(CNN) Fifteen Belarusian journalists have had their accreditation to work for the BBC and other foreign media outlets removed by the authorities, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) has said. The move comes almost three weeks after Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected in a controversial presidential election, leading to mass protests from those who contest the results. The BBC confirmed in a statement to CNN that two journalists working for its Russian service in Minsk have had their press licenses taken away with immediate effect. Charlotte Morgan, the BBC's Head of Communications, told CNN: "We condemn in the strongest possible terms this stifling of independent journalism. "We call upon the Belarusian authorities to revoke this decision and allow our journalists to continue doing their jobs," Morgan added.

Source: CNN August 29, 2020 15:44 UTC