Mobilization for Press Club Belarus and against arrests of journalists
Arrested on December 22nd in Minsk, Belarus, Yulia Slutskaya, the founder and president of Press Club Belarus, was still in detention 6 day later according to Belsat news and other medias. Four other employees were arrested the same day: Director Sergei Olshevsky, Program Director Alla Sharko, Media Academy Program Director Sergei Yakupov, and cameraman Pyotr Slutsky. In addition, Press Club Belarus’ headquarter and homes of some of the club’s managers were searched by the Belarus police.
Club members of the International Association of Press Clubs (IAPC) and European Press Clubs Federation (EPCF) demand the immediate release of those detained and an end to repression of journalists in Belarus.
According to the NGO Reporters without Borders, Belarus has arrested 370 journalists since the presidential elections in August considered as fraudulent by a large part of the international community and that started the mass protests and repression in Belarus.
The Geneva Press Club, member of IAPC and EPCF, joins to the request to release all journalists and Media representatives arrested just for doing their job.