Ihar Ilyash

Affiliated media: Belsat, Journalist

Incident date: July 16, 2021

Attack type:

• Ban on leaving the country

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Minsk

Additional information:

The law enforcers searched the flat of Belsat journalist Ihar Ilyash. They confiscated equipment. After the search, they took him to the Investigative Committee. The law enforcers treated the journalist rudely, tried to humiliate him, swore at him. After that, Ilyash was detained on criminal charges for «mass riots» (Article 293 and Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus) and placed in the temporary detention centre on Akrestsina. Ilyash was released after 10 days in the status of a suspect, with a restriction on leaving the country. According to Ilyash, unbearable conditions for the «political» in the detention center are created purposefully: the administration doesn’t issue mattresses, everyone sleeps on bare boards, and instead of a pillow the prisoners use a plastic bottle with water. The lights are on 24 hours a day, parcels are not given, and there are no showers. There are checks at 2 and 4 AM, deliberately keeping people awake.