MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th July, 2020) Belarusian police officers detained more than 10 media workers, including foreign correspondents, while they were covering unauthorized street protests, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said on Wednesday, adding that some of them had been released.
On Tuesday evening, more than 100 demonstrators were detained across Belarus during sporadic protests against the refusal of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to register two candidates for the upcoming presidential election.
"During the protests, journalists who broadcast live from the scene were detained," the organization said.
It added that the journalists with Euroradio, the Tut.By portal, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Novy Cas and Belsat tv were detained in the capital city of Minsk. After a while, they were released from police stations.
According to the association, among the arrested media workers was the BBC cameraman, Andy Smythe. He was released an hour after his detention.
Barys Haretski, the deputy chair of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, wrote later on Facebook that "14 colleagues were detained."
According to him, four journalists are still in police stations, the rest are released. At the same time, Haretski noted that administrative protocols for participation in an unauthorized mass event were drawn up against two correspondents, Belsat TV's Katsiaryna Andreeva and Yury Hlushakou from Gomel.Today.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Belarusian Interior Ministry warned citizens against participating in unauthorized mass gatherings.
The presidential campaign in Belarus has been accompanied by the arrests of those supporting the candidates running against current President Alexander Lukashenko. The interior ministry says that most people have been arrested for violating laws on holding public events, as well as undermining public order.
