Aliaksei Batsyukou

Affiliated media: Mahilyou Media, Journalist, Blogger

Incident date: December 7, 2023

Attack type:

• Interrogation

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Mahilyou

Additional information:

Journalist Aliaksei Batsyukou was interrogated by KGB officers three times (December 6, 7, and 19) while being detained. During the interrogation, the law enforcers handed the journalist his phone and demanded to call the journalist Dzmitry Salauyou, who had left Belarus earlier. The KGB officers recorded the conversation on dictaphone and video, and later, on December 15, these recordings were shown on the state TV in the programme «Face to the Floor» about the detention of journalists. On December 19, Aliaksei Batsyukou was informed during interrogation in the regional KGB department that he was a suspect under Part 2 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (assistance to extremist activity). After being released from administrative arrest, journalist Aliaksei Batsyukou urgently left Belarus, fearing criminal prosecution for his professional activities.