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Two journalists detained while covering protests in Belarus

Earlier six journalists were placed in custody in a pre-trial facility and court sentenced them to three days of administrative arrest on charges of participating in an unauthorized student protest rally

MINSK, September 6. /TASS/. Two journalists have been detained in Belarus while covering Sunday’s protests, the Belarusian Association of Journalists wrote on its Telegram channel.

"Artyom Sizintsev, a Radio Ratsiya journalist and a member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, was detained when the police was dispersing protesters near Chebotareva Street (in Minsk). He only reported he was being taken to a police station in a prison van," it said. "Ales Osipov, a BelaPAN correspondent was detained in Mogilev. The man was wearing a special vest and had journalists IDs."

Police in Belarus have detained journalists covering protests in Minsk more than once. Accredited TASS correspondents were among them. As a rule, journalists were released after identity checks.

However, six journalists were placed in custody in a pre-trial facility on September 1 and court sentenced them to three days of administrative arrest on charges of participating in an unauthorized student protest rally. Law enforcers claimed the journalists had called on the protesters to continue the rally.