Ihar Ilyash

Affiliated media: Belsat, Journalist

Incident date: July 16, 2021

Attack type:

• Search without a court decree

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Minsk

Additional information:

The law enforcers came to search the apartment of the journalist of Belsat Ihar Ilyash. As a result, his equipment was confiscated. After that, the journalist was taken to the Investigative Committee, where the law enforcers treated him rudely, tried to humiliate him and swore at him. Ilyash was detained on criminal charges of «mass riots» (Articles 293 and 34 of the Criminal Code of the Repubic of Belarus) and placed in the temporary detention center on Akrestsina. The journalist was released 10 days later in the status of a suspect, with a restriction to leave the country. According to Ilyash, the conditions in the detention cen were unbearable for political prisoners: no mattresses were given; everyone slept on bare boards, and instead of a pillow they used plastic bottles with water; the lights were on 24 hours a day; they didn’t give them their parcels, they didn’t take them to the shower; at 2 and 4 AM there were checks: the guards took roll call and didn’t let people sleep.