Belarus – Detention of human rights defenders and journalists (24 February 2021)

France condemns the searches of homes and offices of those working for the NGO Viasna and the Belarusian Association of Journalists as well as the sentence handed down against two young journalists from the Belsat TV channel who were jailed for filming protests. These developments reflect an intensification of the harassment experienced by civil society and independent journalists in Belarus.

We call on the Belarusian authorities to put an end to it and to immediately release the journalists and civil society representatives who were unjustly convicted. Only the establishment of an inclusive national dialogue will make it possible to bring a peaceful end to the crisis.