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Mieli kolegos,

Lenkijos visuomeninis transliuotojas TVP, kuris yra „Belsat" televizijos Baltarusijoje valdytojas, prašo kolegų žurnalistų paramos keliant dviejų įkalintų „Belsat" žurnalisčių 28 metų Kaciarynos Andrejevos (Bachvalavos) ir 24-ejų Darjos Čulcovos kandidatūras garbingam PRIX EUROPA metų Europos žurnalisto apdovanojimui.

Dvi Lenkijoje įsikūrusios opozicinės televizijos „Belsat" žurnalistės buvo sulaikytos pernai lapkričio mėnesį, kai filmavo mitingą nužudytam antivyriausybiniam protestuotojui palaikyti. Šių metų vasarį Baltarusijos teismas skyrė joms dvejų metų laisvės atėmimo bausmes dėl kaltinimų antivyriausybinių protestų organizavimu prieš autoritarinį prezidentą Aliaksandrą Lukašenką. Vėliau bausmė buvo palikta galioti.

Žemiau yra angliškas kreipimosi tekstas, kuriam prašome išreikšti palaikymą IKI RUGSĖJO 13 d.

Kaip tai padaryti? Savo sutikimą pasirašyti palaikymo raštą žurnalistėms prašome siųsti el.paštu vyresniajai LRT užsienio ryšių koordinatorei Viktorijai Cieminytei Viktorija.Cieminyte@lrt.lt, kuri visus suplaukusius parašus perduos TVP kolegai Marekui Solon-Lipińskiui.

Daugiau informacijos apie apdovanojimą: https://www.prixeuropa.eu/news/2021/08/23who-is-your-european-journalist-of-the-year-2021

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Palaikymo laiškas PRIX EUROPA apdovanojimo nominacijai (atsiprašau, kad tik angliškai):

EUROPEAN JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR 2021

candidacy of Katsyaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova

Belsat TV journalists Katsyaryna Andreyeva (Bachvalava) and Darya Chultsova were sentenced by a Minsk court to two years of imprisonment in a penal colony for journalist work during anti-government protests in Belarus.

In February 2021, a Minsk court sentenced two female journalists of Belsat TV, Katsyaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova, to two years' imprisonment in a penal colony for covering the gathering of protesters in Minsk.

Journalists were detained on November 15, 2020, when they were conducting internet coverage of the rally commemorating oppositionist Raman Bandarenko, who had been beaten to death. They were charged with "organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order."

28-year-old Katsyaryna Andreyeva and 24-year-old Darya Chultsova are to spend the next two years in a penal colony. Defenders of human rights recognized the journalists as political prisoners. The European Union, the U.S. and numerous journalist and non-governmental organizations, such as European Broadcasting Union, appealed for their release and an end to the persecution of journalists in Belarus; a petition in this matter was signed by over 1.5 thousand people from more than a dozen countries, including well-known writers and influential figures. It was stated that the charges against the women are contrary to international human rights standards, and their persecution constitutes a violation of the right to freedom of expression.

"Every time I went out to work, I risked not only my freedom, but also my health and life. I managed to dodge the fire of rubber bullets, the explosions of stun grenades, the blows of batons. My colleagues were much less lucky. They were kicked in the stomach, had broken noses, were shot at from several meters away. So far, not a single criminal case has been initiated against the perpetrators of these acts of violence. (...) I did not commit any crime. I didn't encourage anyone to do it. I have everything: youth, favourite profession and, most importantly, a clear conscience. I want to devote myself to building a Belarus where there will be no political repression. Your Honour, I am not asking, but I demand acquittal of me, my colleagues and hundreds of political prisoners" - Katsyaryna said during the trial.

"This sentence is not mere repression. It is an act of terrorism aimed at intimidating the journalistic community. The authorities have deemed us unnecessary citizens whose place is in prison or, at best, emigration." - wrote Katsyaryna 's husband, also a Belsat journalist, Ihar Ilyas after leaving the court.

During the Belarusian protests that erupted after the rigged presidential election on August 9, 2020, by the end of the year, employees of independent media were detained almost 500 times. They spent 1,200 days behind bars. Every third act of repression was addressed to journalists of Belsat, the only independent TV station broadcasting for Belarusian viewers. The channel, owned by TVP Polish Television, has been a target of attacks by the Belarusian authorities since its creation in 2007. Previously, Belsat's journalists were sentenced mainly to fines and several days' imprisonment because, having not received accreditation from the Belarusian state allowing them to perform their job, they were forced to work unofficially. A sentence of two years in a penal colony for a journalist is a precedent even under Belarusian dictatorship.

The conviction of the journalists of Belsat TV, the only independent television broadcasting in the Belarusian language, is not only an attack on media freedom and a violation of human rights. It also undermines the fundamental values of the civilised world.

The Prix Europa award for Journalist of the Year honors individuals who "have gone outside their comfort zone and shown extraordinary creativity, courage and impact on their specific society or audience". The award for Katsyaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova will allow us to express our highest respect and support for the Belsat journalists and once again remind the world about the plight of the persecuted media in Belarus.

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Katsyaryna Andreyeva was born in 1993. She is married to Belsat journalist Ihar Ilyash. Andreyeva studied Spanish philology at Minsk State Linguistic University. Then she worked at Radio Svaboda / Free Europe, and since 2017 she has been a journalist at the Minsk section of Belsat TV. Recognized twice as TV personality of the year in the Belsat TV plebiscite, she is also twice winner of the Belarusian Journalists Association Award and several other industry awards. Along with her husband, she wrote a book " The Belarusian Donbas" about the participation of her compatriots in the war in eastern Ukraine. She was fined a total of about $4,500 for her work without accreditation. On November 15, Andreyeva was detained while covering the events at so-called Square of Changes, where a participant of anti-government protests Raman Bandarenko had been beaten to death. At the time, under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code: "Organization and preparation of actions grossly violating public order", her arrest was extended by two months. On February 18, she heard the sentence: 2 years in a penal colony. On April 23, the appeal was rejected. Based on the amendments to the Criminal Code introduced in June, related to the crediting of days spent in custody, the court announced a real reduction of the sentence by 2.5 months.

Darya Chultsova was born in 1997. She graduated from journalism at Mogilev State University. She has been working for Belsat since spring 2019; first as a correspondent in her hometown Mogilev, and since September last year as a journalist and camera operator in Minsk. The fines imposed on her for performing media work for Belsat without accreditation totaled nearly $800. On November 15, along with Katsyaryna Andreyeva, she was taken into custody for covering the demonstration from so-called Square of Changes, after which she was charged under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code for allegedly coordinating the street protest. After a joint trial with Katsyaryna Andreyeva on February 18, a Minsk court found her guilty and sentenced her to 2 years in a penal colony. On April 23, the court rejected the appeal. In connection with the changes in law, which came into force in June, by the decision of the court on August 10, the sentence was actually reduced by 2.5 months.

In December 2020, both Belsat co-workers were honoured with the Belarusian Center for the Defense of Human Rights Viasna Award, along with investigative journalist of the tut.by portal Katsyaryna Barysewicz, who had been arrested for publishing medical information contradicting the official version of Raman Bandarenko's death. In 2021, Andreyeva and Chultsova received other awards: the Pride of Journalism from the Belarusian news agency BelaPAN, the Dariusz Fikus Special Award from Press Club Poland, the Courage in Journalism from the International Women's Media Foundation, the German Free Media Award and the Axel-Springer-Preis. The young journalists' names were also added to the list of political prisoners in Belarus, which now includes more than 650 names.

Daugiau informacijos:

Dainius Radzevičius

Lietuvos žurnalistų sąjungos pirmininkas

Chairman of Lithuanian Journalists Union

Jogailos 11, Vilnius LT-01116

Lietuva/Lithuania

Mob. ‪+37061263838

Skype dainius.radzevicius

www.lzs.lt

 

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