Belarusian authorities have not shared any information with the Russian embassy or any lawyers regarding the whereabouts and safety of journalist Maksim Solopov, Meduza news outlet Director-General Galina Timchenko told Sputnik Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th August, 2020) Belarusian authorities have not shared any information with the Russian embassy or any lawyers regarding the whereabouts and safety of journalist Maksim Solopov, Meduza news outlet Director-General Galina Timchenko told Sputnik Tuesday.
The Riga-based Russian news site has not been able to reach Solopov, who was covering the events in Belarus, since late Sunday.
According to Alyona Sivkova, Chief Editor of Daily Storm outlet, Solopov was detained along with two other journalists working on assignment for Daily Storm. Sivkova told Sputnik that all three were beaten during the detention butSolopov "got it worst of all."
Meduza's Timchenko said that they still have not learned anything about the fate of their reporter from the authorities.
"No, alas. The Belarusian side has not said yes or no either to the [Russian] embassy or the lawyers," Timchenko responded to a question about whether they have been able to contact Solopov or learn anything.
Meduza later reported that Solopov's wife, Alina Solopova, reported her husband missing at a police precinct in Moscow after having not heard from him in over 40 hours.
A host of Russian journalists were detained and some subjected to physical harm during the unrest that followed Sunday's presidential election.
Reporters and photojournalists from all of RT, tv Rain, Sputnik Belarus, Daily Storm were taken into custody during their coverage of the protests, triggering immediate condemnation from the Russian side.
Nationwide unrest was triggered after the Central Election Commission on Sunday night reported official exit polls which showed Belarus' longtime president, Alexander Lukashenko, winning by a wide margin.
Riot police have been deployed in major cities, where they have so far detained over 2,000 people with the help of tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons.
