Telegram accounts, website blacklisted as extremist

June 16, BPN. The groups of citizens associated with Telegram accounts Orša 97 Percent and Navapołack i Połack 97, as well as with the Belarusian Democratic Forces Forum website, have been branded “extremist formations”.

The decision to that effect was taken by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on June 16, and the website was blacklisted by the Committee for the State Security (KGB) on June 9.

On June 13, media quoted senior police official Hienadź Kazakievič as saying that the interior ministry and the KGB decided to label over 60 citizen groups as “extremist formations.”

According to the ministry, over 100 Belarusians were prosecuted for creating and participating in extremist groups, including on charges of committing sabotage on the railroads.

Human rights activists say the extremist formations list now has over 70 entries, BelaPAN and other media organizations among them.

The first Belarusian Democratic Forces Forum took place in Warsaw on May 16-17 on the initiative of former presidential candidate Valeryj Capkała, former presidential administration official Anatol Kotaŭ, political analyst Dźmitryj Bałkuniec and other experts and activists.