Belarus: Tsikhanouskaya condemns ban on Euronews website
Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Belarus has officially banned the website of Euronews, classifying it as extremist.
- The move has drawn strong condemnation from exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
- Tsikhanouskaya denounced the ban as an "attack on press freedom" and a tool of state oppression.
Belarusian authorities have officially banned the website of the international news channel Euronews, labeling its content as extremist. The decision has sparked immediate criticism from prominent opposition figures operating outside the country.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled leader of the Belarusian opposition, strongly condemned the ban. Writing on the platform X, she described the government's action as a "direct attack on press freedom." Tsikhanouskaya further stated that the ban "targets users with repression," effectively making individuals who access the site vulnerable to state action.
The classification of Euronews as extremist by the authoritarian Belarusian government represents a further crackdown on independent media and dissenting voices within the country. This move aligns with a broader pattern of restricting access to information and suppressing critical reporting that challenges the official narrative.
Access to independent news sources has become increasingly limited in Belarus, particularly following the disputed 2020 presidential election. The government has systematically targeted media outlets, journalists, and civil society organizations deemed critical of its rule. The prohibition of Euronews's website is the latest in a series of measures aimed at controlling the information landscape and isolating the population from external news and perspectives.
This is an attack on press freedom and makes users targets of repression.
Originally published by Der Standard in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.