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The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the sentencing of Belarusian freelance journalist Aleh Supruniuk to three years in prison, calling it part of a broader crackdown on press freedom in the country.
Supruniuk, affiliated with the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), was convicted of participating in an “extremist group” and authoring over 40 articles for the organization, which authorities designated as extremist in 2023. He was initially detained in December 2024 following a search of his home in Brest, and later faced criminal charges in early 2025.
CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia coordinator, Gulnoza Said, described the sentencing as “yet another example of the Belarusian authorities’ covert attacks on the press.” The group has called for Supruniuk’s immediate release, along with other detained journalists.
The case reflects a wider pattern of repression, with dozens of journalists imprisoned and many forced into exile under Belarus’s expanded extremism laws. Media outlets such as Brestskaya Gazeta and Intex-Press have also faced legal action, while exiled reporters continue to be targeted through criminal proceedings.
International watchdogs rank Belarus among the most restrictive environments for media, citing systemic censorship, judicial control, and disproportionate targeting of female journalists.
