Belarus: Tatsiana Pytsko Faces Up to 6 Years in Prison as Crackdown on Media Continues
The Coalition For Women In Journalism vehemently condemns the regime’s arbitrary arrest of journalists. We demand Pytsko’s immediate release.
Location: Belarus,Viciebsk
Date: June 6, 2023
Tatsiana Pytsko and her husband face years in prison for allegedly creating “extremist content.” As of July 2023, nine women journalists are imprisoned in Belarus, most facing lengthy sentences on absurd charges. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled by the regime’s continuous assault on the press. We demand their immediate and unconditional release.
On June 6, 2023, Tatsiana Pytsko was arrested by regime forces and charged with creating or participating in an extremist formation.
Authorities are investigating Pytsko and her husband, Viachaslau Lazarau, in connection to a video recording broadcast on Belsat TV, an outlet declared extremist in Belarus.
Lazarau was detained in early February on charges of facilitating “extremist activities,” likely due to his collaboration with independent media outlets. Their home was raided, and all equipment was seized.
The Belarussian Investigative Committee claims they uncovered video material on cameraman Lazarau’s devices, including footage of his wife Pytsko. Authorities allege this proves Pytsko’s involvement in “extremist activities.”
Pytsko is currently in custody in a pre-trial detention center in Viciebsk. She faces six years in prison if convicted.
The couple’s one-year-old daughter was sent to a children's hospital after Pytsko’s arrest.
Tatsiana Pytsko previously faced consequences for her involvement in protest marches in 2020, resulting in a fine and the loss of her teaching job.
These events likely brought her under the scrutiny of the special services. Her husband also faced administrative charges related to his work with independent media prior to 2020.
In the eyes of the regime, they were considered an "unreliable family," a label that many Belarusian families critical of the authoritarian state bear.
2020 protests and government crackdown
In 2020 mass protests broke out in Belarus following public outcry after a presidential election that saw Alexander Lukashenko retain power despite election results being deemed Illegitimate.
The Belarusian government has resorted to various tactics to stifle political resistance and silence independent journalism. Authorities have routinely imposed lengthy prison sentences on journalists, often on flimsy charges of promoting extremism or participating in protests. These charges are seen by many as a thinly veiled attempt to silence critical voices and discourage any form of opposition.
Women journalists behind bars in Belarus
Currently, nine women journalists – including Tatsiana Pytsko – are languishing behind bars in Belarus.
In a trial that appeared to be a calculated move to dismantle TUT.by, one of Belarus' prominent media outlets, journalists Maryna Zolatava and Lyudmila Chekina were handed severe sentences of 12 years each in March 2023.
Meanwhile, Katsiaryna Andreyeva, who filmed an anti-Lukashenko protest in November 2020, was sentenced to a staggering ten years and three months behind bars. Her colleague, Ksenia Lutskina, is also enduring an eight-year prison sentence.
These sentences highlight the Belarusian government's relentless crackdown on dissent and independent journalism.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the arrest and detention of Tatsiana Pytsko, with both parents behind bars and facing years in prison. We are deeply concerned for the welfare of her baby daughter. The targeting of the couple cements the cruel lengths Lukashenko’s regime will go to muzzle the press. We call on the Belarussian authorities to drop all charges against Pytsko and immediately release her from detention.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.
