Brest Journalist Accused Of ‘Treason’

• 16.10.2024, 14:53

He was detained after returning from Russia.

Brest freelance journalist Daniil Palianski was detained, presumably, on September 19 after returning home from Russia. The exact date is unknown, but contact with him was later lost, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported.

In early September, Daniil Palianski went to Russia to visit relatives. On the way, there was an incident with Russian law-enforcement officers. His car was stopped by FSB officers and then he was accused of an administrative violation for disobedience — allegedly he refused to show documents.

“Daniil said that at that moment his passport was in the hands of a Russian law-enforcer,” says one of Palianski’s acquaintances. “Later, when he returned to Brest, he was detained by KGB officers.”

Initially, it was assumed that he was detained for some administrative violation. But a few days later, it became known that a criminal case had been opened. Daniil Palianski is charged under Article 356 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (treason). He was placed in custody in a pretrial detention center.

Daniil Palianski is 53 years old. As a videographer, he once collaborated with state and commercial TV channels, as well as with independent regional websites. In recent years, he was known in Brest as a volunteer for the search and rescue group “Angel”, writes BAJ.