Rzeczpospolita: Lukashenka-Style Censorship

One of the largest Polish daily newspapers wrote about the blocking of Charter97.org.

The most popular independent information portal is blocked in Belarus. Its editorial office edition has been locating in Warsaw for more than five years, Ruslan Shoshin writes for Polish Rzeczpospolita.

On January 24 one more independent information source lost its ground in Belarus. The blocked portal Charter97.org had a tremendous sway with Belarusians. Not only public but also other independent media fell behind its popularity.

The Ministry of Information of Belarus has issued a statement that the portal was blocked in accordance with Article 51 of the Media Law, which means that it "disseminates prohibited information". However, officials of Minsk failed to specify violations.

After events of December 2010 (the dispersal of peaceful protests), editor-in-chief of Charter'97, Natallia Radzina, was arrested and accused of "organization of mass riots". According to the Belarusian law, it implies up to 15 years of imprisonment. In 2012 the editorial office of Charter97.org moved to Warsaw.

-The authorities were frightened by our popularity and influence on society. The economic situation is deteriorating, and the Belarusian authorities do not want people to go to the streets, Natallia Radzina told Rzeczpospolita.

Of all the independent media existing in Belarus, Charter'97 is the most critical of Lukashenka. For many years the site has covered all protests that have been taking place in Belarus. Belsat TV is also engaged in this activity.

Only Radio Svaboda and independent newspapers such as Nasha Niva and Narodnaya Volya are legally active in Belarus. However, they cannot publish content that appears on pages of Charter97 or Belsat.

According to the Belarusian legislation, the mass media can't publish information about unregistered organizations. The majority of opposition structures have similar status in Belarus.

- Independent media, operating in Belarus, will draw in their horns, Belarusian political scientist Aliaksandr Klaskouski said.

We remind that on January 24, Lukashenka's regime blocked the independent information resource Charter97.org. The blocking was confirmed by the first deputy minister of information Ihar Lutski.

The detailed step-by-step instruction on how to bypass the blocking of the Charter97.org site is here.