The USA Condemned the Persecution of Journalists in Belarus

The US Embassy in Belarus issued a statement.

The US Embassy in Belarus has published a statement condemning the actions of the Belarusian authorities in relation to Belarusian and foreign journalists, Voice of America reports.

"Members of the media should not be threatened, physically assaulted, arrested, or imprisoned by anyone or for any reason simply for doing their journalistic work," the statement said. "A strong independent media and free exchange of information, as well as access to it, are essential for the establishment of the rule of law in any society."

"The United States is extremely concerned about the fragile status of the Belarusian independent media, the arbitrary arrests of journalists in the past few months, and the initiation of criminal cases against journalists," the document says. "We also remain concerned about the threat of the cancellation of the official status of local media outlets, as well as the complete cancellation of accreditation and the delay in re-accreditation of journalists working for foreign media."

"We call on the Belarusian authorities to protect and observe fundamental freedoms throughout Belarus, especially freedom of assembly, speech, and press. The Belarusian people deserve to have their rights protected and their voices heard, and the independent media are an irreplaceable platform for the voices of all Belarusians. There can be no normalization of relations with the regime brutally suppressing its own people," the US Embassy in Belarus said in a statement.