Belarus court sentences journalist Danil Palianski to 10 years in prison for treason

A Belarusian journalist has been handed a 10-year prison sentence on charges of treason and disclosing state secrets, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), which revealed the verdict on Friday.

Danil Palianski, 53, who contributed to several independent news outlets, was convicted in a closed trial on 25 July, but details of the ruling only surfaced a day before the fifth anniversary of the controversial 2020 presidential election that entrenched Aliaksandr Lukashenka's grip on power and triggered mass protests.

According to media reports, in September 2024, while visiting family in Russia, Palianski was stopped by Russian FSB officers in his car. He was charged with disobedience after allegedly refusing to show his documents.

At first, his detention was believed to be an administrative offence. It has emerged that he is facing criminal charges under Article 356 of the Criminal Code.

Article 356 of Russia’s Criminal Code covers war crimes recognised as serious offences by the international community. 

In addition to his prison term, Palianski was fined roughly $7,000 (€6,000), BAJ said.

"Belarus has already become the black hole of Europe, where people are judged for words and thoughts," said BAJ chairman Andrei Bastunets, condemning the ruling.

Palianski, arrested last September, is among 37 journalists currently imprisoned in Belarus. His conviction is the latest in a broad and ongoing crackdown against dissent following Lukashenko’s disputed re-election on 9 August 2020.

Human rights organisations report that over 65,000 people have been detained in connection with anti-government demonstrations, while hundreds of thousands have fled the country fearing repression.

The Belarusian human rights group Viasna estimates there are around 1,187 political prisoners in the country, including Ales Bialiatski, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of the organisation.