Websites will be subject to further restrictions under the country’s new media law, passed by President Lukashenko on 5 August. The law stipulates that online content will now be subject to the same restrictions as the print press. The law also places greater power in the hands of the state authorities, who will be able to suspend or close indefinitely media outlets that publish material that does ‘not correspond to reality’, publish inaccurate or defamatory material or threaten the interests of the state or the public. It also gives state authorities the ability to interpret these terms as they deem fit. In addition, it requires all journalists, whether Belarusian or foreign, to acquire accreditation from more than one state agency.
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