Belarus targets journalists, activists with raids

KYIV: Authorities in Belarus raided the offices and homes of dozens of human rights activists and journalists on Wednesday in a crackdown that came a day ater the country’s authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko promised to “deal with” non-governmental organisations that he accuses of fomenting unrest.

Law enforcement officers raided the homes of 10 advocates with the Viasna human rights centre, as well as the centre’s offices in Minsk and other cities.

The searches also targeted a number of other Belarusian NGOS and journalists in various regions of the ex-soviet state.

More than 40 raids took place across the country.

The chairperson of the Belarusian Association of Journalists said officers broke the doors into the organisation’s office in the capital and didn’t present a search warrant.

“The most massive assembly line of repressions in the country’s modern history has been activated in Belarus,” Andrei Bastunets, the head of the journalists’ association, said ater the Wednesday morning raid.

The renowned Viasna centre has monitored human rights in Belarus for a quarter-century. Authorities revoked its credentials in 2003 and its leader, Ales Bialiatski, was arrested in 2012 and spent two years behind bars.

Bialiatski’s whereabouts were unknown on Wednesday, and the raids paralysed the work of several regional branches of Viasna.

The advocates subject to home searches were taken to the Belarus’s Investigative Commitee for questioning.

The human rights centre said in a statement that it would not cease its activities under pressure.

It condemned “the new wave of repression against members of our organisation and civil society in Belarus.” “The real motive for the persecution is our fight, together with Belarus’ entire human rights community, for the advancement of human rights and democratic values, against torture and cruel, inhumane, humiliating treatment (of people),” the statement said.

Other organisations targeted in the raids included the Belarusian Helsinki Commitee, the World Association of Belarusians, the For Freedom movement and the Gender Perspectives association. The search of the offices of the Belarusian Association of Journalists was the second in three months.

“The authorities use the most disgusting methods of cracking down on dissent in the country - fear, arrests and raids,” Bastunest said.

According to Viasna, journalists and rights activists in the cities of Orsh, Grodno, Brest and others also were targeted in raids.