Prosecutor General asks Supreme Court to label group of investigative journalists extremists

February 14, BPN. Prosecutor General Andrej Švied, at the suggestion of KGB head Ivan Tertel, has petitioned the Supreme Court to recognize the Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC) as an extremist organization and ban its activities.

The Prosecutor General’s Office says the center’s journalists present information “in such a way that deliberately heightens tension in society, creates a hostile environment around state bodies’ actions, and undermines the authority of the Republic of Belarus in the international arena.”

The move comes after Rabočy Ruch activists attempted to prevent two trucks with sanctioned Belarusian fertilizers from entering Lithuania. The cargo was transported to Serbia. BIC reporters were present at the scene.

BIC is an independent production company specializing in investigative journalism. It produces articles and shows for Belsat TV.

The center, headed by journalist Staś Ivaškievič, is a member of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).