• Monday, 23 December 2024

More raids in Belarus against independent media outlets

More raids in Belarus against independent media outlets
The regime of authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has carried out more raids on independent media outlets. On Thursday, the authorities blocked the website of Nasha Niva (Our field). The Ministry of Information said the portal was disseminating prohibited information. There were no details about the specific reasons for the block. The editorial office of the government-critical outlet announced that editor-in-chief Yegor Martinovich has been arrested. Nasha Niva’s Telegram channel reported that the homes of staff members have been searched. An independent newpspaper in Brest and the editorial office of the portal Intex-Press also said they have been the subject of raids. Meanwhile, the officially banned internet portal tut.by has announced it will now operate under the name zerkalo.io. Tut.by recently distributed its news mainly via its Telegram channel – and has over half a million subscribers there. Under the new name, the website can now be accessed on the internet again. Lukashenko, dubbed Europe’s last dictator, has come under international criticism for suppressing any form of independent journalism.