Deutsche Welle correspondent released in Belarus
August 10, 2018
In Belarus, an employee of Deutsche Welle, Paulyuk Bykowski, was released today, August 10, after being detained earlier in the week. Belarusian authorities had previously searched Bykowski's apartment. The correspondent works for the Russian service of DW.
Bykowski and other journalists were arrested on August 7 and 8 on suspicion of computer hacking and were released from prison today. In an interview with DW, Bykowski said that he is still being considered a suspect and is not allowed to discuss the details of the case. “My accreditation for DW has not yet expired yet and I hope I can apply for it again."
Deutsche Welle had protested to the ambassador of the Republic of Belarus in Berlin against the arrest of the DW correspondent and has demanded his immediate release. In addition, DW pointed out to the ambassador that laws regarding accredited journalists must be respected.
DW Director General Peter Limbourg: “The actions taken by the authorities in Belarus against accredited journalists are absolutely unjustified. Regardless of any allegations of wrongdoing, we cannot tolerate home searches and journalists being arrested.”
"The investigation committee has come to me," wrote Bykowski on Wednesday morning on his Facebook page. His wife later confirmed the search. The prosecution had presented a search warrant for the entire apartment. The investigators explained to Bykowski that at the moment he is being considered a witness.
In a conversation with DW, his wife Volha Bykovskaya said that the authorities had arrived at the apartment around 8:30 a.m. They confiscated computers, tablets, phones, sticks, discs and bank cards. “The search took around two hours,” she added.
The arrest, she said, was in connection with ongoing investigations into independent journalists in Belarus. Bykowskaya: "It’s an absolutely absurd case."
On Tuesday (7 August), security forces raided the editorial offices of the Belarussian news portal tut.by and the BelaPAN news agency. According to the authorities, this was in connection with investigations into the alleged illegal access paid information from of the state news agency Belta. Paulyuk Bykowski had commented on this matter as a media expert for Euroradio.
August 10, 2018