Swedish journalists were denied Belarusian visas after arriving at Minsk-2 international airport last evening.

The journalists were expected to cover the parliamentary elections and had agreed in advance on receiving accreditation from the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A representative of the MFA told the journalists they could receive visas and accreditation IDs upon their arrival at the airport. However, the journalists were denied visas by an official of the Belavia flag carrier, who suggested returning home via Riga.

“Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”