Censorship in Belarus is the main tool for maintaining power and fighting against "extremism"
Today, on March 12, the international community celebrates the World Day Against Cyber Censorship. This day was declared to support a unified Internet without restrictions and to record the actions by which governments worldwide restrain and censor freedom of speech on the Internet.
The World Day against Cyber Censorship was first celebrated in 2008. Since then, the international organization Reporters without Borders has been publishing a list of "enemies of the Internet" on this day, which includes countries where national and international Internet resources are banned and blocked, content is filtered, and journalists are persecuted for freedom of expression. From 2012 to the present day, the list of countries that are enemies of the Internet includes Belarus.
The Ministry of Information has added 6,565 accounts to the list of "extremist" materials since 2020
Since 2020 and more recently, Internet pages and social media platforms have been massively recognized by the authorities as "extremist" groups or materials. Since the end of 2023, the Belarusian authorities have begun to take away local Internet domains from independent media, which leads to a loss of audience.
According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, since 2020, the Ministry of Information has added 6,565 accounts to the republican list of "extremist" materials, with two thousand blacklisted in 2024. Access to these resources is blocked on the territory of Belarus, and administrative and criminal liability is provided for their distribution.
Belarusian Information Minister Marat Markau said recently that in 2024 alone, more than 3,150 Internet resources of a "destructive nature" were blocked. Over the past ten years, about 15,000 such resources have been blocked in Belarus. Moreover, the minister calls this an "information struggle" and emphasizes that the attention to Belarus from the "opponents" of the government has not changed. After the last presidential election, he, while expressing complaints against Google, said that another body should be established in Belarus to strengthen censorship — Belkomnadzor, similar to the Russian agency.
2024, the darkest and most repressive year for Belarusian media
Belarus continues mass repression against independent media
Reporters Without Borders, analyzing the situation with censorship restrictions and harassment of representatives of the media sector, note that "Belarus, which was the most dangerous country in Europe for journalists before Russia invaded Ukraine, continues mass repression against independent media." They identified the main trends of 2024:
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To silence independent journalists, the authorities have resorted to state-sponsored terrorism, including censorship, violence, mass arrests, and coordinated raids on homes and offices of media workers, as well as the dissolution of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ).
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The Belarusian authorities have changed the laws to give a legal dimension to attacks on freedom of the press. The justice system, which is under the full control of the government, has begun to equate independent journalism with "extremism," which is punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment.
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The vast majority of Belarusian independent media are currently either operating outside the country or have been forced to cease their activities. Currently, they are funded mainly by external subsidies, which can be unreliable.
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Belarus has one of the world's largest number of imprisoned journalists. At the moment, 40 representatives of the Belarusian media remain behind bars.
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According to the BAJ, about 400 media representatives were forced to leave the country, and most of the remaining ones are working illegally. They are subject to arrests, searches, and sometimes assaults and ill-treatment in prison.
More than 20 information websites were blocked by order of the Ministry of Information
The Council of Europe's Platform for Promoting the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists has presented the annual report on press freedom in Europe 2024: Confronting Political Pressure, Disinformation, and the Erosion of Media Independence.
According to BAJ, "Belarus is mentioned in the report in the section on the seizure of mass media by governments, which consists of five elements: the actual political seizure of state-owned media, the control of media regulators, the acquisition of private media by political allies of governments, the marginalization of independent media, and the discriminatory use of public funds to finance pro-government media."
In Belarus, more than 20 news websites were blocked by order of the Ministry of Information and recognized as "extremist," the report says. After the Belarusian Association of Journalists received the status of an "extremist organization", its website was deleted.
Media recognized by the authorities as "extremist groups": Belsat, BelaPAN, Euroradio, TUT.BY, Kyky.org, Nasha Niva, Radio Svaboda, Charter'97, Flagshtok, Hrodna. life, Volkovysk.by, Malanka Media, Babrujsk Online, Brestskaya Gazeta, Belarusian Association of Journalists, MOST, Zerkalo, Ranitsa, Belarusian Research Center, Tribuna.com Belarus, Ex-press.live, 6tv Bielarus, Mahiliou. Media, Mahilioŭ Region News, Belarusian radio Racyja, Shtodzien, Znadniemna.pl, DW Belarus, Chago breshash? project, This is Minsk, baby, UDF-News of Belarus, Media IQ, Orsha.eu, s13.ru, Porzirk, Mediazona. Belarus, and some others.
