Minsk: 15-day jail terms for Belsat TV support staff


СEpisode of Each of Us, screenshot. 12 May 2021. Source: Belsat

On Monday, Tsentralny district court of Minsk started hearing the cases of Belsat TV support staff detained on May, 21.

They were tried under Art. 24.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences (‘disobedience to a lawful order or requirement of an official). Earlier, state-run TV reported that they were suspected of violating the law on mass media.

Today judge Alyaksandr Petrash has sentenced Mikhail Kashkan, Maksim Yarashenka, Ivan Kashkan, Ryhor Pyatrovich, Pavel Patapau, Alyaksandr Kulpo to 15 days of arrest each.

Last Friday, uniformed services broke into a Minsk-based studio which is regularly used for filming and making Belsat TV talk show Each of Us (Kozhny Z Nas). Support staff (four cameramen, a sound engineer, a studio administrator) were detained; they were taken to the notorious detention centre on Akrestsin Street.

When the unexpected visitors came, there was no filming in progress; the studio was just being prepared for recording another episode of the talk show. Hleb Labadzenka, the host of Each of Us, is at liberty.

Updated
Freedom of speech locked up: How many Belarusian media workers are now behind bars?
2021.05.20 12:35

belsat.eu

TWITTER