Country
Belarus
Government actions against journalists in Belarus
RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180. World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF); rank 1 is the freest.
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
Belarus is in Eastern Europe, Europe. The record holds 6 incidents in which the government of Belarus, or an official, court or legislature there, limited journalists' ability to report.
Tactics used
- Detention and violence: 3 incidents · ladder
- Access bans: 1 incident · ladder
- Official labels: 1 incident · ladder
- Insult and defamation laws: 1 incident · ladder
- Shutdowns and blocking: 1 incident · ladder
Heads of government at the time
Incidents by year
2023
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 February 2023 | Belarus: journalist Andrzej Poczobut sentenced to eight years | Detention and violence | Eliminate | Alexander Lukashenko | Reversed (28 April 2026) |
| 8 February 2023 | Belarus: journalist Andrzej Poczobut is sentenced to eight years for inciting hatred | Insult and defamation laws | Eliminate | Alexander Lukashenko | Reversed (28 April 2026) |
2022
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 March 2022 | Belarus: Deutsche Welle and other outlets labeled 'extremist' | Official labels | Pressure | Alexander Lukashenko | Sustained (9 March 2022) |
2021
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2021 | Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist' | Shutdowns and blocking | Silence | Alexander Lukashenko | Sustained |
2020
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 August 2020 | Belarus: accreditation withdrawn from 17 journalists working for foreign outlets | Access bans | Punish | Alexander Lukashenko | Sustained (29 August 2020) |
1997
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Belarus jails journalist Pavel Sheremet over his reporting for Russian television station ORT | Detention and violence | Punish | Alexander Lukashenko | Sustained |
Ladders: where each tactic has led · Timeline for Belarus · Europe