On July 16, Belarusian security officers made an unexpected visit to the Minsk office of Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe (also known as Radio Svaboda in Belarus).
The search of RFE/RL journalist Valyantsin Zhdanko’s flat was reported by pro-Lukashenka forces on Telegram.
Former Svaboda journalist Inesa Studzinskaya was detained, her apartment was searched, Svaboda’s Telegram channel reports, citing her son. In October, the accreditation of a Radio Svaboda correspondent was taken away from Inesa.
Minsk-based journalist Aleh Hruzdzilovich was detained (he was deprived of Radio Svaboda’s accreditation last year).
“Aleh was taken away in handcuffs. There were 9 people [officers raiding the flat – Belsat]. All [computer] equipment was seized,” his wife Maryana said.
To conduct a search of the local office of Radio Svaboda, security officers broke down the door. When raiding the office, they turned the place upside down, tore out signalling system wires and confiscated all the equipment. The place has been sealed off.
On Friday morning, siloviki also came for a number of Belarusian media workers contributing to Belsat TV.
Belsat.eu
