On June 12, 2024, Freedom Now and the international law firm Dechert LLP filed a petition with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of journalist Dzyanis Ivashyn. The petition alleges that Belarus’s detention of Ivashyn infringes on his fundamental right to freedom of expression, in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“Dzyanis Ivashyn sought to expose human rights abuses perpetrated by President Lukashenko’s repressive regime and now has become a victim of the regime himself,” said Freedom Now Legal Officer Adam Lhedmat. “We are confident that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention will conclude that Dzyanis’s fundamental human rights have been violated and that he should be released from detention.”
At the time of his arrest, Ivashyn was a freelance reporter for Novy Chas, an independent Belarusian newspaper, and a volunteer editor of the Belarusian-language version of the investigative news site InformNapalm, which publishes news about Russian interference in Ukraine and other Eastern European countries and aims to combat misinformation.
In early 2021, Ivashyn published an investigation alleging that a number of former members of the Berkut unit, a disbanded special forces unit of the Ukrainian riot police were participating in the crackdown of Belarusian protests following the 2020 election. On March 11, 2021, Ivashyn participated in a TV interview regarding this investigation. He alleged that the Belarusian government provided citizenship to many former Berkut unit members and hired them as state security officers, who then often participated in the crackdown of protests.
The following day the KGB searched Ivashyn’ residence and took him into custody. He was subsequently charged under with allegedly “influencing a police officer” in order to “change the nature of his lawful activities” by disclosing classified information. In September 2021, the charge was changed to high treason, a crime which carries a minimum of seven years in prison.
Ivashyn’ trial began in August 2022, after he had been kept in pre-trial detention longer than was allowed by law. Little information is known about the trial, as it allegedly involved information considered state secrets. On September 14, 2022, Ivashyn was convicted of high treason and sentenced to 13 years in prison. The court also ordered him to pay a 4,800-rubles ($1,900) fine and compensation of 2,000 rubles ($800) to each of nine unnamed riot police he allegedly “defamed” in his investigation.
In June 2023, Ivashyn was transferred to Zhodzina prison, which is notorious for being home to hundreds of political prisoners. The prison rules restrict family visits to once a year and allow for only one small package to be received annually. Prisoners who have been released from the prison recount no running hot water in the prison, overcrowded cells, a complete refusal of medical care, and constant beatings.
While awaiting trial, Ivashyn spent up to 70 days detained in solitary confinement. While in solitary confinement, he suffered a cardiac event that may have been a heart attack, likely brought on by poor prison conditions. He continues to suffer from serious health conditions while imprisoned.