Darya Chultsova

Darya Chultsova (Belarusian: Дар’я Дзмітрыеўна Чульцова,[1] Russian: Дарья Дмитриевна Чульцова) (born on February 20, 1997, in Shklow, Mogilev Region, Belarus) is a journalist from Belarus. She worked for the television channel Belsat TV. She showed the event at the place where Raman Bandarenka was beaten to death in 2020. She was arrested there on November 15, 2020, in Minsk.

Darya Chultsova
Дар’я Дзмітрыеўна Чульцова
Born (1997-02-20) February 20, 1997 (age 27)
CitizenshipBelarus
Alma materMogilev State A. Kuleshov University
Occupationjournalist, political prisoner
EmployerBelsat
Known forbroadcasting from "Square of Changes [en]"
Criminal charge(s)actions that attack public order
Criminal penalty2 years in prison
AwardsJournalist of the Year (2020)
Award named after Dariusz Fikus (2021)
"Honor of Journalism" (2021)
Axel-Springer-Preis (2021)
Courage in Journalism Award (2021)
Preis für die Freiheit und Zukunft der Medien (2021)
Free Media Award [en] (2021)
Prix Europa [en] (2021)

Early life, education and career

She was born in Shklow. At an early age, she became interested in journalism. While at university, she worked for the website "Mogilev.Online". She studied in the Department of Journalism of Mogilev State A. Kuleshov University, finishing in 2020. In 2020, she moved to the TV channel Belsat and worked there as a journalist.[2]

Criminal procedure

Together with journalist Katsyaryna Andreeva, she became a person in a criminal case on organizing actions that attack public order.[3] Both showed the event of a cruel attack of the police at the place where Raman Bandarenka was beaten to death and the people stood to support the dead one live.[4][5] That took place at the "Square of Changes [en]" ("Ploscha Peramen") in Minsk on November 15, 2020.[6]

She was not freed after the arrest there. Darya was moved to a prison in Zhodzina, where she was held until her court trial. On November 24, 2020, ten organizations (the Viasna Human Rights Centre, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and others) made a joint statement.[7][8][9] It said that she is a political prisoner.[7][8][9]

At a Minsk court meeting led by the judge Natalia Buguk on February 18, 2021, Chultsova and Andreeva were sentenced to serve two years in prison for pushing 2020 Belarusian protests.[10][11] The state prosecutor was Alina Kasyanchyk, the detective was Ihar Kurylovich.[12]

On April 23, 2021, Minsk City Court said no to a request to call off or change the sentence.[13]

Reaction

 
Kyiv, Ukraine, May 5, 2021. Support for Darya Chultsova (left), Katsyaryna Andreeva (right) in the middle of the picture

On February 8, 2021, the US Embassy in Belarus made a statement. It asked to make Chultsova and Andreeva free.[14]

On February 15, 2021, support for the political prisoner was undertaken by Tony Lloyd, a member of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.[15]

Following the sentencing, on February 18, 2021, President of Poland Andrzej Duda made a public call to make Chultsova and Andreeva free.[16]

On June 21, 2021, the Council of the European Union made a decision to put those responsible for the punishment of the journalists in the list of people and organizations sanctioned in relation to human rights violations in Belarus [en].[17] Judge Natalia Buguk was put in the EU blacklist for frequent decisions against journalists and protesters in connection to politics.[12] One example of such verdicts was named.[12] It was the guilty verdict against Katsyaryna Bahvalava (Andreeva) and Darya Chultsova.[12] Prosecutor number two Alina Kasyanchyk was put in the list for the prosecution of the journalists.[12] She was held responsible for indictment of both journalists for "making electronic motion pictures of quiet protests that were named 'conspiracy' and 'violation of public order'" without cause.[12] Detective Ihar Kurylovich was put in the list for the preparation of the criminal case against the journalists.[12] He had made the criminal case ready in connection to politics.[12]

Awards

Thoughts

«[They are] strong in spirit, have no doubt in the right [of them], supported by friends, colleagues and the people that they do not know at all – such Katya and Dasha will be put in books," Aksana Kolb, editor-in-chief of Novy Chas, wrote two or three days before their sentencing.[30]

Darya Chultsova Media

References

  1. "Журналістка Дар'я Чульцова адзначае свае народзіны за кратамі" (in беларуская). European Radio for Belarus. 2021-02-20. Archived from the original on 2021-04-04. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  2. Васільева, Вольга (2021-02-09). "«Гэта і ёсць любоў да Беларусі». Як Даша Чульцова, якую судзяць за стрым, прыйшла ў журналістыку" (in беларуская). Belsat. Archived from the original on 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  3. Mary, Ilyushina (2021-02-18). "Two journalists, 23 and 27, get two years in jail for live-streaming a protest in Belarus". CNN. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  4. Agencies, Minsk (2021-02-18). "Belarus jails two journalists who covered Lukashenko protest". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  5. "Two Belarusian journalists sentenced to two years in prison for doing their job". European Federation of Journalists. 2021-02-18. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  6. Панкавец, Зміцер (2020-11-21). "Хто такая журналістка Кацярына Андрэева? Расказваюць яе муж і дзядуля" (in беларуская). Nasha Niva. Archived from the original on 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Правозащитники признали политзаключенными журналисток Борисевич, Андрееву и Чульцову" (in русский). BelaPAN. 2020-11-24. Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Правозащитники признали журналисток Катерину Борисевич, Катерину Андрееву и Дарью Чульцову политзаключенными" (in русский). MediaZona. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Журналисток TUT.BY и «Белсат» правозащитники назвали политзаключенными" (in русский). TUT.BY. 2020-11-24. Archived from the original on 2020-12-09. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  10. Спевак, Дарья (2021-02-18). "Журналисток «Белсата» приговорили к 2 годам лишения свободы". Onliner.by (in русский). ex-press.by. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  11. "Журналістак «Белсату» Андрэеву і Чульцову пакаралі 2 гадамі турмы за стрым з «плошчы Перамен». ФОТА і ВІДЭА" (in беларуская). Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2021-02-18. Archived from the original on 2021-03-15. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2021/997 - EUR-Lex [en], 21.06.2021
  13. "Суд пакінуў без зменаў вырак Кацярыне Андрэевай і Дар'і Чульцовай. Каці і Дашы ў зале не было" (in беларуская). Belsat. 2021-04-23. Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  14. "ЗША заклікалі вызваліць журналістак Кацярыну Андрэеву і Дар'ю Чульцову перад судом" (in беларуская). Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2021-02-08. Archived from the original on 2021-03-16. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  15. "Members of Parliament from Great Britain, Switzerland and Germany take over godparenthood for Darya Chultsova, Viktar Aktsistau and Aleh Hrableuski". Libereco. 2021-02-15. Archived from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  16. "Польскі прэзыдэнт заклікаў улады Беларусі амніставаць асуджаных журналістак «Белсату»" (in беларуская). Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2021-02-18. Archived from the original on 2021-03-15. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  17. МГ/АА (2021-06-21). "Евросоюз утвердил новый пакет санкций против представителей Беларуси. Кто в списке?" (in русский). Belsat. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  18. "Названы лауреаты Национальной правозащитной премии" (in русский). Viasna Human Rights Centre. 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  19. "Есть такая профессия! "Журналистами года" правозащитники пр". Belarusian Partisan (in русский). 2020-12-10. Archived from the original on 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  20. "«Журналистами года» правозащитники назвали трех арестованных по уголовным делам журналисток, в том числе и Катерину Борисевич" (in русский). TUT.BY. 2020-12-10. Archived from the original on 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  21. "Кацярына Андрэева і Дар'я Чульцова сталі лаўрэаткамі прэміі імя Дар'юша Фікуса" (in беларуская). Будзьма беларусамі!. 2021-03-10. Archived from the original on 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  22. "Катерина Борисевич, Катерина Андреева и Дарья Чульцова удостоены премии «Гонар журналістыкі»" (in русский). Brestskaya Gazeta. 2021-04-09. Archived from the original on 2021-04-09. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  23. (in de) Axel-Springer-Preis an Nachwuchsjournalisten verliehen. 2021-06-07. Archived from the original on 2021-06-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608181603/https://www.welt.de/kultur/medien/article231655083/Axel-Springer-Preis-an-Nachwuchsjournalisten-verliehen.html. Retrieved 2021-06-08. 
  24. "Журналистки Андреева и Чульцова стали лауреатами журналистской премии за мужество" (in русский). Charter 97. 2021-06-10. Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  25. "- Leipziger Medienpreis geht an belarussische Journalistinnen" (in Deutsch). Deutschlandfunk Kultur. 2021-07-29. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  26. ""Zeichen der Ermutigung" nach Belarus" (in Deutsch). Medienstiftung der Sparkasse Leipzig. 2021-07-29. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  27. Кепински, Ольга (2021-08-12). "Все награды Free Media Awards присуждены белорусским журналистам" (in русский). euronews. Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
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  29. "PRIX EUROPA 2021 European Journalist of the Year 2021". Prix Europa [en]. 2021-10-15. Archived from the original on 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  30. Колб, Аксана (2021-02-12). "Помста за праўду". Novy Chas (in беларуская). 6 (714): 1.

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