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European TV channel Euronews banned in Belarus

2021-04-12T22:40:47.421Z


Belarusian authorities have banned the broadcasting in the country of the European television channel Euronews, a censorship measure according to voices critical of the disputed regime of Alexander Lukashenko. "The Ministry of Information has excluded the foreign television program Euronews," the Belarusian ministry said in a statement on Monday April 12, specifying that the channel, headquartered


Belarusian authorities have banned the broadcasting in the country of the European television channel Euronews, a censorship measure according to voices critical of the disputed regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

"The Ministry of Information has excluded the foreign television program Euronews,"

the Belarusian ministry said in a statement on Monday April 12, specifying that the channel, headquartered in France, would be replaced by programming on the Second World War produced by Russia.

Read also: The keys to understanding Belarus, four months of deadlock

The channel's broadcasting license was not renewed due to advertisements broadcast in English, instead of being translated into Russian or Belarusian, a ministry spokesperson told Ria Novosti.

“We deeply regret the decision to suspend the broadcasting of Euronews in Belarus as of today.

We have not been notified of this decision, nor of its motivations, and we learned the news this morning through the press, ”

a Euronews spokesperson told AFP.

The channel said it was

"proud to be recognized around the world as an independent medium that processes information in a scrupulously factual and impartial manner in the Russian language as on all its linguistic editions"

.

“Euronews, committed to press freedom, will do everything in its power to ensure that its audiences in Belarus can once again have access to television, the impartial and quality journalism that characterizes it.

In the meantime, these audiences will be able to continue to follow us on our digital platforms

,

added his spokesperson.

Fortunately, internet penetration is very high in the country, but this is clearly an attempt to limit access to information.

"

Hanna Liubakova, Belarusian freelance journalist and analyst

This ban adds to

"the desperate situation in which the independent media find themselves in Belarus,"

denounces Ales Bialiatski, head of the Belarusian NGO Viasna.

According to him, this channel allowed viewers to

"be aware of European events"

.

This channel is now

"replaced by a propaganda channel (...) Belarus is falling into information isolation and that is what the regime wants

,

"

says Ales Bialiatski.

"Fortunately, Internet penetration is very high in the country, but this is clearly an attempt to limit access to information,"

freelance journalist and Belarusian analyst Hanna said on Twitter. Liubakova.

Read also: Belarus: Lukashenko simulates a democratic opening

A major protest movement against President Alexander Lukashenko rocked Belarus in 2020, but has since been curbed by the constant repression orchestrated by the authorities.

The opposition contests the re-election of Lukashenko, in power since 1994, in the presidential election last August, deemed fraudulent.

The movement rallied tens of thousands of people in the streets of Minsk and other cities for weeks before gradually running out of steam with massive arrests, violence that left at least four dead and heavy prison terms. that continue to fall.

A campaign to suppress independent media also followed, with the arrest of numerous journalists, some of whom received prison terms.

Source: lefigaro

All life articles on 2021-04-12

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