KGB Raids 31 Journalists in Belarus, Accuses Them of 'Extremist Activities'

Journalists in Belarus are under increasing threat from authorities, who raided the homes and offices of independent media outlets and civil society activists Friday as part of a growing crackdown on opposition.

The country's main security agency, still under its Soviet-era name KGB, accused those targeted in the raids of being involved in "extremist activities."

Twenty-two journalists who work for the Polish-funded Belsat TV channel and the U.S.-funded broadcaster RFE/FL were among those targeted Friday. Agents broke down the door of the RFE/RL's office in Minsk.

Aleh Hruzdzilovich, a RFE/RL journalist, was detained after authorities searched his family's home, his wife, Maryana, told the Associated Press from Minsk. "Nine people broke into our apartment, seized all the equipment and took Aleh away in handcuffs," she said.

For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.

Putin Lukashenko
Belarus' security agency, still under its Soviet-era name KGB, has raided the homes and offices of journalists, accusing htem of "extremist activities." Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with his Belarus counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Saint Petersburg on July 13, 2021. ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/SPUTNIK/AFP/Getty Images

The Belarusian Association of Journalists and the Viasna human rights center said authorities searched the apartments and offices of at least 31 journalists and activists in the capital of Minsk and seven other cities.

"The authorities are using an entire arsenal of repressions against journalists — intimidation, beatings, searches and arrests," Andrei Bastunets, the head of the journalists' association, said.

Viasna said authorities also raided the homes of Alena Anisim, head of the Union of Belarusian Language, and activists with the nongovernmental organization Legal Initiative.

Belarus' Investigative Committee, the top state investigative agency, said the raids were part of a probe into alleged tax evasion and violations of financial regulations by NGOs and media outlets.

The new raids continue a sweeping clampdown on independent media and non-government organizations in the country.

Earlier this week, law enforcement officers raided the homes of 10 Viasna workers, as well as the human rights center's offices in Minsk and other cities. They also searched a number of other Belarusian NGOs and journalists.

The action came after President Alexander Lukashenko, the longtime authoritarian leader of Belarus, promised to "deal with" organizations that he accuses of fomenting unrest.

Belarus was rocked by months of protests after Lukashenko's August 2020 election to a sixth term in a vote that the opposition and the West saw as rigged.

Belarusian authorities responded to opposition demonstrations with a massive crackdown, including police beating thousands of demonstrators and arresting more than 35,000 people. Leading opposition figures have been jailed or forced to leave the country, while independent media outlets have had their offices searched and their journalists arrested.

Overall, 32 Belarusian journalists are currently in custody, either serving their sentences or awaiting trial, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko's main challenger in the August 2020 election, who was forced to leave Belarus under official pressure immediately after the vote, tweeted Friday that "the regime destroys every media that dares to tell the truth about the situation in Belarus."

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, denounced the crackdown in a statement issued Thursday.

"This new wave of repression is yet another proof that the Lukashenko regime is waging a systematic and well-orchestrated campaign with the ultimate aim to silence all remaining dissident voices and suppress civic space in Belarus," Borrell said. "The severe violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms come at a price. The EU is ready to consider further restrictive measures in line with its gradual approach."

Lukashenko
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko listens to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Putin has hosted the leader of Belarus, who has increasingly relied on Moscow's support amid increasing tensions with the West. Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko thanked Putin for a "very serious support from Russia" and pledged that his country will duly repay its loans. Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo/AP