Irina Turchina

Affiliated media: BelaPAN, Journalist

Incident date: August 18, 2021

Attack type:

• Interrogation

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Minsk

Additional information:

Early in the morning, police came to search the homes of employees of the independent news agency BelaPAN. The search at Irina Turchina’s home was carried out by employees of the Department for Combating Economic Crimes. The search warrant cited “gross violations of public order” (Article 342 of the Criminal Code). As a result of the search, all their devices were confiscated: a computer, flash drives, a mobile phone, and a voice recorder. After the search, Turchina was taken to the Investigative Committee’s office in Minsk for interrogation. The journalist refused to testify, and was made to sign a non-disclosure agreement before being released. Turchina is currently a witness in a criminal case.