Kremlin voices support for Russian newspaper KP after it feels forced to shut Belarus branch following arrest of journalist

The Kremlin has revealed its support for Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda and its decision to stop work in Belarus following the arrest of one of its journalists, shortly after he wrote about a man killed by the authorities.

Speaking on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Moscow supports Komsomolskaya Pravda’s decision to shut up shop in Belarus.

“In this case, we see that the publication chose the only correct decision – to close the branch in Belarus,” Peskov said. “It is regrettable that our very authoritative and popular and highly respected publication has stopped its work.”

Komsomolskaya Pravda chose to shut its Belarusian office after one of its journalists, Gennady Mozheyko, was targeted by the authorities in Minsk.

Mozheyko was detained on Saturday after publishing a comment by a classmate of a man who had been killed in a shootout with Belarusian KGB officers. He was accused of “whitewashing the criminal,” with Minsk stating that the website published “threats to national security.”

The newspaper’s website was also blocked in Belarus.

“Having analyzed the events of the last year, and especially the last week, Komsomolskaya Pravda decided to close its Minsk office,” a statement on the website reads. “All employees will be paid monetary compensation or offered jobs at other branches of the newspaper.”

The KP editor in chief, Vladimir Sungorkin, also reported that Mozheyko’s flat in Minsk was searched by the KGB for several hours. He is now in custody but has not yet been charged.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, Mozheyko fled to Moscow, where he was refused permission to leave the country and was ordered to return to Belarus. He was then arrested on the border on Saturday, they claim.

In Moscow, the Kremlin expressed hope that Mozheyko hadn’t been arrested for his “journalistic work.”

“We are in constant dialogue with the Belarusian side. We will continue this dialogue and, of course, we will convey our position,” the spokesman added.

However, according to Peskov, Russia can’t intervene and protect the interests of Mozheyko because he is a citizen of Belarus, and not a Russian. Therefore, Moscow has no “legal grounds” to complain and can only “express regret.”

He also said that he couldn’t answer whether Russia had prevented Mozheyko from leaving for a third country, as he didn’t know.

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