Yuliya Slutskaya
Yuliya Slutskaya | |
|---|---|
Юлія Слуцкая | |
Slutskaya in 2011 | |
| Born | 15 September 1964 |
| Citizenship | Belarus |
| Alma mater | Belarusian State University |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Organization | Tell the Truth |
| Criminal charges | Tax evasion |
| Criminal penalty | Fine |
| Awards | Freedom of Speech Award (2021) |
Yuliya Vitalyeuna Slutskaya (Belarusian: Юлія Вітальеўна Слуцкая; born 15 September 1964) is a Belarusian journalist and former political prisoner. She is the founder of Press Club Belarus and the Information Bureau of Solidarity with Belarus.
Early life and education
Slutskaya studied sociology from the Belarusian State University. She spent several years after her graduation working for the university's sociology department.[1]
Journalism career
Slutskaya began working as a journalist in 1994, initially working for BelKP-Pres as a sociologist.[2] By 1997, she had become the editor of Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belorussii, a Belarusian Russian-language newspaper which she was among the founding members.[1] By the time Slutskaya resigned as editor in 2006, the newspaper had a circulation of almost 330, 000, with around half of every edition focusing specifically on Belarusian issues. Slutskaya resigned following the 2006 Belarusian presidential election.[2]
In 2007, Slutskaya was named editor-in-chief of European Radio for Belarus, an independent radio station.[2] She voluntarily left the role in February 2011.[3]
Activism
In February 2010, the pro-democracy and anti-corruption Tell the Truth campaign was established, which nominated Uladzimir Nyaklyayew as its candidate in the 2010 Belarusian presidential election. Slutskaya conceived and implement Tell the Truth's media campaign, and also served a media consultant for Nyaklyayew.[2][3] During the 2010 Belarusian protests, following which many of the Tell the Truth leadership were detained at the KGB RB prison Amerikanka, and its offices searched, Slutskaya was forced to flee Belarus for Warsaw, Poland.[2]
In January 2011, Slutskaya established the Information Bureau of Solidarity with Belarus from Warsaw. The organisation toured European capitals ahead of the European Parliament and European Council's planned sessions discussing Belarus, including Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden. The group's actions included holding meetings, organising conferences and photo exhibitions, and screening a film about the 2010 protests.[3]
Slutskaya later returned to Minsk, where in 2015 she established Press Club Belarus which, in addition to delivering lectures and training, monitored Belarusian media outlets' compliance with journalistic standards and ethics. In 2020, Press Club Belarus established a formal training institution, the Press Club Academy.[1]
Political persecution
On 22 December 2020, Slutskaya was detained at Minsk National Airport after returning to Belarus from abroad with her daughter and granddaughters. She was questioned by officers from the financial investigation department of the State Control Committee, following which she was placed in pre-trial detention at Pishchalauski Castle.[4]
On 31 December, Slutskaya was charged with large-scale fraud under article 243 of the Criminal Code of Belarus. Other members of Press Club Belarus, including Piotr Slutsky, Alla Sharko and Sergei Alsheuski, as well as former Belteleradio journalist Ksenia Lutskina, were also arrested on charges of being complicit.[5] Investigators claimed that the fraud stemmed from tax evasion linked to a public television project, while Slutskaya stated the charges against her stemmed from her journalistic activities.[4] Slutskaya pleaded not guilty. The investigators did not provide documents demonstrating tax evasion.[6]
On 6 January 2021, family members of the detained employees paid 109, 769 BYN to the Investigative Committee of Belarus, the amount of the alleged unpaid tax.[4]
On 13 January 2021, a joint statement by eleven human rights and journalism organisations, including Viasna, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Belaruski PEN and Pravavaya Initsyyatyva, recognised Slutskaya and her co-defendants as political prisoners.[7] On 4 February 2021, Swiss politician Martina Munz of the Federal Assembly symbolically became Slutskaya's godparent.[8]
On 19 August 2021, Slutskaya and her co-defendants were released from pre-trial detention after agreeing to plead guilty, pay a fine of 200, 000 BYN and sign a petition of support for Alexander Lukashenko.[9]
Recognition
In 2021, Slutskaya won the International Association of Press Clubs' Freedom of Speech Award, as well as being named as one of the International Press Institute's World Press Freedom Heroes.[10][11]
References
- ^ a b c Krivets, Nataliya (30 December 2020). "Кто такая Юлия Слуцкая, которую задержали по делу «Пресс-клуба»". Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian). Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Kasperovich, Lyubov (24 December 2020). "«Ее репутация безупречна». Кто такая Юлия Слуцкая — создательница Пресс-клуба, куда пришли силовики". Tut.By (in Russian). Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ a b c Drakakhust, Yury (9 February 2011). "Ю.Слуцкая: "Сыход з Эўрарадыё - маё асабістае рашэньне"". Radyyo Svaboda (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ a b c Kasperovich, Lyubov (6 January 2021). "От следователя узнала, что дело касается «проекта общественного ТВ». Юлия Слуцкая дала интервью из СИЗО". Tut.By (in Russian). Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "Основательнице Пресс-клуба и трем сотрудникам предъявили обвинение. Они остаются под стражей". Tut.By (in Russian). 31 December 2020. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ Aleksandrovskaya, Bogdana; Gunkel, Yelena (22 January 2021). "Месяц в СИЗО: правозащитники требуют освободить основательницу "Пресс-клуба"". DW (in Russian). Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "Заява аб прызнанні пяцярых затрыманых па справе Прэс-клуба палітычнымі зняволенымі". Viasna (in Belarusian). 13 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "Members of Parliament from Switzerland, Germany and Ireland take over godparenthood for Yuliya Slutskaya, Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Vitold Ashurak". Libereco. 4 February 2021. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "Юлія Слуцкая — пра фармулёўку памілаваньня, справу Луцкінай і камэру «Шанхай» з пацукамі". Raddyo Svaboda (in Belarusian). 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "Belarus's Yuliya Slutskaya named World Press Freedom Hero". The Daily Star. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "IAPC Freedom of Speech Award 2021 Honors Yuliya Slutskaya". Overseas Press Club of America. 23 June 2021. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2025.