Kastus Zhukouski, a Homiel-based journalist was detained by the police shortly before a meeting with the leadership of entrepreneurs of Svetlahorsk district (Homiel region). He had to spent two hours at a police station.
The meeting was to start at 14:00. At about the same time Zhukouski was arrested, eyewitness Alena Maslyukova said.
The freelance journalist was approaching the building of the district executive committee, when Alla Mankevich, an employee of the department of ideological work, claimed he did not have the right to film. Mr Zhukouski answered that filming is not prohibited by law.
Then the ideology worker called the police. By the moment they arrived, the journalist had come in the building of district executive committee.
“I saw the policemen to be taking him out of the building, they were literally pulling him, they did use force! Zhukouski was taken to the police station for investigation,” Ms Maslyukova said.
Since the beginning of 2016, five administrative cases were opened against Kastus Zhukouski under Article. 22.9 of the Administrative Code. He was charged with ‘illegal production of media products’, but in fact, with working without accreditation for the TV channel Belsat, and then fined.
Human Rights Organization “Amnesty International”, included the prosecution of Kastus Zhukouski in its report on human rights violations in Belarus.
belsat.eu, following ПЦ «Вясна»
