Belorusy i Rynok monthly chief gets four years in prison – media reports

April 6, BPN. The Minsk City Court has sentenced Kanstancin Załatych, Mediarynok CEO and director of the business monthly Belorusy i Rynok, to four years in prison, Euroradio reported. 

Prosecutors accused him of inciting hatred, abusing power, and insulting public officials and Alaksandr Łukašenka online.

The Committee for State Security (KGB) arrested Załatych, editor in chief Andrej Aleksandrovič and accountant Julija Kachno in May 2022. Aleksandrovič and Kachno were released the same day, while Załatych was placed in a detention facility.

Human rights activists declared him a political prisoner.

In December 2022, the information ministry struck Belorusy i Rynok off the register of print periodicals.

A few weeks later, it unblocked the newspaper’s website after forcing the newsroom to take down politically-sensitive content.