Ihar Ilyash

Affiliated media: Belsat, Journalist

Incident date: July 16, 2021

Attack type:

• Non-fatal attack / beating / injury / torture

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» prisoners in the detention centers are created purposefully: no mattresses are issued, everyone sleeps on bare boards, and instead of a pillow they use a plastic bottle with water. Lights are on 24 hours a day. The parcels are not given, the prisoners are not taken to the shower. At 2 AM and 4 AM, there are checks: employees wake people up and don’t let them sleep.