Belarus bans journalists from live reporting at protests

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday approved legislation that would ban journalists from providing real-time coverage of unauthorized mass events. The changes will also allow the Information Ministry to shut down media outlets without a court hearing.  

The move comes as the strongman steadily cracks down on independent journalists across the former Soviet country. Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, has faced explosive countrywide protests last year.

According to the amendments published by state media, any Belarusian national — not just journalists — would be barred from covering an unauthorized rally and using crowdfunding to pay fines over the violation of legislation on mass gatherings.

The publication of results of independent opinion polls would also be banned.

"This is the most repressive media law in Europe, which turns the work of journalists in Belarus into a minefield," said Andrei Bastunets, president of the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

According to the association, nearly 30 journalists are currently in prison in Belarus.

Clampdown follows arest of Pratasevich

Lukashenko signed off on the controversial amendments a day after the arrest of prominent opposition journalist Raman Pratasevich, whose Athens-to-Vilnius Ryanair flight was forcibly diverted to Belarus because of an alleged bomb threat.

Pratasevich is now detained in a Minsk detention center.

The Interior Ministry on Monday published a list of "extremist" Telegram channels including Nexta, which coordinated mass protests against the Lukashenko. Pratasevich is a co-founder of Nexta and a former editor.

Widespread protests erupted across Belarus for weeks in 2020, following an allegedly fraudulent election that gave Lukashenko a sixth term in power. More than 30,000 people were arrested in the protests.

Belarus has since increasingly restricted the freedom of journalists, including blocking several major news websites.

mvb (AP, AFP)