‘Draconian’ Amendements To Law On Mass Media Come In Force In Belarus

Lukashenka fears being laughed at by the entire Internet.

Since December 1, it is possible to post comments on Belarusian sites only after identification. The authorities propose doing this with the help of a telephone number. In this case, the database, which site owners must store on servers physically located in Belarus, includes passport data of all who have been identified this way.

Important to note, on April 19 the so-called House of Representatives adopted the scandalous amendments to the Law on Mass Media, which finally destroy the freedom of speech in Belarus.

The amendments suggest obligatory registration of the news Internet resources. Owners and reporters of unregistered Internet resources will not be classified as journalists, have no right to obtaining and protection of a sourse of information and, when appear at mass demonstrations, will be equaled to protesters.

Also, the compulsory identification of those who post materials on Internet resources (not only on online publications), including commentators on forums, come into use. Editors of internet media working in Belarus will be forced to provide the data of their journalists and readers commenting articles, to the special services. There is a possibility of blocking social networks and restriction of access to internet-resources out of court.

Experts call these amendments "a crack-down on independent journalism" and "a new turn of the screw."

Editor-in-Chief of Charter97.org Natallia Radzina commented on the “draconian” amendments to the law on the media:

Why is Lukashenka so afraid of independent media? Because 80% of the population hates him. His propaganda resources on the Internet and social networks are ten times less popular than independent media. Lukashenka knows all the Internet laughs at him and his officials.

The locomotive of Lukashenka is rushing to the abyss. They do not care that the "Russian world" can swallow not only Belarus, but the entire brainless "top". They do not even care about the High-Tech Park and the Council for Development of the Digital Economy, because it goes down in flames as soon as the free Internet is ruined.

It will be recalled that on September 3 editor-in-chief of Charter-97 Natallia Radzina announced the threat to informational resource cause by drastic reduction in financing and called readers for solidarity. Ways to support the website:

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