Domestic journalists are finding it increasingly difficult to work and foreign journalists are being deported to Belarus, Reporters Without Borders states.
- The accreditation of twelve local Belarusian journalists working for foreign media has been taken. It is a clear escalation of confrontations on the part of the regime against the media, says Erik Halkjaer.
He states that Belarusian authorities have deported two Russian journalists just a few days after the authorities deported a Swedish photographer.
- Every day, journalists who are in Belarus will be afraid that they will be called to the police and stopped on the street. But maybe all the papers are in order, but you might get rid of the accreditation.
He continues:
- Foreign journalists will always be afraid of being deported even though they have done everything they should. You create an atmosphere where no journalist feels confident about whether it can work in Belarus.
"One of the worst countries in the world"Erik Halkjaer emphasizes that Belarus is one of the world's worst countries when it comes to freedom of the press.
- Worst in Europe in 153th place out of 180 in our press freedom index, he says.