Belarus sentences veteran journalist to three years for alleged extremism
1:31 PM EDT, March 22, 2024
In Belarus, another sentence has been passed against an independent journalist. A Minsk court convicted the 56-year-old Ihar Karniej to three years in prison for alleged participation "in an extremist formation," Radio Liberty reported on Friday.
Judge Siarhiej Kacar presided over the trial and sentenced Ihar Karniej to a three-year stay in a penal colony. Additionally, the journalist was fined 20,000 Belarusian rubles, equivalent to approximately 24,000 złotys ($6,000).
According to Radio Liberty, propaganda media reported that the authorities viewed Karniej's cooperation with the now-banned independent Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) as the cause of the criminal case.
Even though Alexander Lukashenko's regime disbanded it, the organization continues to monitor the media situation in Belarus.
Ihar Karniej was detained in July 2023. He had worked as a journalist at Radio Liberty for over 20 years. His arrest and subsequent sentencing mark another instance of repression against independent journalists in Belarus.
