# Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist'

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 3 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

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.[1][2][3][4]

- Country: [Belarus](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/by) (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)
- Where: BY
- Level of government: National
- Tactics: Shutdowns and blocking, Detention and violence
- Stage: Silence (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/shutdowns_and_blocking#stage-silence)
- Head of government at the time: [Alexander Lukashenko](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/alexander-lukashenko)
- Issue of the day: Tut.by had continued reporting on the government's response to protests following the disputed August 2020 presidential election that kept Alexander Lukashenko in power; authorities revoked the outlet's official media registration in January 2021.
- Outcome: Sustained. Tut.by remained blocked and its former staff continued reporting from exile as Zerkalo; the criminal proceedings against staff continued.
- Era: The 2020s

## 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.[1][2][3][4][5]

## What reason was given

Belarus'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.[2][4]

## Timeline

- 2021-05-18: Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist'

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Alexander Lukashenko](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/alexander-lukashenko) | other | President of Belarus |
| [Belarusian Ministry of Information](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/belarusian-ministry-of-information) | enforced | Government information ministry |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Tut.by](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/tut-by) | outlet | affected |

## Sources

1. Belarus tries to silence the most popular independent news site. https://rsf.org/en/belarus-tries-silence-most-popular-independent-news-site (Reporters Without Borders, 2021-05-19).
2. Belarus authorities block access to more independent media added to extremist list. https://globalvoices.org/2021/11/05/belarus-authorities-block-access-to-more-independent-media-added-to-extremist-list/ (Global Voices, 2021-11-05).
3. Belarusian authorities raid 3 offices of Tut.by, detain journalists in tax case. https://cpj.org/2021/05/belarusian-authorities-raid-3-offices-of-tut-by-detain-journalists-in-tax-case/ (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021-05-18).

## Claims cited

[1] Belarus's information ministry said the site had committed multiple media-law violations including publishing banned information. Quote: "multiple media law violations, including the publication of banned information." Source: Reporters Without Borders, 2021-05-19. Belarus tries to silence the most popular independent news site. https://rsf.org/en/belarus-tries-silence-most-popular-independent-news-site Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/410, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] RSF said the accusations against Tut.by's leadership had been fabricated to shut down the outlet's reporting. Quote: "These accusations have been trumped up in order to silence one of the country's most popular media outlets" Source: Reporters Without Borders, 2021-05-19. Belarus tries to silence the most popular independent news site. https://rsf.org/en/belarus-tries-silence-most-popular-independent-news-site Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/411, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] A deputy information minister said the government intended to continue restricting access to media it deemed a threat to the country's information space. Quote: "intends to continue making decisions aimed at protecting the country's information space" Source: Global Voices, 2021-11-05. Belarus authorities block access to more independent media added to extremist list. https://globalvoices.org/2021/11/05/belarus-authorities-block-access-to-more-independent-media-added-to-extremist-list/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/412, checked 2026-09-22.

[4] CPJ's Europe representative said the blocking of another outlet marked a new low even for Belarus's record against independent media. Quote: "a new low, even considering Belarusian authorities' long campaign against the independent press" Source: Global Voices, 2021-11-05. Belarus authorities block access to more independent media added to extremist list. https://globalvoices.org/2021/11/05/belarus-authorities-block-access-to-more-independent-media-added-to-extremist-list/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/413, checked 2026-09-22.

[5] 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. Quote: "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" Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021-05-18. Belarusian authorities raid 3 offices of Tut.by, detain journalists in tax case. https://cpj.org/2021/05/belarusian-authorities-raid-3-offices-of-tut-by-detain-journalists-in-tax-case/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/485, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-belarus-blocks-tutby-arrests-staff. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.