Larysa Shchyrakova

Affiliated media: Freelance journalist

Incident date: February 16, 2021

Attack type:

• Confiscation/seizure of property, vehicles, equipment, documents

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Homel

Additional information:

On February 16, mass searches of the flats of journalists and human rights activists took place across the country. The Investigative Committee said that they were conducted under a criminal case on actions that grossly violate public order (Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). The sanction was issued by Deputy General Prosecutor Dzmitry Hora. Early in the morning, officers of the Main Department of State Security and Defence came to Larysa Shchyrakova’s apartment, accompanied by special forcers officers. As a result of a three-hour search, photo and video equipment, data storage devices, white-red-and-white flags and posters were confiscated from the journalist.