Belarus labels German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle ‘extremist,’ bans activities in the country
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian authorities on Monday declared that the Belarusian service of the German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle is an “extremist” organization and banned all its activities in the country.
The declaration means anyone working with Deutsche Welle producing content for the Belarusian service potentially faces a seven-year prison sentence. Anyone who reads and reposts articles by Deutsche Welle could be found guilty of an administrative or criminal offense.
Peter Limbourg, Deutsche Welle’s director general, criticized the decision, saying the accusations are “unfounded” and do not reflect the true nature of the Belarusian service’s work.
Belarusian authorities have already named 199 organizations as “extremist” and they use the label to suppress dissent in the country. The list includes the Belarusian Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the independent Belarusian TV channel Belsat, broadcasting in the Belarusian language from the Polish capital Warsaw.
Related articles
Target to lower prices on basic goods in response to inflation
Target plans to cut prices on thousands of consumer basics this summer, from diapers to milk, as inf2024-05-21China hopes US can view China's development in positive light: Xi
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Great Hall of2024-05-21ADB operations reach $23.6B in 2023
The Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s financial and operational expenses reached 23.6 billion U.S.2024-05-21Barcelona's De Jong out for season, ready for Euros
FC Barcelona will be without midfielder Frenkie de Jong for the rest of the season after the Dutch m2024-05-21Bella Hadid goes braless in a thigh
She is one of America's most recognisable fashion models.And Bella Hadid continued to show why she i2024-05-21Xi, Tokayev send congratulations on launch of Kazakhstan tourism year in China
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on Friday sent congr2024-05-21
atest comment