Award-Winning Belarus Reporter Gets 9 Years for Treason in Media Crackdown

A prominent Belarusian journalist has been sentenced to nine years in prison on treason charges in a closed-door trial. Pavel Dabravolski becomes the fifth media worker jailed in two weeks as Belarus continues its harsh suppression of press freedom.

An accomplished Belarusian journalist received a nine-year prison sentence Monday after being found guilty of treason charges, marking another blow to press freedom in the authoritarian nation.

Pavel Dabravolski, 36, was convicted during a private hearing at Minsk City Court, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists. The award-winning reporter, who contributed to both international and local news organizations, most recently worked for BelaPAN, a news agency that Belarusian officials have labeled as extremist.

This conviction represents the fifth journalist to receive prison time within a two-week period, highlighting the government’s ongoing assault on media independence.

Alexander Lukashenko has maintained his grip on power for more than thirty years through systematic suppression of opposition voices.

The country erupted in widespread demonstrations after the disputed 2020 election results, which international observers condemned as illegitimate. Authorities detained over 65,000 individuals and physically assaulted thousands during the unrest. Following these protests, officials forced the closure of hundreds of independent news organizations and civil society groups.

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, now living in exile, accused authorities of pursuing fabricated accusations against Dabravolski.

“Dabravolski’s only ‘crime’ was doing his job and covering the 2020 protests after the stolen elections,” she said. “We see that the conveyor belt of repression inside Belarus continues unabated.”

Media advocates report an intensification of government harassment targeting news professionals.

“Repression is escalating and Dabravolski’s sentence shows that the authorities are increasing pressure on journalists in a country that already has the worst freedom of speech in Europe,” Andrei Bastunets, the head of the journalists’ association, told The Associated Press.

The organization reports that 28 media workers are currently imprisoned throughout Belarus.

“It contradicts the idea that the human rights situation in Belarus has allegedly improved due to the release of prominent political prisoners,” Bastunets said.

During Lukashenko’s rule, Belarus has endured extended diplomatic isolation and economic penalties from Western nations due to authoritarian practices and for permitting Russia to launch attacks on Ukraine from Belarusian territory in 2022. Recently, the leader has attempted to rebuild Western relationships by freeing hundreds of political detainees.

Nevertheless, many others remain incarcerated, with human rights group Viasna calculating that 1,140 political prisoners are still held captive.