The Polish Foreign Ministry has summoned Belarusia's charge d'affaires after a journalist for Polish broadcaster Belsat TV was sentenced in Belarus to five years in jail.
Ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina said on August 4 that the Belarusian diplomat was summoned because journalist Iryna Slaunikava "is not only an employee of Polish Television, but one of those journalists who fight for peace and the rule of law in Belarus."
A court in Belarus sentenced Slaunikava a day earlier as the Belarusian government continues to crack down on independent media following mass protests sparked by a disputed presidential election two years ago that handed victory to authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Slaunikava, who is being held in custody, was found guilty of leading an extremist group and organizing activities that disrupt social order. She has denied the charges.
A former correspondent for Belsat TV who went on trial in June, Slaunikava was first arrested along with her husband, Alyaksandr Loyka, in late October. The couple was sentenced to 30 days in jail on charges of "distribution of extremist materials" and "minor hooliganism."
After serving their jail terms, Slaunikava was charged again, this time with "leading an extremist group" and the "organization and preparation of events disrupting social order." Loyka was not arrested a second time.
Lukashenka, 67, and in power since 1994, has tightened his grip on the country since the 2020 election by arresting -- sometimes violently -- tens of thousands of people. Fearing for their safety, most opposition members have fled the country.
Most of the country's independent media have also been either arrested or left the country due to the crackdown.
The West has refused to recognize the results of the election and does not consider Lukashenka to be the country's legitimate leader. Many countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against his regime in response to the suppression of dissent in the country.
