Volodymyr Yanukevich, 65, served as director and editor-in-chief of the independent regional newspaper Intex-Press. Andriy Pokolenko, 44, served as deputy development director for the same media outlet. After the newspaper's closure, they created the news website BAR24. The website went down in January 2025.
Vladimir Yanukovych has previously been persecuted . He was twice tried and fined under the Code of Administrative Offenses for publishing an interview with Tikhanovskaya, and in February 2023, security forces raided the premises of Intex-Press Publishing House.
In addition to the imprisonment and a large fine, as reported by the Belarusian Association of Journalists, “there is information about a huge total fine of approximately 200,000 rubles (approximately 60,000 euros).”
Employees of the Baranovichi media outlet BAR24 were detained in December 2024. Law enforcement officers searched their homes and the city portal's editorial office, seizing equipment. Several were released, while the rest faced criminal charges.
