Rehijanalnaja Hazeta’s editor-in-chief criminally charged and put in custody
According to BAJ sources, a criminal case has been started against Aliaksandr Mantsevich, the founder and editor-in-chief of Rehijanalnaja Hazeta. The details of the charges are unknown since the lawyer signed a non-disclosure plea.
Aliaksandr Mantsevich was detained during a series of searches of regional media on March 15. He has been recently transferred to a pre-trial detention center. The journalist is a multiple winner of journalistic contests and awards for high standards of work. Before the crackdown, Rehijanalnaja Hazeta was the leading independent media in Maladzechna and the region.
The other two media representatives detained that day – the editor-in-chief of Infa-Kurier (Slutsk), Siarhei Stankevich, and his deputy Aleh Rubchenia – continue to serve 15-day arrests for defying the police.
As estimated by the Belarusian Association of Journalists, there are currently 36 media workers behind bars in Belarus. For addresses, see here.
Media workers behind bars. Current post addresses
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