Belarus: Journalist faces four years in prison for “insulting the president”

June 16th, 2011

Andrey Pochobut, a correspondent for the Polish newspaper GazetaWyborcza who stands accused of defamation and “insulting the president”, is facing a four-year prison sentence. The trial began yesterday in Leninski district court, Belarus, with journalists and family members excluded from proceedings. There are  now serious concerns over whether Pochobut will receive a fair trial. The offending articles appeared on the Gazeta Wyborcza website, the Belaruspartisan.org site and in his personal blog. Pochobut would be the fourth journalist sent to prison on a charge of “insulting the president” if he is found guilty. The trial continues.

Polish journalist faces prosecution in Belarus

March 31st, 2011

Belarusian authorities have filed charges against journalist Andrzej Poczobut. Poczobut works for the Polish newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza. He is charged with insulting the Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in articles that were published in the newspaper and on a Belurasian news website, Belarussky Partizan. The charges against Poczobut could result in a two year prison sentence if convicted. Poczobut, who has faced harrasment at the hands of Belarusian authorities before, including being arrested, insisted that he would not leave the country despite the persecution.