Zmitser Semchenko

Affiliated media: ONT TV Channel , Former employee

Incident date: September 16, 2022

Attack type:

• Criminal/administrative prosecution excluding (1), (2) and (3)

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Minsk

Additional information:

The officers of the Frunzenski District Police Department detained the former host of the TV channel ONT and the informal head of the presidential pool of journalists Zmitser Semchenko. He was placed in a detention center pending trial. On August 16, the Frunzenski District Court of Minsk found Semchenko guilty of participating in an unauthorized action in August 2020 and arrested him for 15 days under Part 1 of Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus (violation of the order of organizing or holding mass events). In court, Zmitser confirmed that he was indeed at the site of the rally, but as a journalist. Semchenko left the ONT TV channel after the violent dispersal of peaceful street rallies in August 2020.