The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed concern on Tuesday over the sentencing of freelance journalist Aleh Supruniuk to three years in prison by a Belarusian court.
CPJ called for Supruniuk’s immediate release, along with all other journalists unjustly detained in Belarus. Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, stated, “The sentencing of journalist Aleh Supruniuk to three years in prison, six months after he went missing in his hometown, is yet another example of the Belarusian authorities’ covert attacks of the press”.
Supruniuk, a reporter for the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), was convicted of participating in an “extremist group” and writing at least 43 articles for the organization, which the government has labeled as extremist.
Supruniuk was first detained on December 12, 2024, after authorities searched his home in Brest and seized his computer and phone. He served a 15-day administrative arrest before being released on December 27, only to face criminal charges in January 2025. On June 4, the Brest Region Prosecutor’s Office formally sent his case to court, citing his alleged involvement with the BAJ no later than October 2023.
The journalist’s prosecution is part of a wider crackdown on independent media in Belarus. Authorities have systematically targeted journalists, media outlets, and organizations using extremism legislation, which has been employed to block websites, freeze operations, and imprison reporters. BAJ and the independent newspaper Brestskaya Gazeta were both declared “extremist” in February 2023, exposing members and affiliates to criminal liability under Belarusian law. Between 2020 and 2025, dozens of journalists have been imprisoned, and hundreds more forced into exile.
Other journalists have faced similar persecution. Yauhen Nikalayevich was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for coverage of the 2020 post-election protests, while seven staff members of the Intex-Press online newspaper were arrested for allegedly “supporting extremist activities”. Exiled journalists, such as Maryia Bulavinskaya and Zmitser Lupach, are increasingly subject to criminal cases opened in absentia, often with property confiscation and intimidation of family members remaining in Belarus. CPJ reports that over 60 exiled journalists are currently under investigation or criminal charges.
Belarusian authorities have justified these measures under the 2021 extremism laws and subsequent amendments to the criminal code, equating independent journalism with criminal activity. Reporters Without Borders ranks Belarus as one of the world’s most repressive environments for journalists, with state control over courts, extensive censorship, and a record of imprisoning female reporters disproportionately. CPJ has called on Belarusian authorities to respect freedom of expression, release imprisoned journalists, and allow independent media to operate without harassment.