A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood
in an open market is afraid of its people. – John F. Kennedy
Europe & Eurasia
Belarus
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| IREX Score: 1.20 | [IREX Methodology] |
| {Higher is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to 4.00} |
IREX Description:
The political situation in Belarus, and its relations with the outside world, saw substantial deterioration. The year ended with violent crackdowns against the opposition, civil society, and media because of their protests against the December elections that saw Alexander Lukashenka declared the winner under dubious conditions.
The year 2010 is not shaping up to be a good one, the panel agreed. Repressions continue as this report was written. Political opposition, civil society, and independent media feel intimidated. Belarus's independent journalism will survive, yet many might suffer.
| Freedom House Score: 93 (Not Free) | [Freedom House Methodology] |
| {Lower is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to 100} |
| Freedom on the Net Score: 69 (Not Free) | [Freedom House Methodology] |
| {Lower is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to 100} |
While the Belarusian government has promoted the use of the internet for economic purposes, the impact of the new medium in the political sphere remains limited. The authorities impose severe restrictions on all news outlets, and the security services have increasingly attempted to introduce various internet surveillance technologies. A presidential decree signed in February 2010 and subsequent regulations provide a legal basis for extensive censorship and monitoring of the internet. The government’s desire to suppress the free flow of information became even more evident during, and immediately following, the December 2010 presidential election. The authorities blocked international connections to the SMPT port 465 and HTTPS port 443, preventing users from securely posting content on social media sites like Facebook, and sending secure messages through Gmail. In addition, the government created fake mirror websites to divert users from accessing independent news sources, and launched distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against the opposition sites.
Read more on Freedom House's site...
| RSF Score: 57.00 | [RSF Methodology] |
| {Lower is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to ~120} |
Reporters Without Borders Description:
The authorities adopted a new media law in August 2008 that came into force at the start of 2009. It lays down that all media must re-register during the year and provide details of their activities. Harsher sanctions were put in place to punish any breach and the information ministry and prosecutors now have the power to suspend any media that publishes “inappropriate” news. One new measure prevents the media from receiving any financial aid from international bodies.
Contributors to foreign and especially Polish media continue to suffer official harassment. Searches and refused accreditation are commonplace problems for journalists on Radio Racyja, European Radio for Belarus and Belsat television. This hounding of the media is one of the cornerstones of the drive to curb press freedom. Combined with its monopoly on the printing and distribution network, the authorities can prevent a publication from appearing. Some of those censored in this way are printed abroad, including in Poland, but if copies are seized they are routinely destroyed. This happened to an edition of the historical magazine Arch.
| Committee to Protect Journalists Description: | [What is the Committee to Protect Journalists?] |
Visit CPJ’s Site for Recent Developments in this Country
| IFEX News: | [What is IFEX?] |
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