Leading news website blocked in Belarus

The Belarusian information ministry announced today that the leading news website Belaruski Partyzan is being blocked. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns this blatant act of censorship and calls on the authorities to rescind the decision.

The information ministry said Belaruski Partyzan was guilty of "systematic violations of media legislation" but did not specify any content.

Founded in 2005 by Pavel Sheremet, a well-known independent journalist who was murdered in Kiev in 2016, Belaruski Partyzan publishes news reports, analyses and opinion pieces.

Belarus is ranked 153rd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index. The information ministry has become stricter in its control of the media since President Lukashenko appointed Ales Karlyukevich as its minister at the end of September.