Alexander Lukashenko continues a ruthless campaign of violence against journalists – we must not avert our gaze

The political situation in the former Soviet republic remains febrile, but it seems the government knows it can only hold on to power by silencing independent journalists, writes Nadezhda Belakhvostik

Law enforcement officers stand close to a police van as opposition supporters rally to protest against police violence and the Belarus presidential election results in Minsk (Getty)

In many parts of the world, hi-vis jackets marked “PRESS” offer protection to journalists. In Belarus, they help the authorities identify who to target and who to arrest.  

Radio Liberty journalist Vital Tsygankov was beaten while reporting on an anti-Lukashenko protest. He was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and repeatedly punched in the face. Natalia Lubnevskaya, a journalist on the Nasha Niva newspaper, was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while observing a protest in Minsk. A video of the incident showed she was shot at close range by a policeman.

It is four months since Alexander Lukashenko claimed an overwhelming victory in an election that mobilised popular opposition to his 28 years in power, prompting an uprising that briefly threatened to sweep him from office. The political situation in the former Soviet republic remains febrile, but it seems the government knows it can only hold on to power by silencing the independent journalists who are reporting on the current crisis without fear or favour.