07.04.2009 Babruisk: prosecutor’s office refuses to bring a criminal case concerning repressions against ‘Bobruiskiy Kurier’

The prosecutor considered the complaint of Anatol Sanatsenka (chief editor of the non-state newspaper Bobruisky Kurier) and found no corpus delicti in the actions of officers of Babruisk town executive committee.

09.03.2009 Assembly of pro-democratic NGOs calls the authorities to stop the abuse of the law On counteraction to extremism

On 6-7 March the 6th assembly of pro-democratic NGOs of Belarus was held at the international educational center (IBB) in Minsk. The aim of the forum was to analyze the situation in the third sector, the juridical situation of NGOs and elaborate and adopt the strategy of the Assembly’s activities for the near future.

26.02.2009 Arrested for public opinion poll

Activists of Belarusian opposition were detained by policemen when they were holding a poll among passers-by.

10.02.2009 Uladzimir Labkovich: ‘Political parties have no access to the state mass media’

The state press refuses to publish any articles by oppositional parties despite the fact that the law guarantees to them the access to mass media.

10.02.2009 Attacks on the Press in 2008: Belarus

In February visit to Belarusian State University, President Aleksandr Lukashenko bluntly outlined his regime's press policy. "Media hold a weapon of a most destructive power," Lukashenko told journalism students, "and they must be controlled by the state."

09.02.2009 New law on mass media has come into force

On 8 February there came into force the new edition of the law On mass media which had received serious criticism from the side of the Belarusian journalists.

05.02.2009 The IFJ Says Impunity and "Callous Indifference" Remain Threats as New Wave of Media Killings Wipes out Optimism Over Death Toll in 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today issued its report on the killings of journalists in 2008 with a warning that 2009 could be the deadliest year yet for journalists. A wave of killings in the first days of the new year have undermined hopes that the falling death toll recorded in 2008 was the first sign of a change in the pattern of killings which have risen dramatically in recent years.

05.02.2009 Issue of non-state newspaper 'Vitebskiy Kurier M' is suspended

The non-state newspaper Vitebskiy Kurier M had to suspend its issue since the beginning of 2009 and informed the Ministry of Information about it by a special letter.

04.02.2009 ‘Belposhta’ refuses to subscribe readers to independent press, referring to Constitution

Three weeks ago a member of the council of the For Freedom movement Ales Zarembiuk received an answer to his address to A.Charniak, the head of the state monopolist on subscription Belposhta. In his address to the official Zarembiuk proposed that Belposhta returned the non-state newspapers Novy Chas and Hazeta Slonimskaya to the subscription catalog.

04.02.2009 Vitsebsk: police detain Barys Khamaida for handing out leaflets

On 4 February officers of Chyhunachny district police department of Vitsebsk detained the well-known opposition activist Barys Khamaida for handing out leaflets with the national emblem Pahonia. The matter is that the authorities of Vitsebsk oblast propose to make Pahonia the official emblem of Vitsebsk oblast, but take as sample the emblem of Vitsebsk oblast in the times of the Russian Empire.

04.02.2009 Belarus is cited among the most dangerous countries for journalists

The international journalist community has composed a list of the countries that are most dangerous for representatives of mass media.

02.02.2009 Pickets in support of "Volnaye Hlybokaye" are banned

Hlybokaye district executive committee refused to authorize the pickets in defense of a non-state newspaper Volnaye Hlybokaye at the town market, where the newspaper is distributed.

21.01.2009 Amnesty International: No positive changes in freedom of speech in Belarus

There were no positive changes in human rights in the last six months in Belarus, the Secretary-General of Amnesty International’s German Section thinks.

Barbara Lochbihler commented on the situation with human rights in Belarus in an interview to Deutsche Welle.

21.01.2009 Major Belarusian tut.by portal introduces censorship for forum content

According to Yury Ziser, manager of Belarus’ largest Internet resource www.tut.by, having over 160,000 users, the so called premoderation will applied to the tut.by forum posts. Mr.Ziser said the new policy will only deal with themed news discussions, and will not affect any other forums active in the framework of the portal.

14.01.2009 Ales Zarembiuk demands that subscription to ‘Hazeta Slonimskaya’ and ‘Novy Chas’ be returned

The member of the For Freedom movement Ales Zarembiuk applied to the director general of the republican unitary enterprise with the proposal to include Hazeta Slonimskaya and Novy Chas into the subscription catalogue. ‘Hazeta Slonimskaya is the only non-state socio-political edition on the territory of Hrodna oblast,’ emphasizes the activist. He calls the authorities not to create artificial obstacles on the newspapers’ way to the readers.