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The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has denounced the sentencing of Belarusian journalist Ihar Ilyash, who received a four-year prison term and a fine of 4,200 rubles (approximately US$1,240) from the Minsk City Court on September 16, 2025. Ilyash was convicted on charges of promoting “extremist activities” and “discrediting the Republic of Belarus.”
The verdict followed a protracted trial that began in February, marked by repeated delays, including a court-ordered “psycholinguistic examination” of 15 of Ilyash’s articles. The analysis, conducted outside standard state expertise channels, found no factual inaccuracies but alleged political bias.
Ilyash, detained since October 2024, denied all charges. State media claims he gave interviews to outlets deemed “extremist” and commented on Belarus’s role in the war in Ukraine.
Human rights groups, including CPJ and the Belarusian Association of Journalists, have condemned the trial as politically motivated. CPJ’s Gulnoza Said called the sentencing “a clear sign of ongoing press repression” and urged the immediate release of Ilyash and other jailed journalists.
The case reflects a broader crackdown on independent media in Belarus, which intensified after the contested 2020 presidential election. As of mid-September 2025, Belarus remains among Europe’s leading jailers of journalists.
Excerpts from jurist.org article by Ryan Huang | Lincoln Alexander School of Law, CA
