Affiliated media: Telegram-channel "Vitebskie Vesti", Telegram-channel

Incident date: March 27, 2025

Attack type:

• Selective application of repressive laws

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Zhodino

Additional information:

The Zhodino City Court has recognised the Telegram channel of the samizdat bulletin Vitebskie Vesti as extremist informational material. On the basis of the court’s ruling, the Belarusian Ministry of Information added the online resource to the Republican List of Extremist Materials. The Vitebskie Vesti bulletin was established in 2021 and published news from independent media outlets. Until 2022, PDF versions of the bulletin were distributed via the Telegram channel. Under Belarusian law, the distribution and possession of materials deemed extremist entails administrative liability for both publishers and users.