Editor, activist, torture investigators win Belarusian human rights award

January 12, BPN. Journalist Aksana Kołb, activist Anastasija Łojka and the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus have won a human rights achievements award.

Since 2011, the award founded by Pravaabarončy Aljans reflects the opinion of the whole Belarusian human rights community. The ceremony was livestreamed on the Barys Zvozskaŭ Human Rights House’s Facebook page on January 11.

Novy Čas editor-in-chief Aksana Kołb was named Journalist of the Year. She had been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in an open prison, but managed to leave Belarus.

Kołb was arrested on April 20, 2022. Two months later, a district court in Minsk found her guilty of disturbing public order over a 2020 protest march.

On October 28, the Ministry of Internal Affairs placed Kołb on the “list of persons involved in extremist activities.”

General interest newspaper Novy Čas, founded in 2002, has been out of print since August 2021. The Novychas.by website was blocked in Belarus in October of the same year. The newsroom relies on a mirror website, Novychas.online.

Anastasia Łojka became Human Rights Activist of the Year.

On December 24, activists reported that two criminal charges were brought against Łojka. One was undisclosed and another one involved alleged public order disturbances.

Łojka was transferred to Detention Center No 1 in Minsk.

The human rights activist had been detained in October and served several jail terms for minor offenses.

Łojka, a team member of outlawed Human Constanta, monitored changes in legislation and defended the rights of foreigners and stateless people in Belarus.

The International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus was named Initiative of the Year. Human rights activist Viktoryja Fiodarava received the diploma.

“Unfortunately, I’m the only public figure in the committee, but I want to thank my colleagues for their work. It’s important to note that when the committee was established in 2020, no-one could imagine that 2023 will require even harder work, as the torture continues,” Fiodarava said.