Article 19 demands release of media manager Alaksandraŭ, wife

January 12, Pozirk. The British media rights group, Article 19, has demanded the release of media manager Andrej Alaksandraŭ and his wife Iryna Złobina on the third anniversary of their arrest.

It also urged Belarusian authorities to release all people imprisoned on politically-motivated charges.

Joanna Szymanska in charge of Europe and Central Asia at Article 19 described Alaksandaraŭ as “a dedicated proponent of press freedom,” who cooperated with media rights groups, including Article 19.

“We tried to send letters, but the latest response from Andrei dates back to 2021,” she said. “We suspect he may not be receiving our letters, a situation many political prisoners in Belarus experience. Nevertheless, our thoughts are consistently with Andrej and Iryna, and we will continue our work for their release.”

Article 19 also noted the ongoing trial of Belarusian photojournalist Alaksandar Ziankoŭ, arrested in June 2023 on extremism-related charges.

Alaksandraŭ, a former BelaPAN deputy CEO, and Złobina were arrested on January 12, 2021.

In October 2022, judge Viačasłaŭ Tulejka of the Minsk Regional Court sentenced Alaksandraŭ to 14 years in prison; Złobina, to nine years, on charges widely seen as politically motivated, including high treason, tax evasion and organizing actions grossly disturbing public order.

Alaksandraŭ is held at Penal Colony No 1 in Navapołack, Viciebsk region, and is currently working at the prison’s woodworking shop.

His wife is serving the prison sentence at women’s Penal Colony No 4 in Homiel where she is working at a sewing shop.

They married in September 2022 at a pre-trial detention center and are allowed to keep in touch.

The now-defunct BelaPAN media company that had employed Alaksandraŭ from 2014 to 2018 was branded an extremist group in Belarus in early November 2021.

Since then, authorities blacklisted a number of independent media outlets as extremist groups, including Belsat TV, Radyjo Svaboda, Naša Niva, Chestnaya Gazeta and Euroradio.