Tatsiana Haurylchyk is a camerawoman. She is a full-time worker of “Nasha Niva” periodical, officially registered in Belarus.

Having filmed the protest action on December 19, 2010, she received a call from an unknown person on January 3, 2011. The person repeated twice: “You will look pale and you will have few teeth left”.

Just an example, one of many. These days, more than ever, no-one enjoys being an independent journalist, human rights defender or an opposition activist in a „socially oriented flourishing Belarus, the state for people“.

KGB calling for ‚informal talks‘
KGB searches took place at several independent media, including “Nasha Niva” and at the journalists“ apartments in a week afterwards, reported the Belarusian Association of Journalists. The KGB agents were seeking photo and video-materials that could be used as pieces of evidence within the filed criminal cases on “mass riots” in Minsk and on the “accident” with tearing a state banner from the KGB building in the Belarusian capital.

Four KGB agents conducted a search at T. Haurylchyk’s apartment on December 31, 2010. They seized the journalist’s PC and video camera. Also, they proposed the journalist to come to a talk with them on January 3, 2011. The proposal was repeated by phone at 3 p.m. on January 3, 2011. Consequently, Ms. Haurylchyk came to KGB. However, she was accompanied with an attorney and insisted on the legal advisor’s presence during the talk. The KGB investigator objected to that. He hinted the journalist that her editorial would get the seized computer equipment quicker, if she agreed to talk with him without the attorney. The journalist was informed that she wasn’t treated as a witness and that the talk was completely informal and aimed at providing assistance to the legal investigation. However, Ms. Haurylchyk refused to talk without the attorney after all.

Consequently, the journalist received the abovementioned anonymous threatening phone call in two hours after her visit to KGB.

Ms. Haurylchyk is going to submit an official claim on the fact of the received threats to police immediately.

The KGB agents conducted another search at the apartment, hired by Ales Barazienka, “Belsat” cameraman, on January 4, 2011 in the morning. According to Mikhas Yanchuk, the “Belsat” official representative in Minsk the search started at 6 am and lasted for nearly two hours. A laptop, belonging to Ales” girlfriend was seized. Consequently, the journalist was convoyed to police department for interrogation.

It is worth mentioning that Mr. Barazienka was initially detained next to the apartment on December 21, 2010. He was released on his personality check at the local police department then.

Mikhas Yanchuk has also been invited for a talk to KGB. He is waiting for the official summons now.

OSCE condemns ‚hostile actions‘
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, right, called for an end to the attacks on independent media in Belarus and urged authorities to immediately release imprisoned journalists on 6 January.

«I am deeply concerned by the unprecedented wave of violence, intimidation, arrests and prosecution of journalists that started in the wake of the 19 December 2010 presidential election," said Mijatovic in a letter to Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergey Martynov.

Irina Khalip, a correspondent for Russia’s Novaya Gazeta newspaper, and Natalya Radina, the editor of the charter97.org website, were arrested and charged with taking part in and organizing ‚mass disturbances‘. They both face prison terms of up to 15 years.

In addition, security forces raided the offices of the Nasha Niva newspaper, the European Radio for Belarus, and the Belsat television station. Several journalists working for these independent media outlets had their homes searched and equipment confiscated.

Mijatovic urged Belarusian authorities to put an end to these hostile actions against independent media and release Khalip and Radina immediately.

Mijatovic notified the Belarusian government that she is ready to visit Minsk in the near future to offer her Office’s assistance in ensuring that Belarus meets its OSCE media freedom commitments.

Terror campaign
Human rights defenders of Belarus are doing their best to protect the victims of persecution. Legal consulting, trial monitoring, public reactions, statements, and other traditional measures are taken.

In a statement on 3 January, the Human Rights Center Viasna “expressed its strong protest against the beginning of the terror campaign in Belarus towards dissidents and political opponents of the government“.

“Starting from 19 December 2010, the country was flooded with political repression“, – stated Viasna.

Human rights defenders monitor the criminal cases upon post-election protests. According to Viasna‘s information (updated on 6 January), 25 people are suspects in the criminal case on mass riot (full list here). 23 of them are kept in custody and 2 more have been released on recognizance not to leave. 8 more are suspects in the case – 4 of them are in custody, 3 have undertaken not to leave the country and 1 is abroad.

In the statement, Viasna states their particular concern over „the information about the use of torture, psychological pressure on detainees and the absence of medical care.

Starting from 20 December mass searches and interrogations of activists of opposition political parties, civic organizations and independent media began. Hundreds of opposition activists, representatives of independent civil society and journalists have been threatened and harassed by the KGB and the Interior Ministry“.

Viasna demanded the immediate release of all prisoners and cessation of repressions against opposition leaders and activists, civil society and independent media, expressed solidarity with all those arrested for their views and their family members, and encouraged members of the Belarusian public and the international community to support the repressed people.

The NGO also urged the governments of the EU, the US and international organizations to condemn the repression and massive human rights violations in Belarus and to take all possible measures for their immediate cessation.

HR defenders under attack
Trying to oppose the repression wave, the human rights defenders put themselves under a huge risk.

Dozens are summoned to KGB, their offices and apartments searched.

The office of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee was searched by KGB officers. A laptop and the organization server were confiscated as a result. After it, the KGB officers went to the apartment of the BHC Chairperson, Aleh Hulak, right. They also told they would summon him for an interrogation.

Aleh Hulak is an experienced human rights defender. He can hardly be embarrassed by such promises.

However, hundreds of people in Belarus are under direct imminent threat of detention, expulsion from studies, loosing their job, health or personal dignity. Thousands and thousands of witnesses are depressed by their inability to change the situation after the brutal crackdown on their peaceful protest on 19 December.

It is hard to disagree with Tony Lloyd, the leader of a short-term OSCE observation mission: "This election failed to give Belarus the new start it needed".

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