Belarus moves to expel journalists working for western media

Action follows the arrests of several reporters this week

Police detained protesters demonstrating against the election results (EPA)

In an unexpectedly sharp escalation, Belarus on Saturday removed accreditations from local journalists working for western news outlets.

The move affects about a dozen journalists from organisations including the BBC, Reuters, Radio Liberty, Agence France-Presse and Associated Press.

It follows several rounds of arrests this week, all of which suggest that Alexander Lukashenko’s regime is getting serious about reasserting control.

On Friday, a TV crew working for German public broadcaster ARD was arrested. They spent the night in a police station before being deported.

In the 20 days since the disputed presidential elections, Belarus has presented anything but ideal working conditions for journalists.

In the first few days, dozens were beaten, arrested, and jailed in horrific conditions. There was evidence that some were deliberately targeted with rubber bullets.

Most foreign media were refused the right to work in the country; The Independent was an exception. Many have chosen to travel to Belarus regardless, but working undercover carries not inconsiderable risk.

Saturday’s decision, which comes ahead of a mass rally planned for Sunday, was communicated to journalists in a round of morning phone calls.

“They called me from the foreign ministry and said that by resolution of the government’s information security commission, my accreditation has been rescinded,” the BBC’s Tatyana Melnichuk told local media.

“To my question about what I was being accused of, I was told that they were only authorised to convey the information.”

The ban has not been extended to Russian journalists from state television channels, who have been working in Belarus from a privileged position.

Journalists working for Kremlin-funded RT were almost immediately released when detained on Thursday, while their colleagues at other media outlets waited for hours.