On 12 January 2025 it will be four years since Belarusian journalist Andrei Aliaksandrau (Андрэй Аляксандраў) was detained and imprisoned in Belarus. His case is reminiscent of ongoing attacks on independent journalism and human rights in Belarus.
Aliaksandrau, born 1978, a well-known journalist and media freedom advocate, was arrested on 12 January 2021. The Belarusian authorities accused him of paying fines on behalf of protesters who were detained during the mass pro-democracy protests that followed the highly disputed 2020 presidential election. The state claimed that such financial assistance amounted to “organizing and financing unlawful protests.” Aliaksandrau later faced additional charges of “high treason,” and in October 2022, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison and a fine of 32,000 BYN (around 9,500 EUR). Charges were according to following articles of the Criminal Law of Belarus: Article 342— Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them; Art. 243 — Evasion of taxes and fees; Article 361-1— Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it and Article. 356 — High treason. He is in prison in the Penal colony No. 1. These harsh sentences were part of a broader crackdown on dissents, including journalists and human rights defenders, arrested and persecuted in the past years.
International organizations, including ARTICLE 19 (https://www.article19.org/) and Index on Censorship (https://www.indexoncensorship.org/), have consistently advocated for the couple’s release. Both organizations launched the #FreeAndrei campaign to raise awareness about his plight and highlight the broader human rights violations in Belarus. The campaign includes video messages from journalists and human rights defenders calling for the release of the couple and all political prisoners in Belarus.
You can also sign the petition that was organized for Andrei here: https://freeandreiandirina.org/#home
During his time in detention, Aliaksandrau wrote a poem reflecting on his experience, which has since become a symbol of his resilience. Supporters are encouraged to share this poem and use the hashtag #FreeAndrei to amplify the call for his freedom.
You can hear the poem that Andrei wrote in Belarusian here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emMgFY_ijBI
You can hear the poem that Andrei wrote in English here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdfvVhwiQBI
Aliaksandrau is known for his extensive work in promoting press freedom. He previously cooperated with ARTICLE 19 and Index on Censorship and founded JournalBy.com(https://journalby.com/), an Belarusian media platform. He also collaborated with various human rights organizations, advocating for freedom of expression in the region.
Since his detention, his communication with the outside world has been limited. Supporters have reported difficulties in sending letters, as it appears that political prisoners in Belarus often do not receive correspondence. Despite this, Aliaksandrau remains a symbol of courage for many, with a clear conscience about his actions.
The 2020 Belarusian presidential election, which sparked the protests leading to Aliaksandrau’s arrest, was marred by widespread allegations of fraud. The subsequent crackdown on peaceful protesters resulted in over 30,000 arrests, with many journalists and human rights defenders facing harsh prison sentences.
As the fourth anniversary of their detention approaches, the fight for their freedom remains a critical reminder of the ongoing struggle for democracy and human rights in Belarus.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the continued unjust imprisonment of Belarusian journalist Andrei Aliaksandrau, as well as the ongoing repression of press freedom in Belarus. The baseless charges and harsh sentences handed down to Andrei reflect a blatant violation of human rights and a deliberate attack on independent journalism. SEEMO stands in solidarity with him and all political prisoners in Belarus, reiterating the urgent call for their immediate and unconditional release. SEEMO will be closely monitoring their situation and the broader crackdown on media freedom in Belarus to ensure that these grave injustices do not go unnoticed.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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