Detention Of Russian Journalists In Belarus Runs Counter To Free Speech - Rights Chief

Detention of Russian Journalists in Belarus Runs Counter to Free Speech - Rights Chief

The detention of Russian journalists who are attempting to report on the current political situation in Belarus runs counter to the principles of free speech, the director of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC), Valery Fadeyev, told Sputnik on Tuesday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2020) The detention of Russian journalists who are attempting to report on the current political situation in Belarus runs counter to the principles of free speech, the director of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC), Valery Fadeyev, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"Of course," Fadeyev said when asked if the detention of journalists from agencies including Sputnik Belarus and RIA Novosti contradicts the meaning of free speech.

The Russian human rights chief added that the Belarusian authorities needed to work with reporters and facilitate their work.

"When people have smartphones, it is impossible to stop the spread of information. It's a mistake of the Belarusian leaders. You need to work with journalists, explain to them and show them what is really happening," Fadeyev said.

Many Russian reporters have found themselves in the custody of Belarusian law enforcement officers over recent months, following incumbent Alexander Lukashenko's victory in the August 9 presidential election, which subsequently triggered a wave of public unrest.

On October 11, Sergey Popov, a correspondent with Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, was detained while he covered that day's protest in Minsk. Most reporters are released immediately after their documents have been checked, although some journalists have been held for longer periods.