Belarus Journalist Convicted Of Treason And Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison

TALLINN, Estonia — Belarusian journalist Pavel Dabravolski was convicted Monday of treason and sentenced to 9 years successful a maximum-security prison, activists said, nan 5th media worker to beryllium jailed successful 2 weeks successful a relentless authorities crackdown connected state of nan press.

Dabravolski, who has reported for world and home news outlets and won galore prizes for his work, was recovered blameworthy during a closed-door proceedings astatine Minsk City Court, according to nan Belarusian Association of Journalists. The 36-year-old astir precocious worked for BelaPAN, which nan Belarusian authorities person designated arsenic extremist.

President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for complete 3 decades, has stayed successful powerfulness done a relentless crackdown connected dissent.

Massive protests collapsed retired pursuing nan 2020 elections, which were wide denounced arsenic fraudulent. More than 65,000 group were arrested and thousands were beaten. In nan aftermath of nan protests, hundreds of independent media outlets and nongovernmental organizations were unopen down and outlawed.

Exiled guidance leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said Dabravolski was being targeted by “trumped-up charges.”

“Dabravolski’s only ‘crime’ was doing his occupation and covering nan 2020 protests aft nan stolen elections,” she said. “We spot that nan conveyor loop of repression wrong Belarus continues unabated.”

Activists person reported a crisp summation successful authorities unit connected Belarus’ media workers.

“Repression is escalating and Dabravolski’s condemnation shows that nan authorities are expanding unit connected journalists successful a state that already has nan worst state of reside successful Europe,” Andrei Bastunets, nan caput of nan journalists’ association, told The Associated Press.

The group says that 28 journalists are imprisoned successful Belarus.

“It contradicts nan thought that nan quality authorities business successful Belarus has allegedly improved owed to nan merchandise of salient governmental prisoners,” Bastunets said.

Under Lukashenko, Belarus has faced years of Western isolation and sanctions for repression and for allowing Moscow to usage its territory during its full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful 2022. He has precocious sought to amended relations pinch nan West by releasing hundreds of governmental prisoners.

Many much stay down bars, however, pinch quality authorities statement Viasna estimating that location are 1,140 governmental prisoners.

Karmanau writes for nan Associated Press.