Investigative Committee launches special proceedings against freelance journalists Iryna Charniauka and Aliaksandr Kirkevich

Reports about crim­i­nal cas­es against free­lance jour­nal­ists Iry­na Char­ni­au­ka and Ali­ak­san­dr Kirke­vich appeared on the offi­cial Telegram chan­nel of the Inves­tiga­tive Com­mit­tee of Belarus.

Free­lance jour­nal­ists Iry­na Char­ni­au­ka and Ali­ak­san­dr Kirke­vich. Col­lage: BAJ

Accord­ing to the Telegram chan­nel “Spe­cial Pro­ceed­ings. Offi­cial”, Iry­na Char­ni­au­ka is accused of facil­i­tat­ing extrem­ist activ­i­ties (Arti­cle 361–4 of the Crim­i­nal Code). It is report­ed that the spe­cial pro­ceed­ings against her were ini­ti­at­ed on May 23, 2024.

The spe­cial pro­ceed­ings against Ales (Ali­ak­san­dr) Kirke­vich were ini­ti­at­ed on March 29, 2024. He is charged with the same offense.

Ales Kirke­vich is an inde­pen­dent jour­nal­ist, writer, and local his­to­ri­an, for­mer deputy chair­man of the Youth Front, and for­mer polit­i­cal pris­on­er. He par­tic­i­pat­ed in the protests against the fal­si­fi­ca­tion of the results of the 2010 pres­i­den­tial elec­tions and was arrest­ed in ear­ly 2011. He was then sen­tenced to 4 years in prison but amnestied after a few months.

Iry­na Char­ni­au­ka and Ali­ak­san­dr Kirke­vich are both inde­pen­dent jour­nal­ists from Hrod­na, so they were sum­moned to the office of the Inves­tiga­tive Com­mit­tee of Hrod­na Region through the offi­cial Telegram chan­nel. As of today, Iry­na Char­ni­au­ka and Ales Kirke­vich are forced to remain out­side Belarus.

The spe­cial pro­ceed­ings allow to con­duct an inves­ti­ga­tion and to try the accused in their absence. The sanc­tions of Arti­cle 361–4 of the Crim­i­nal Code pro­vide for impris­on­ment for up to 7 years.