrote on the 2021 shootout that left two people dead, IT engineer Andrej Zielcer and a KGB officer.
The state-run media said the article cast Zielcer in a positive light. Although Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi took down the story, it did not stop the information ministry from blocking access to the newspaper’s website. A ban on distribution eventually forced Russian-owned Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi to shut down.
The Committee for the State Security (KGB) said that about 200 people were arrested over online comments on the shootout. At least 136 of them were charged with inciting hatred and insulting a public official.
Human rights defenders know the names of 104 defendants and declared 93 of them political prisoners. The authorities have already sentenced 43 persons to prison terms. Three commenters received restricted freedom sentences.
At least 32 Belarusian media workers are behind bars, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ). Belarus is the fourth largest prison for journalists after China, Myanmar and Iran.
- PoliticsUS, Belarus pro-democracy talks move forwardThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKGB brands Belarusians, Estonian as terroristsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityPolish defense minister outraged at migrants’ attacks on border guardsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus’ median salary rises by 19 percent year on yearThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsUN experts demand probe into Belarus prison deathsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyBelarus to slash pensions for people paid off booksThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Politics, SecurityWitnesses say drones chased, shot down in southern Belarus last weekThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Germany news, PoliticsAndrea Wiktorin completes her tenure as Germany charge d’affairesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsInitiative linked to jailed politician Dziadok branded extremist groupThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsGeorgia arrests Belarusian asylum seeker for three monthsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Politics, Security
- Germany news, PoliticsBySol head says Germany’s AfD is tool of influence for Łukašenka officialsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCoordination Council to hear report from transition cabinet in early AugustThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Politics
- PoliticsBelarusian asylum seeker’s arrest in Georgia involved abuse of power – activistThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsEU to allocate funding to Belarusian independent media, rights groupsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society