‘Participating in unauthorised mass event’: Trials of journos detained during students’ protests

https://www.facebook.com/BELSAT.TV/videos/314328279794491/

 

On September 4, Kastrychnitski district court of Minsk sentenced six non-state media workers to three days in jail.

As they have already served three-day terms since the moment of detention on Tuesday, they have been released from the notorious detention centre in Akrestsin street at about 5 pm on Friday.

Nadzeya Kalinina, Alyaksei Sudnikau (TUT.BY), Svyataslau Zorki, Mikita Nedaverkau, Maryia Elyashevich (Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus), Andrey Shaulyuha (BelaPAN) were found guilty in participating in an unauthorised mass event.

The cases were considered remotely via Skype. Riot policemen wearing balaclavas and keeping their names in secret were giving evidence against the journalists.

On September 1, the police framed the journalists who were dressed in PRESS vests. They were reporting from the march and rally held by Belarusian students on Knowledge Day; all of them have accreditations.

It is the second time that the six journalists have been tried. On September 2, the court sent back their cases for revision, but the journalists were not freed.

Tut.by journalist Nadzeya Kalinina. 4 September 2020. Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Belsat.eu
Komsomolskaya Pravda journalist Mikita Nedaverkau. 4 September 2020. Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Belsat.eu
BelaPAN journalist Andrey Shauluha. 4 September 2020. Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Belsat.eu
Kamsamolskaya Pravda journalist Maryia Elyashevich. 4 September 2020. Photo: iryna Arakhouskaya / Belsat.eu
Tut.by journalist Alyaksei Sudnikau (C). 4 September 2020. Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Belsat.eu
Relatives and friends waiting for release of journalists at detention centre in Minsk. 4 September 2020. Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Belsat.eu
Komsomolskaya Pravda photojournalist Svyataslau Zorki. 4 September 2020. Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Belsat.eu
Svyataslau Zorki, Alyaksei Sudnikau, Andrey Shauluha, Mikita Nedaverkau, Maryia Elyashevich. Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Belsat.eu
Cat on fence near detention centre in Akrestsin street. Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Belsat.eu

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