A protocol has been drawn upon Belsat TV contributor Katsyaryna Andreyeva (Bakhvalava) for livestreaming a ‘non-parasite’ rally in Brest.
According to the police, the reason for making a report was the fact that the journalist had interviewed a policeman without having accreditation.
Policeman Vyachaslau Pesetski is expected to give evidence against Andreyeva in court. As she has not received a subpoena yet, the date of the hearing is still unknown.
As reported earlier, BYN 690 fine (appr. $360) was imposed on our colleague on March, 13. According to the judge, Katsyatyna Bakhvalava had no right to cover protests in Orsha as Belsat TV is not accredited by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.
In Orsha, Belsat TV journalists were forced to get into a police car when they were livestreaming the policemen detaining politician and former political prisoner Pavel Sevyarynets. They managed to film Russian tricolors in the car of the Belarusian special police force (OMON).
Turn English subtitles on: Belsat TV journalists being detained live
In February-March, there has been an eruption of protesting the so-called ‘parasite’ law in Belarus. Hundreds of Belarusians were detained, fined, jailed after recent non-parasite marches. Most of them were accused of violating the order of holding mass events and disobedience to police officers’ demands. It should be noted that plainclothes policemen who refuse to show their IDs a or introduce themselves often beat people and prevented journalists from performing their professional duties.
Although Belsat TV is located in Poland, many journalists and contributors work in Belarus. As the Belarusian Foreign Ministery has repeatedly denied registration to the TV station for political reasons, its contributors are at the authorities’ gunpoint for working without it.
Belsat.eu
