Interfax-West

History

2022: Shutdown in Belarus

On January 1, 2022, Interfax-West, the sole founder and owner of which is the Russian JSC Interfax"," stopped working Belarus in due to a new law MEDIA, on the republic adopted in May 2021. The agency has been working in the Belarusian media market since 1994.

We tried honestly and interestingly to present to our readers all the news happening in the country and beyond, shared analytical thoughts and expert opinions with you. Tens of thousands of news, hundreds of interviews, high speed and impartiality in all the topics that have been covered over the years - this will remember Interfax-West readers. Since January 1, we have to say goodbye so as not to violate the legal field of the Republic of Belarus, Interfax-West said in a statement.

Interfax stopped working in Belarus

According to the legislation of Belarus updated in 2021, a foreign legal entity, as well as a foreign citizen and a stateless person, cannot act as the founder of the media.

On May 24, 2021, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed amendments to the law on the media of Belarus. They expanded the list of information, the dissemination of which is prohibited in the media and on Internet resources. According to BelTA, in particular, there is a ban on posting the results of opinion polls related to the socio-political situation, conducted without obtaining the necessary accreditation. It is also not allowed to place hyperlinks on messages and materials containing information, the distribution of which is prohibited. In addition, the authorities competent to restrict access to Internet resources or stop the release of media are determined, and the possibility of depriving journalists of accreditation for certain violations is introduced.^[1]

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