Belarus clamps down on internet freedoms
Belarusian internet access is going to be restricted
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Belarusian authorities have ordered that all internet use be monitored from 1 July, in a move critics are describing as a further blow to the freedom of speech and information.
The government in Minsk is creating an analysis centre, which will be directly answerable to President Lukashenko. The centre will attempt to cut off any web content it deems harmful from reaching the people of Belarus.
According to Charter97.org “The Centre is also to control the country’s Internet service providers.”
The independent web site also claimed that the law is primarily aimed at cracking down on political opposition to Lukashenko’s regime.
Reporters Without Borders claim the analysis centre shows that Belarus has fallen “to the level of North Korea and China … as an enemy of the internet.”
Belarus has seen the closure of newspapers and television and radio stations since Lukashenko came to power. The latest restrictions will not silence international critics who already refer to Belarus as “Europe’s last dictatorship”.
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