Court rejects DW correspondent's complaint over detention

Deutsche Welle correspondent Paulyuk Bykouski today was in Minsk's Partyzanski District Court to appeal his detention in the 'BELTA case." The hearing was held behind the closed doors.

Bukouski was detained on 8 August. His apartment was searched. Agents seized all his computer equipment, bank cards and phones. The journalist was released only on 10 August. He is suspected of illegally accessing state-run news agency BELTA's paid subscription news wire.

The complaint was filed by defense lawyer Yauhen Pylchanka when the journalist had been in detention.

Bykouski: "I personally did not appeal anything. My lawyer Yuahen Paylchanka appealed on my behalf the legality of my detention. He filed the complaint when I had still been in custody. A court hearing was scheduled for today but I was released last Friday. The hearing was held behind the closed doors, so I am not allowed to reveal the details of the hearing. The court ruling was to reject the appeal."

The journalist is set to appeal the rejection in a higher court.