Andrey Meleshko

Affiliated media: Freelance journalist

Incident date: October 1, 2025

Attack type:

• Pressure on a media worker via non-physical pressure on relatives and loved ones

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Hrodna

Additional information:

It has become known that a criminal case has been opened against journalist Andrey Meleshko. On 19 September, a search was carried out at his mother’s home, which is his registered address. On 30 September, Meleshko's sister, who lives in Hrodna, received a call from the local prosecutor’s office asking her to tell her brother to come to Belarus. According to Meleshko, law enforcement officers told his sister that criminal cases had been opened against him under Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (“Creation of an extremist formation or participation in it”), Article 361-2 (“Financing extremist activities”), and Article 361-4 (“Facilitating extremist activities”).