Prédateur

Alexandre LOUKACHENKO

Président de la république de Biélorussie depuis 1994

Prédateur depuis son arrivée au pouvoir / intensification depuis août 2020

Bélarus, 158e/180 au Classement mondial de la liberté de la presse 2021

Dear [Name of Candidate],

I am writing to ask you what you plan to do to defend the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and the fundamental rights of journalists to practice their profession freely in what has become an increasingly hostile environment for information and news providers.

The United States, which enshrines press freedom in the First Amendment of its Constitution, is currently witnessing a drastic decline in media freedom. On June 28, one of the most horrific attacks on press freedom in the United States occurred when five employees, including four reporters, were killed at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, which comprehensively documents press freedom violations in the US committed by national, state, and local authorities as well as private individuals, 33 journalists were arrested, 43 were physically attacked, and 15 seizures of journalists’ equipment occurred in 2017. In one of these incidents, Rep. Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a Guardian journalist the night before his state’s election. While covering the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, journalists were impersonated on social media, impeding their ability to accurately investigate the facts and disseminate information which could be vital to preventing a similar tragedy. This hostility towards the press not only risks compromising the American public’s right to be informed through journalists’ reporting, but can also degrade the public’s trust in the media itself.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics. Journalism is at the crux of our democracy, and communities everywhere rely on journalists to provide them with information that is essential to their daily decision-making processes. It was local investigative journalist Curt Guyette who broke the story about Flint, Michigan’s lack of access to clean water in 2014, prompting years of class-action lawsuits, protests, and subsequent federal assistance to the city in order to try to resolve the crisis. Reporters Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, and Ronan Farrow publicized sexual assault allegations against influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, leading to the ubiquitous and powerful #MeToo movement which brought decades of sexual abuse and harassment across multiple industries to light.

Yet freedom of the press in the US is currently in dire need of congressional support. It is our civic duty as one of the world’s leading democracies to uphold principles that support and protect the rights of journalists so that they may hold those in power accountable and ensure an informed and engaged community.

If you are elected, what do you plan to do to protect this utterly essential component of our democracy? What are your plans to protect the public’s right to be informed through a free and independent press?

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Hello, my name is _______ and I am from [city, state].

I’m calling to let you know that [candidate/representative]'s stance on freedom of the press is extremely important in my decision to vote. I feel that this is not a partisan issue, but a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics.

I have become increasingly concerned with the growing climate of hostility for journalists in this country, and I would like for [candidate/representative] to publicly address what they will do to defend press freedom if [he/she] is elected.

Thank you.

Freedom of the press is suffering in the US. @[yourcandidate] if you are elected to serve in Congress, what are your plans to protect journalists and our right to be informed? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

Democracy depends on a free and independent press and its ability to hold those in power accountable. [@yourcandidate] will you take measures to protect journalism and the First Amendment? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

In June, four reporters were murdered in an appalling targeted attack on the Capital Gazette and freedom of the press. [@yourcandidate] what will you do to address the growing threat to journalists in this country? #DefendPressFreedom

Press freedom is in steady decline in the US. I want my representative to defend the work of journalists as well as my right to be informed. [@yourcandidate] if you are elected what will you do to protect a free press? #DefendPressFreedom

Journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. And yet in the US, attacks on journalists are becoming more common, undermining the media's role and creating opportunities for government overreach, the erosion of press freedom, and impeding our right to be informed. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join me at DefendPressFreedom.com

A free press is essential to our democracy. Communities everywhere rely on journalists to report on our government’s actions and hold public figures accountable, providing us with the information we need to make decisions every day. And yet physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists in the US are increasing at an astonishing rate. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. You should too. Read more at DefendPressFreedom.com

Press freedom is declining in the US at an alarming rate. Physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists have increased drastically in the last two years. As the US midterm elections approach, we must remind our congressional candidates that journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. I’m contacting my representatives and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join in and help me spread the word at DefendPressFreedom.com

MODE DE PRÉDATION : terrorisme d’État

Depuis sa réélection contestée en août 2020, Alexandre Loukachenko, qui a hérité du surnom, dans les médias occidentaux, de “dernier dictateur d’Europe”, a instauré une répression sans précédent des journalistes. L’une de ses priorités est d’empêcher toute couverture médiatique des mouvements de protestation dans le pays. Arrestations massives, violences - voire tortures -, menaces, coupures d’internet, censure de sites d’information de référence et de la presse écrite... Le prédateur n’hésite pas non plus à modifier la législation afin d’entraver et de criminaliser le travail des médias : les journalistes couvrant des événements non autorisés sont désormais considérés comme des participants à ces événements, la diffusion en direct sur internet est interdite et la liste des motifs de refus d’accréditation s’allonge. Les fausses accusations font également partie de l’arsenal de Loukachenko. La justice, soumise au pouvoir, commence à assimiler le travail des journalistes indépendants à de l’“extrémisme”. Face à une répression d’une telle ampleur, de nombreux journalistes biélorusses ont été contraints à l’exil, principalement en Pologne, en Ukraine et dans les pays baltes.

CIBLES DE PRÉDILECTION : acharnement sans limite contre les journalistes indépendants

À l’heure actuelle, un nombre important de journalistes sont détenus de manière arbitraire au Bélarus. Alexandre Loukachenko ne lésine sur aucun moyen pour les faire taire, allant jusqu’à ordonner le détournement d’un avion civil survolant son territoire pour arrêter le journaliste Raman Pratassevitch - une action sans précédent, destinée à terroriser les journalistes vivant au Bélarus mais aussi à l’étranger. Le sort de ce dernier en prison est alarmant, comme celui d’autres journalistes ayant subi des tortures et traitements inhumains, à l’instar du correspondant de la radio publique allemande Deutsche Welle Alyaksandr Bourakou. Enfin, les dirigeants du principal média indépendant Tut.By sont accusés de fraude fiscale, sans l’ombre d’une preuve concrète.

DISCOURS OFFICIEL : radical

"Aujourd'hui, tout le monde doit comprendre dans quel but précis des ressources d'information biaisées ont été créées dans tout le pays : sites, chaînes Telegram, blogs vidéo, groupes sur les réseaux sociaux, messageries instantanées (...) Il est important de comprendre : nous ne combattons pas la dissidence ou les opinions différentes. C'est juste que la liberté d'expression, que nous protégeons constitutionnellement, est aujourd'hui devenue une activité extrémiste. Nous nous battrons contre cela avec détermination. Nous ne reculerons pas." (Paroles adressées le 30 juillet 2021 à des fonctionnaires, lors d’une réunion pour discuter de sujets sociopolitiques, dont l’accès à l’information au Bélarus.)

"N'attendez pas la fin de la campagne électorale. Jetez-les dehors s'ils ne respectent pas nos lois et s’ils tentent de reproduire Maïdan [révolution ukrainienne] ici." (Propos adressés le 23 juin 2020 aux médias lors d’une réunion avec des membres du gouvernement et visant en particulier Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty et la BBC, accusés de provoquer les émeutes au Bélarus.)