Yazep Palubyatka

Affiliated media: Hazeta Slonimskaya, Journalist

Incident date: March 25, 2021

Attack type:

• Court trial

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Masty

Additional information:

The correspondent of Hazeta Slonimskaya Yazep Palubyatka was summoned to the police station for interrogation and detained there. The summons did not specify in what capacity and on what case he was summoned. The journalist was verbally explained that it was related to his publications in Telegram channels. Palubyatka did not use Telegram at that time. Yazep’s flat was searched — papers, books, magazines were examined, a computer system unit, a mobile phone, a scanner and a camera were confiscated. The journalist was kept in police custody for three days until the trial. On March 25, on the basis of the police report, the Mastousky District Court found Palubyatka guilty of illegal picketing (Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus) and fined him 15 basic amounts. The police considered the national flag and a rose on the windowsill in the journalist’s flat as a picket.