Journalists Alena Tsimashchuk and Aliaksandr Kirkevich added to “extremists” list
The list of “persons prone to extremist activity,” updated on August 23 on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, indicates that Brest-based journalist Alena Tsimashchuk is currently serving a sentence. The same is true for Aliaksandr Kirkevich, a journalist from Hrodna. However, he has long since left Belarus and is not imprisoned.
Alena Tsimashchuk
Alena Tsimashchuk was a freelancer working with several regional publications, including Vecherny Brest, Brestsky Kurier, Brestskaya Gazeta, Virtualny Brest, and Brestsky Zeleny Portal.
On June 3, 2024, the Brest Regional Court sentenced her to five years in prison and a $14,000 fine. She was tried on three charges: discrediting the Republic of Belarus, incitement to hostility or discord, and participation in an extremist formation.
Her colleagues have confirmed that Alena Tsimashchuk did not write political articles during her tenure with independent publications. She occasionally contributed advertising articles and pieces on psychology, as she holds a degree in this field.
Ales Kirkevich
Ales Kirkevich is an independent journalist, writer, and local historian, former deputy chairman of the Youth Front opposition movement, and former political prisoner. He participated in the protests against the stolen 2010 presidential election and was arrested in early 2011. He was then sentenced to 4 years in prison but amnestied after a few months.
Ales left Belarus, but the special proceedings against him were initiated on 29 March 2024. On August 2, the court found the journalist guilty of two counts of promoting extremist activity and sentenced him to 7 years of imprisonment and a fine of $7,330.
Ales Kirkevich’s sentence shall commence on his actual arrest date.
Based on the list of material evidence, the criminal case against Ales Kirkevich was initiated due to his cooperation with independent media outlets in Belarus designated as extremist formations.
The court ordered the sale of Ales Kirkevich’s property to settle a portion of the fine. The property, which is located in a village in the Vitsebsk Region, comprises approximately one-third of the ownership of a house that was previously used by civil activists for summer camps. The building, formerly a village school, is notable as the place where the writer Vasil Bykau studied.