“The regime continues the crackdown on independent media. It is so afraid of the truth that more than 20 major media like TUT.by were already attacked. Only this week, they closed the office of Euroradio, searched the apartment of editor-in-chief of Brestskaya Hazeta and offices of Vorsha regional portal, Intex Press. Today, they attacked Nasha Niva.
Nasha Niva is not just a website, it is the oldest Belarusian newspaper mentioned in every schoolbook on the history of Belarus. And this is how the regime treats our history. The regime tries to silence us and hide the truth about the fraudulent presidential election, about violence, tortures, and repressions. But we remember.
Nasha Niva is not just its’ history. It is the largest media on Belarusian in the world. It is a team of journalists, people dedicated to their work. This is Natalya Lubnevskaya, who was shot in her leg by siloviki while doing her work, spent a month in the hospital, and returned to work. This is Nadezhda Buzhan, whose photographs got into the top 3 of 2021 World Press Photo. This is the editor-in-chief Yahor Martsinovich, who was taken by siloviki after his apartment was searched today.
I call on the international community to provide practical support for our independent media and journalists. I ask you to consider launching an emergency program, include in the plan legal aid to repressed journalists, technical assistance for media outlets, assistance to those media and reporters forced to flee Belarus and continue their work, support for Telegram and Youtube channels. They are creating the modern history of Belarus”.
