German government says Belarus’ media freedom continues to decline

January 29, BPN. Media freedom has continued to decline in Belarus since Russia invaded Ukraine, the German government says.

Answering a query from the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the government said: “State reprisals against independent media are intensifying. They are aimed at destroying the independent media landscape with searches, seizures and arrests, among other things. The most recent examples of the crackdown’s brutality are the sentences of four to 14 years in prison for independent news agency BelaPAN’s staff in October 2022.” (Quotes rendered from Russian).

It added that over 100 independent national and international media websites have been blocked in Belarus, and distribution of independent media content may attract criminal liability. Authorities intimidate independent media and publishers under far-fetched pretexts such as charging them with tax violations.

“Belarus is among the countries with the largest number of arrested journalists (32 at present),” the German government said. It told AfD that it implements measures aimed at preserving citizens’ access to independent and objective information, as well as at protecting and supporting independent media.

“In 2022, Reporters without Borders called Belarus a country with a very serious media freedom situation. In 2021 the situation was assessed as serious. Given this negative trend, it is of great importance for the federal government to support press freedom in Belarus, as well as journalists who are arrested and endangered,” the response reads.

The cabinet also noted that the German ambassador in Minsk demanded from the Belarusian foreign ministry that Deutsche Welle’s website, deemed “extremist” by a Minsk court on March 9, be unblocked. It is unclear how the foreign ministry reacted.

According to the German government, only five countries have curbed Deutsche Welle’s activity on their territory. Apart from Belarus, these are China, Iran, Russia and Turkey.