Nexta: Propagandists' Voices Drown Amid Free Information From Internet

Those who have failed more than one "modernization" in the country will deal with censorship now.

In connection with the adoption of the scandalous amendments to the law on the media by the "parliament", Belarusian blogger Stsiapan Sviatlou, known as Nexta, made a video that he called "probably the last one."

Nexta says that changes in the law adopted in the first reading will increase pressure on independent media and Bynet, also by banning of anonymous comments and by providing an opportunity to block any resource "in one click."

The blogger notes that "the modest voice of the state media is definitely drowning amid free information from the Internet" - that's why the state wants to regulate this information more strictly.

He recalls that the circulation of Sovetskaya Byelorussia is "only 400 thousand copies," while in his "modest blog" some issues gained millions of views.

"In this whole situation, only one thing pleases: in Belarus, censorship of the Internet will be done by the same people who once were engaged in the modernization of woodworking factories and cement plants, driving them into multibillion-dollar losses, and then put into effect the decree on parasites, collected Bn 360 from 50 thousand people, and then returned them the money, "- argues Nexta.

On April 19, the so-called Belarusian "house of representatives" adopted scandalous amendments to the Law on Mass Media, which totally destroy the freedom of speech in Belarus. The amendments suggest the registration of Internet resources as media (they will be called "online publications"). Employees of unregistered Internet resources will not be classified as journalists, will have no right for the obtaining and protection of the source of information, and will be regarded as demonstrants during mass actions.

Also, the compulsory identification of those who post materials on Internet resources (not only on online publications), including commentators on forums, come into use. That is, editors of informational resources working in Belarus will be forced to give away the data of their journalists and readers, commenting the articles, to the special services. Also, there is a possibility of blocking social networks and limiting access to a resource on an out-of-court basis.

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