DW correspondent Bykouski receives confiscated equipment back

The Minsk-based reporter for the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW)'s Russian-language service Paulyuk Bykouski was interrogated at the Investigation Committee on 27 September. Almost all the equipment confiscated during the search at the beginning of August has been returned to him, the journalist told Deutsche Welle. 

"They have given back one more hard disk drive, a netbook and the dictaphone that I had just bought. I have received almost all the confiscated equipment expect for the tablet computers belonging to my daughter,” Bykouski noted. His work laptop has not been returned since it is an exhibit, he added.

The Belarusian MFA will now have to decide whether to prolong his accreditation of a DW reporter. He is still forbidden to leave Belarus. 

Naviny.by editorial stuff members Dzmitry Navazhylau and Raman Salikau (witnesses) and BelaPAN reporter Tatstsyana Karavyankova (suspect) were interrogated at the Investigation Committee on September 27.

The offices of TUT.by and BelaPAN were searched on August 7. Journalists had illegal access to the paid news feed of the state information agency BelTA (‘the BelTA case’), the police announced. There are more than 10 suspects in the case – mostly TUT.by and BelaPAN reporters.

He had been recruited during an interrogation at the Investigation Committee, TUT.by editor Dzmitry Bobryk claimed the other day.