Incident
Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist'
Belarusian authorities blocked access to Tut.by, the country's most-read independent news site, searched its offices in three cities and arrested at least eleven staff, including its editor-in-chief, citing alleged media-law violations after the site had already lost its official media status.1234
What happened
On May 18, 2021, Belarusian authorities blocked online access to Tut.by, the country's most-visited independent news site, and searched its headquarters in Minsk and regional offices in Brest and Hrodna, arresting at least eleven employees, including editor-in-chief Marina Zolotova and publisher Volha Loyka, and opening criminal proceedings against the outlet's leadership. The information ministry said the site had committed "multiple media law violations, including the publication of banned information." Reporters Without Borders said the accusations were invented as a pretext to shut down one of the country's most popular outlets, which had already lost its official media status in January 2021 and whose staff separately faced tax-fraud charges RSF called fabricated. The outlet later continued reporting from exile under the name Zerkalo.12345
What reason was given
Stated justificationBelarus's information ministry said it was acting against "multiple media law violations, including the publication of banned information," and Deputy Information Minister Andrey Kuncevic said the government would continue "protecting the country's information space."1
What changed for reporting
Belarus's largest independent news site was blocked inside the country and its editorial leadership arrested, forcing its journalists to continue reporting from exile under a new name.24
Timeline
2021
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Lukashenko | other | President of Belarus |
| Belarusian Ministry of Information | enforced | Government information ministry |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Tut.by | outlet | affected |
Sources
- Belarus tries to silence the most popular independent news site
- Belarus authorities block access to more independent media added to extremist list
- Belarusian authorities raid 3 offices of Tut.by, detain journalists in tax case
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- Belarus's information ministry said the site had committed multiple media-law violations including publishing banned information.
multiple media law violations, including the publication of banned information.
Belarus tries to silence the most popular independent news site, Reporters Without Borders, 2021-05-19.Claim 410, checked 2026-09-22. - RSF said the accusations against Tut.by's leadership had been fabricated to shut down the outlet's reporting.
These accusations have been trumped up in order to silence one of the country's most popular media outlets
Belarus tries to silence the most popular independent news site, Reporters Without Borders, 2021-05-19.Claim 411, checked 2026-09-22. - A deputy information minister said the government intended to continue restricting access to media it deemed a threat to the country's information space.
intends to continue making decisions aimed at protecting the country's information space
Belarus authorities block access to more independent media added to extremist list, Global Voices, 2021-11-05.Claim 412, checked 2026-09-22. - CPJ's Europe representative said the blocking of another outlet marked a new low even for Belarus's record against independent media.
a new low, even considering Belarusian authorities' long campaign against the independent press
Belarus authorities block access to more independent media added to extremist list, Global Voices, 2021-11-05.Claim 413, checked 2026-09-22. - Belarusian financial investigators raided Tut.by's offices and detained staff on May 18, 2021, the day CPJ reported the raids and the site went offline.
Today, officers of the Belarus Financial Investigation Department raided Tut.by’s headquarters in Minsk, the capital, its regional offices in the western cities of Brest and Hrodna, and the homes of several of its journalists and detained at least three of them
Belarusian authorities raid 3 offices of Tut.by, detain journalists in tax case, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021-05-18.Claim 485, checked 2026-09-22.