Pakistan Press Foundation expresses concern over beating of TUT.BY website journalist in Belarus | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Pakistan Press Foundation expresses concern over beating of TUT.BY website journalist in Belarus

Pakistan Press Foundation

Pakistan Press Foundation PPF in a letter to President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko expressed concern over beating of journalist Pavel Dabravolski for TUT.BY website in Belarus for performing his job.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in a letter to President Lukashenko, urged government of Belarus to identify those responsible for beating the journalist, prosecute them and withdraw all charges against Dabravolski.

On January 25, Dabravolski was beaten while taking video of police and Special Forces employees beating two civil activists, who were forcefully taken out of the court room where a hearing was held.

The journalist was then held liable under Article 24.1 (contempt of court) and Article 23.4 (disobeying lawful demands of officials), and was fined for 45 basic amounts (9 450 000 rubles).

The action of the law enforcement agency representatives was a grave violation of journalist rights, punishable according to Article 198 of the Criminal Code (obstructing lawful professional activities of a journalist).