Local journalist sentenced in jail on “extremist” content charges

December 26, BPN. The Słonim District Court, Hrodna region, has sentenced local journalist, writer and historian Siarhiej Čyhryn to 15 days in jail, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reports.

The 64-year-old man was expected to be released on December 23 after serving a seven-day term for dissemination of “extremist” content. Instead, law enforcers told Čyhryn’s relatives about “new developments” in his case.

After another weekend in jail, the journalist was convicted under the same criminal article, but received a longer term.

Čyhryn was sacked as head of the Słonim Drama Theater’s literary department three days after his arrest.

In the past, the convict was reporter at the Słonimski Vieśnik newspaper and deputy editor-in-chief at Hazieta Słonimskaja. He wrote about 60 poetry, local history and literary studies books. He also translated works by Ukrainian, Russian, French and Turkish poets and playwrights into Belarusian.

Belarus has at least 33 imprisoned reporters, BAJ said.