Yauhen Merkis

Affiliated media: Freelance journalist

Incident date: September 13, 2022

Attack type:

• Pressure on a media worker via judicial and/or economic pressure on relatives and loved ones

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Homel

Additional information:

Homel-based journalist, historian and urbanist Yauhen Merkis was transferred from the temporary detention center to the primary detention center. Yauhen was detained on September 13. His apartment was searched and his data carriers were confiscated. The law enforcers also searched the apartment of his girlfriend and his father. On September 16, it became known that the journalist was charged with «promoting extremist activity» (Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). The punishment under this article is from 2 to 6 years in jail. In the past, Yauhen Merkis cooperated with the Belsat TV channel.