Head of government
Alexander Lukashenko
As head of government
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, was head of government when 6 recorded incidents took place. The official who acted in each may be someone else; each incident names them.
Tactics used
- Detention and violence: 3
- Access bans: 1
- Official labels: 1
- Insult and defamation laws: 1
- Shutdowns and blocking: 1
Incidents
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Belarus jails journalist Pavel Sheremet over his reporting for Russian television station ORT | Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180) | Detention and violence | Sustained |
| 29 August 2020 | Belarus: accreditation withdrawn from 17 journalists working for foreign outlets | Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180) | Access bans | Sustained (29 August 2020) |
| 18 May 2021 | Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist' | Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180) | Shutdowns and blocking | Sustained |
| 9 March 2022 | Belarus: Deutsche Welle and other outlets labeled 'extremist' | Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180) | Official labels | Sustained (9 March 2022) |
| 8 February 2023 | Belarus: journalist Andrzej Poczobut is sentenced to eight years for inciting hatred | Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180) | Insult and defamation laws | Reversed (28 April 2026) |
| 8 February 2023 | Belarus: journalist Andrzej Poczobut sentenced to eight years | Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180) | Detention and violence | Reversed (28 April 2026) |