Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Around 20 journalists arrested for covering anti-government protests in Belarus

Around 20 journalists arrested for covering anti-government protests in Belarus

Journalists preparing to cover anti-government protests in Belarus have been arrested, according to witnesses.

Video posted on Twitter shows a journalist reporting from Freedom Square, in the capital Minsk, when a police van pulls up behind to arrest her. Her broadcast is interrupted before she and about 20 other reporters and photographers are escorted into the van.

They were taken en masse to the Oktiabrskij police centre, according to reporter Denis Kazakiewicz.

Their phones and identity documents were confiscated.

It is not immediately clear why they were arrested but it follows weeks of unrest in the eastern European nation over the re-election of president Alexander Lukashenko – dubbed ‘Europe’s last dictator’.

Lukashenko, who assumed office in 1994, was re-elected again on August 9 after securing 80% of the vote.

The president’s opponents say the election was rigged while the UK does not accept the results.

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya remains in exile after fleeing Belarus in the wake of the election.




It comes after Vladimir Putin revealed Lukashenko had asked Russia to send police to Belarus if protests turned violent, before adding there was no need for it now.

Putin said: ‘We have agreed not to use it until the situation starts spinning out of control and extremist elements acting under the cover of political slogans cross certain borders and engage in banditry and start burning cars, houses and banks or take over administrative buildings.’

"New low for Lukashenka regime. Journalists are being detained en masse in #Minsk in Freedom square, where a protest action is about to start Via @RFERL pic.twitter.com/MPjMwqljcY— Denis Kazakiewicz "(@Den_2042) August 27, 2020



The embattled Belarusian leader has ruled his nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for 26 years, earning him the moniker ‘Europe’s last dictator’.


Thousands of people gather in Belarus in protest of the president’s re-election


Alexander Lukashenko has been in power for 26 years and rules Belarus with an iron fist


After a brutal crackdown on demonstrators in the first days of post-election protests, when nearly 7,000 people were detained, hundreds were injured and at least three protesters died, the authorities changed tactics and let daily demonstrations go unhindered for nearly two weeks.

The government, meanwhile, has maintained pressure on the opposition with threats and selective jailing of its leaders.

Lukashenko, who has called protesters ‘rats’, had agreed to reduce some of his presidential powers but it did little to quell the protests. Nearly 100,000 people marched in the capital on Sunday.

The strongman has previously said there will be no new election ‘until you kill me’.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×