(New York, NY) — Belarus’ government has expelled foreign journalists from the country and stripped accreditation of Belarusian journalists working for international news organizations, including the BBC, RFE/RL, and AP. PEN America’s COO Dru Menaker said the following:
“Democratic governments where elections are fair do not expel international news organizations and strip reporting credentials from journalists in the aftermath. That the Belarusian regime is doing just this now is an outrageous rejection of the rights of the people of Belarus to have access to independent news reporting on the urgent national debate about their country’s future—and for the world to be informed. International and Belarusian journalists must have their ability to freely report in the country restored immediately. After weeks of a brutal crackdown, the Belarusian regime cannot be allowed to operate in darkness.”