KYIV – Two Belarusian journalists who worked for the Polish television channel Belsat were tried in the capital Minsk on Tuesday over allegations related to their coverage of mass protests in 2020, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said.
Yekaterina Andreeva and Darya Chultsova, a reporter and camerawoman for Belsat, were arrested in November after a demonstration.
Months of protests took place in Belarus after President Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory over opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in an election in August. The opposition said the result was falsified.
Prosecutors accused Andreeva and Chultsova of coordinating the protests by broadcasting live reports. They have denied the charges, for which they could be sentenced to three years in prison. They appeared in a cage in court.
International human rights organizations have condemned the detention of Andreeva and Chultsova.
The New York-based Committee for the Protection of Journalists urged the Belarusian authorities to drop the “absurd” charges against Andreyeva and Chultsova and to release them unconditionally.
“The Belarusian government must stop punishing journalists for reporting important political events and allow them to work freely and without fear of reprisal,” she said in a statement Monday.
Thousands of protesters were rounded up and almost all opposition political figures were driven into exile or imprisoned when the government acted harshly.