Journalists in Trouble: Andrei Kuznechyk Released from Detention in Belarus

Journalists in Trouble is a monthly report of incidents targeting Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists and their work, and developments affecting press freedom across 23 countries. Subscribe for exclusive updates.

Andrei Kuznechyk released from detention in Belarus; Farid Mehralizada’s claims of abuse denied by Azerbaijani court; more RFE/RL staff designated as “foreign agents.”

BELARUS: Andrei Kuznechyk Released from Detention, Reunited with Family

After 1,175 days of imprisonment in Belarus, RFE/RL journalist Andrei Kuznechyk was released on February 12 and reunited with his wife and two young children in Vilnius, Lithuania.?

Andrei, a journalist for RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, was detained in November 2021 while on a bike ride near his home in Minsk. He was convicted on charges U.S. officials and international human rights groups deemed politically motivated and sentenced to six years in prison.??

RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said: “This is a joyous day for Andrei, his wife, and their two young children. After more than three years apart, this family is together again thanks to President Trump. We are also grateful to Secretary Rubio and his team, and to the Lithuanian government for their support.”?

RFE/RL’s Belarus Service journalist Ihar Losik is still behind bars. “We remain hopeful that [Ihar] will also be released and look to the Trump administration for its continued leadership and guidance,” said Capus.?

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT?

• "There's so much happiness, you can't even fully express it." Andrei discusses his release in an interview with RFE/RL’s Belarus Service.??

• “Andrei was quite simply determined to make sure the world knew what was going on in [Belarus].” RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus spoke to ABC News about Andrei's unjust imprisonment and the importance of independent media in Belarus.??

• "No matter how difficult it was for him, he found ways to show us his love.” In an interview with RFE/RL’s Belarus Service,?Andrei’s wife Alesya Rak shares how the family survived three years and three months without their husband and father.?

TAKE ACTION: As RFE/RL celebrates Andrei’s release, the fight continues to free his colleagues imprisoned for simply doing their jobs: Farid Mehralizada in Azerbaijan, Ihar Losik in Belarus, Nika Novak in Russia, and Vladyslav Yesypenko in Russia-occupied Crimea. We encourage you to join the call to #FreeFarid, #FreeIhar, #FreeNika, and #FreeVlad on social media.??

AZERBAIJAN: Farid Mehralizada’s Claims of Abuse Denied by Azerbaijani Court

On January 28, a Baku court rejected RFE/RL journalist Farid Mehralizada’s complaint about the mistreatment he was subjected to when he was detained by Azerbaijani authorities in May 2024.?

On the morning of May 30, 2024, Farid, an economist and journalist for RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service, was violently abducted near a Baku metro station by a group of unidentified men who placed a bag over his head, handcuffed him, and forced him into a car.?

The judge presiding over the hearing refused to review the evidence of mistreatment presented by Farid and his lawyer. As he was being escorted out of the court, Farid shouted, “Independent media cannot be silenced.”??

On February 11, when his trial was set to resume, Farid refused to appear in court in protest of the Azerbaijani authorities’ failure to investigate his complaints of mistreatment. In response, authorities again resorted to violence, forcibly bringing him to court. Farid’s next hearing will be on March 4.?

IRAN: Former RFE/RL Journalist’s 10-Year Sentence Upheld

Last month, an Iranian appeals court upheld the unjust 10-year prison sentence for former RFE/RL journalist Reza Valizadeh. Reza was charged with “collaborating with a hostile government.”?

RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said: “The Iranian regime is doubling down on its campaign to silence independent voices. Tehran’s cruel, unjust prosecution of Reza underscores how critical Radio Free Europe’s Persian-language service, Radio Farda, is in bringing uncensored news to the Iranian people.”??

RUSSIA: RFE/RL Staff Designated as “Foreign Agents”?

In January and February, the Russian government added eight RFE/RL reporters?to its growing list of “foreign agents," which already includes dozens of RFE/RL staff members.

“The designation of RFE/RL journalists as foreign agents is the latest evidence of Russia’s brutal assault on independent media,” said RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus. “Despite the Kremlin’s attempts to criminalize freedom of speech at home and abroad, our brave journalists will not be intimidated.”?

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT?

• On March 24, imprisoned RFE/RL journalist Nika Novak will appear before a Russian court to appeal her November 2024 conviction on charges of “collaboration with a foreign organization on a confidential basis.”?

• On February 16, RFE/RL journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko marked three years since his wrongful sentencing in a closed-door trial in Russia-occupied Crimea. ?

• “Reporting the facts, undaunted by pressure.” Learn how RFE/RL’s journalists continue to report the truth despite intimidation, censorship, and physical harm in our new video.