Pavel Padabed

Affiliated media: Belsat, Freelance cameraman

Incident date: June 30, 2023

Attack type:

• Wiretapping / surveillance without a court decree

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Minsk

Additional information:

The cameraman Pavel Padabed was sentenced to 4 years of jail. Judge of the Minsk City Court Yauhen Pisarevich found the journalist guilty under Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (participation of a person in an extremist formation for the purpose of committing an extremist offence). Pavel was accused of cooperation with the TV channel Belsat, declared by the authorities an «extremist formation». Videos were presented as evidence, including those dedicated to the disappeared cameraman Dzmitry Zavadski and murdered journalist Pavel Sheremet. Padobed’s name was not in the credits, but based on «indirect signs», suspicion of his direct participation in the filming was voiced. It also emerged during the trial that Padobed’s phone was tapped and law enforcers had access to his correspondence in messengers.