The situation with media rights in Belarus remains the worst in Europe. More than 500 Belarusian colleagues have been detained, arrested and harassed since the total repression started in 2020. To date, the Belarusian Association of Journalists is aware of 40 journalists in Lukashenka's prisons. Big number of Belarusian journalists and media outlets had to leave the country and operate in exile.

On 2 May in Vilnius, the Council of Europe, jointly with the Lithuanian Journalists’ Union and the Belarusian Association of Journalists has organised a Forum of Belarusian journalists in exile "Security in conditions of insecurity: how journalists and the media should act" with participation of more than 50 exiled journalists, human rights defenders, Lithuanian journalist associations and experts.

The Forum was dedicated to the World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated on 3 May.

During the day, the Council of Europe experts and participants discussed the issues of safety of journalistic activities, solidarity, ways to improve contacts between journalistic communities in exile and issues of the survival of the profession and freedom of speech.

The Forum was organised within the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the capacities and skills of Belarusian journalists and media actors in exile”.