KGB brands another local news site as extremist group

November 9, Pozirk. On October 24, the Committee for State Security (KGB) blacklisted ex-press.live, a local media outlet from Barysaŭ, Minsk region, and its social media pages, as an extremist group.

The Russian-born editor in chief, Mila Polyk, as well as Russian nationals Anastasiya Bobrovskaya and Oleg Matskevich as well as Belarusian nationals Pavieł Slapuchin and Alena Kulbiakina are listed as alleged members of the group.

Ex-press.live also known as ex-press.by was set up by journalists from the independent newspaper Kurier iz Borisova outlawed in 2005.

Authorities blocked access to the website for Belarus-based readers in August 2021. Its content was blacklisted as extremist twice: in October 2021 and in February 2023. In April, authorities barred the website from the .by domain.

The team left Belarus and continues working abroad, according to Pozirk‘s sources.

Authorities also attached an extremist label to the Gomel za Nikitu Zolotareva Telegram chat alleging that it is linked to Michaił Łapunoŭ, jailed since early August for sharing opposition content. His son Mikita Załataroŭ is currently serving four and a half years in prison on charges widely seen as politically motivated.

The KGB list of extremist groups currently has 157 entries, including 20 media outlets, such as BelaPAN, Belsat TV, Radyjo Svaboda, Naša Niva, zerkalo.io, Bobruisk Online, Flagshtok, kyky.org, Chestnaya Gazeta, Euroradio, Charter’97, Hrodna.life, Vestniki, Malanka Media, Brestskaya Gazeta, MOST, homeldays.org, the Insider Telegram channel, the Ranak TV station and ex-press.live.