RFE/RL essential as key source of free information for Belarusian society — BAJ statement
The Belarusian Association of Journalists expresses solidarity with the employees of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America, who may face closure due to recent decisions by U.S. authorities.

Photo: RFE/RL
Radio Free Europe and its Belarusian editorial team is a unique and extremely important media outlet for Belarusian society. For over 70 years, Radio Free Europe has effectively delivered uncensored information to places where authorities engage in a fierce battle against freedom of speech.
The impact of the journalists’ work is clear not only in the widespread recognition and influence of RFE/RL Belarus’s reporting but also in the repressive actions taken by Lukashenka’s authoritarian regime against its reporters. This is evident from the many detentions, beatings, trials, and imprisonments in 2020, as well as criminal charges, including the ongoing imprisonment of former RFE/RL Belarus employees Ihar Karnei and Ihar Losik.
Only two months ago, Belarusian authorities aired propaganda TV stories featuring three RFE/RL Belarus journalists who were still imprisoned at that time. These clips, filmed in a detention center, were intended to undermine the work of RFE/RL Belarus. Regrettably, the recent decision by U.S. authorities now coincides with the Belarusian regime’s efforts to silence the voices of RFE/RL Belarus journalists and, more broadly, all independent voices within the country.
The work of the Voice of America editorial team is also crucial for Belarus and the broader region, particularly in opposing pro-Russian and pro-regime propaganda. This remains a key focus for independent media.
Radio Free Europe and Voice of America are critically important today for our country, where for the past twenty-five years, the authorities have been waging an open war against free media.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists
