Ministry of Information blocks access to Deutsche Welle website in Belarus

On 28 October 2021, Deutsche Welle, Novy Chas, and Current Time media outlets were blocked in Belarus. The Ministry of information said that the websites had been blocked for spreading materials containing links considered “extremist”.

German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Andrea Sasse told Interfax-Zapad that the German Foreign Ministry had asked the Belarusian authorities for an explanation and demanded that access to the DW website be restored.

Director general of Deutsche Welle Peter Limbourg called the blocking of the DW website and other media in Belarus an act of desperation, and the Belarusian authorities’ claims – laughable. “The accusations against DW are absolutely ridiculous. Mr. Lukashenko has shown that he will stop at nothing to maintain his hold on power in his struggle against his own people. The heavy use of independent news outlets clearly shows that people in Belarus no longer trust the government-controlled media. We protest against the suspension of our offering because the people there have a right to objective information on the situation in their country,” he said.