Belarus: CFWIJ Condemns Harsh Prison Sentence For Maryna Zolatava And Lyudmila Chekina

Location: Belarus, Minsk
Date: March 17, 2023

TUT.by editor-in-chief Maryna Zolatava and CEO Lyudmila Chekina sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Minsk City Court. The verdict is the culmination of a long, absurd trial set to destroy TUT.by, one of the largest and most prominent Belarusian media outlets. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is outraged by Belarusian authoritarian regime's incessant crackdown on free press. We vehemently denounce the harsh sentences given to Zolatava and Chekina.

On Friday, March 17, the Lukashenko authoritarian government once again proved its fear of free press and criticism by arbitrarily sentencing journalists Maryna Zolatava and Lyudmila Chekina to 12 years in prison each. 

This was the climax of a daunting smear campaign against TUT.by's team. The case against TUT.by and the conviction of its employees is cruel revenge for the truth that the media portal disseminated to millions of people.

Judge Valiantsina Ziankevich of the Minsk City Court found Zolatava and Chekina guilty and imposed huge sentences while the two women journalists sat handcuffed and isolated in a glass cage. The session was held behind closed doors. 

The verdict is yet another illustration of the crackdown on freedom of expression carried out by the Belarusian authoritarian regime. Censorship, violence, raids and arrests continue to be implemented in the name of “combating extremism”. These are clear attempts to quash any increasingly fervent anti-Russian propaganda since the invasion of Ukraine.

On May 18, 2021, Zolatava and Chekina were arrested during raids on TUT.by’s headquarters and the homes of several employees. The journalists refused to sign a letter acknowledging their guilt. Three of their colleagues who were to be tried at the same time – Volha Loika, Alena Talkachova and Katsiaryna Tkachenka – managed to flee the country before the trial after being released on bail. They have since been court placed on the list of wanted people. Nine others pleaded guilty before the trial and paid “damages” to the state in order to be freed. 

The authorities reportedly had pressed multiple charges against Zolatava and Chekina, and both have been in custody since May 2021. Their bogus trial began on January 9, 2023. Only the defense lawyers, who were bound by a confidentiality agreement, were able to attend. On January 25, in an effort to deprive the two journalists of a good legal representation, one of the defense lawyers was disbarred during the trial, on the grounds of “insufficient qualifications” although she had been practicing law for ten years.

Lukashenko's government has been cracking down hard on all journalistic activity since August 2020. Authorities have especially targeted women journalists. To date, there are 36 media workers behind bars, ranking Belarus 3rd in the world for the number of incarcerated women journalists.

Nearly 400 Belarusian journalists have had to flee the country, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ).

The authorities repress any media outlet and journalist that dares challenge and properly report the terrible Belarusian reality. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with Maryna Zolatava and Lyudmila Chekina. We applaud their professional dignity and moral courage to provide outstanding journalism and fact dissemination to the public. We raise concerns and questions over the sham trial held against the two journalists. Journalism is not a crime.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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