Government forces business monthly Belorusy i Rynok to cease publication

December 12, BPN. The Belorusy i Rynok newspaper has ceased its publication “in line with the information minister’s order,” the periodical said on its website on December 12.

“Last week the editors received a letter from the Ministry of Information. It refers to the annulment of the Belorusy i Rynok newspaper’s state registration certificate… The document was signed on December 1 by Information Minister Uładzimir Piercaŭ,” it said.

On May 18, 2022 the Committee for State Security (KGB) arrested Belorusy i Rynok director Kanstancin Załatych, editor-in-chief Andrej Aleksandrovič and accountant Julija Kachno.

Aleksandrovič and Kachno were freed later that day. Załatych is held in pre-trial detention. He has been charged with “inciting hatred” and recognized as a political prisoner by human rights groups.

On July 23, the Ministry of Information blocked access to the newspaper’s website because of alleged links to content labeled by authorities extremist.

On December 6, Belorusy i Rynok managers said they suspended its publication until at least the second half of 2023.

Belorusy i Rynok was founded in December 1990 as the Belorusskiy Rynok weekly. It was renamed in September 2005, after Alaksandr Łukašenka had prohibited private entities from using the words “national” and “Belarusian” (Belorusskiy). It was published once a month in the last two years.