Vestniki samizdat participants, creators recognized as “extremist group”

December 9, BPN. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has recognized as “extremist” the Vestniki group of citizens associated with publishing samizdat.

The ministry targeted Vestniki pages on Telegram, Instagram and Twitter, as well as underground print media Belorusskiy Vestnik, Protestnaya Belarus, Protestnyy Gomel, Slovo Belarusov and 7Chizhey.

A printed version of Vestniki was distributed in different regions of the country by local activists. The underground publication’s social media have a small number of subscribers (for example, its Telegram channel has just over 300).

On November 9, a former Vestniki editor, who now works for the state media, was arrested in Mahiloŭ. Previously, another editor of the publication Andrej Famin, 28, was arrested.

The list of “extremist” groups has 107 entries, 12 independent media among them.