Tut.by journalists to go on trial on January 9

January 2, BPN. The trial of Tut By Media’s employees will start on January 9 at the Minsk City Court and will be closed to the public, the court schedule said.

The Prosecutor General’s Office listed CEO Ludmiła Čekina, editor-in-chief Maryna Zołatava, politics and economy editor Volha Łojka, journalist Alena Tałkačova and legal adviser Kaciaryna Tkačenka as defendants.

Authorities accuse Čekina, Zołatava, Łojka and Tałkačova of tax evasion, inciting hatred and calling for sanctions. Tkačenka is charged with participation in protests.

Tut By Media ran Tut.by, Belarus’ most popular news portal.

Authorities arrested 15 Tut.by employees in May 2021. All except Čekina and Zołatava were released from custody after agreeing to cooperate with investigators, according to the Investigative Committee.

One exception is Darja Daniłava, sentenced to 16 months in prison and released in the courtroom, as she had spent about as much time in jail pending trial.

Tut.by journalists left Belarus in July 2021 to launch Zerkalo.io, a news website that largely follows in the footsteps of the original media outlet. Belarus and Russia have blocked access to the website. On top of that, Belarus declared it extremist content.

On June 14, 2022, the Minsk Economic Court designated Tut By Media as an extremist organization, banning its activities in Belarus.

In October, the Committee for State Security (KGB) added Zołatava, Čekina, Łojka and Tałkačova to its list of “individuals and entities involved in terrorist activities.”