A prominent journalist in Belarus has been designated a political prisoner by the country's leading human rights group. Ihar Karnei, a former writer for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of participating in an extremist group. The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), an independent journalist group advocating for freedom of speech, has also been labeled extremist by President Alexander Lukashenko's government.
During his trial, Karnei was accused of collaborating with BAJ to publish materials deemed insulting to the government. The head of BAJ, Andrei Bastunets, condemned the verdict, stating that it reflects the government's crackdown on journalists simply doing their job. Karnei is one of 34 Belarusian journalists currently imprisoned or awaiting trial.
RFE/RL, the broadcaster for which Karnei worked, has also been branded extremist in Belarus. The Viasna human rights center classified Karnei as a political prisoner, criticizing his conviction as part of a deliberate effort to suppress uncensored information and limit freedom of expression in the country.
The Committee to Protect Journalists in New York denounced Karnei's sentence as arbitrary and demanded the immediate release of him and other jailed Belarusian journalists. Since the disputed August 2020 election that secured Lukashenko's sixth term, journalists and activists in Belarus have faced widespread repression. The government's response to protests following the election included the arrest of over 35,000 individuals and the closure of numerous NGOs and independent media outlets.
Despite facing multiple detentions while covering the protests, Karnei chose to remain in Belarus. He has been in custody since his arrest in July. According to Viasna, Belarus currently holds more than 1,400 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.
