Belarus Cracks Down: Journalists Sentenced in Latest Repression Wave

Two Belarusian journalists have been sentenced to prison terms amid a new wave of repression. The journalists worked for outlets deemed extremist by President Alexander Lukashenko's government. The closed trial's verdict follows extensive arrests and sentences targeting dissent and journalism since the disputed 2020 presidential election.

Two Belarusian journalists working for news outlets labeled extremist by President Alexander Lukashenko's government have been sentenced to prison, according to the country's leading human rights group.

The closed-door trial convictions mark the latest step in a relentless crackdown on dissent and independent journalism, which intensified following the contested 2020 presidential election that secured Lukashenko's sixth term.

More than 35,000 individuals have been arrested in the crackdown, with numerous opposition figures fleeing the country or being sentenced to long prison terms. Viasna, the human rights group, reports nearly 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus.

Reporter Ales Sabaleuski received a four-year sentence, and cameraman Yauhen Hlushkou was sentenced to three years by the court in Mogilev. They were convicted of involvement in foreign military actions; further details were scarce. Both journalists worked for banned Belarusian media operations that persist abroad.

(With inputs from agencies.)