PEN America condemns these unjust attacks on journalists and activists, and calls on the Belarusian government to cease its unrelenting assault on the rights of its people.
“These searches and detentions are a shocking escalation of the Belarusian government’s ongoing crackdown on human rights, and indicate the authorities’ utter disregard for press freedom and freedom of expression and association,”
said Polina Sadovskaya, PEN America’s Eurasia program director.
“Journalists and human rights activists are being targeted for doing their jobs, and the government is making it quite obvious it views those jobs as a threat. The international community must continue to focus on the abuses taking place in Belarus, and to support those who are taking great risks to document and share information about the government’s persistent attacks on human rights.”
Members of Congress joined PEN America recently marking a day of solidarity with the Belarusian people; you can sign PEN America’s statement of support for the people of Belarus, defending their right to free expression