Authorities in Belarus have blocked more than 50 news media websites reporting on how the country has been shaken by two weeks of protests demanding that President Alexander Lukashenko resign after 26 years in power.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists reported the shutdowns Saturday, which included sites for the U.S.-funded Radio Liberty and Belsat, a Polish-funded satellite TV channel focusing on neighboring Belarus.
The move is unlikely to stop Belarusians from staying apprised of events via the medium that has emerged as the most important electronic platform of the protests: the instant messaging service Telegram. But the crackdown is another sign of the government’s trying to take command of the narrative of recent events.
To continue reading this Associated Press report, go to:
https://apnews.com/7d92cfccbc7cbed1aaab40fd6f0b6e0b
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/22/world/europe/belarus-block-news-outlets.html