France calls on Belarus to reverse measures against journalists

FILE PHOTO: Law enforcement officers detaining a journalist who was on assignment are photographed by a Reuters photographer shortly before his detention, in central Minsk, Belarus August 27, 2020. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoPARIS: French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned on Sunday what he called"arbitrary measures" taken by the Belarusian authorities against journalists, saying they violate press freedom.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz, responding to a question on Sunday from Reuters, did not directly address criticism from western governments and affected media that the decision to revoke the accreditations was an attempt by the Belarusian government to stifle journalism and balanced coverage of the protests.

Radio Liberty in a report on its website on Saturday cited the Foreign Ministry as saying the decision to revoke the accreditations was taken for security reasons.In comments at a government meeting on Jul 23, President Alexander Lukashenko threatened to expel foreign journalists, accusing them of inciting protests against him before the Aug 9 election.

The journalists included a video journalist and a photographer from Reuters, as well as journalists from the French news agency AFP and the BBC, their organisations said.

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