Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has sharply condemned Minsk's decision to label Euronews as “extremist” media, warning that the move effectively turns ordinary viewers into targets of state repression. The designation, announced this week by Belarus's information ministry, places the Euronews website on the country's official list of extremist materials, a ruling that takes immediate effect under Belarusian civil procedure rules.
In a post on X, Tsikhanouskaya wrote that Aliaksandr Lukashenka's regime had branded Euronews, a leading European news platform, as “extremist” for bringing the truth to millions of Belarusians. “This attacks media freedom and turns viewers into targets of repression,” she said, urging the broadcaster to “stay strong” and stressing that “your work matters.”
The restriction means that access to the Euronews website will now be blocked within Belarus, and individuals could face administrative penalties simply for storing or sharing its content. The broadcaster has warned that the ruling risks criminalising its audience and cutting Belarusians off from factual, independent journalism.
A pattern of media suppression
This latest measure follows Minsk's removal of Euronews from television broadcasts back in 2021, and it mirrors steps taken by Russia, which blocked both the broadcast and digital services of the channel shortly after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The move is part of a broader crackdown on independent media in Belarus, which has intensified since the disputed 2020 presidential election and the subsequent mass protests.
Claus Strunz, Euronews' editorial director, said the outlet had not been formally notified of the decision and was awaiting the authorities' justification. “A state that brands Euronews as 'extremist' and blocks access to independent, impartial journalism reveals its own fear of free reporting,” he said.
Strunz reaffirmed the broadcaster's commitment to its audience in Belarus: “We have not been informed of this decision and await the authorities' justification. Our commitment remains unchanged: we stand with our audiences in Belarus and will continue to provide factual, independent journalism guided by our core editorial values.”
The Belarusian authorities have yet to publicly explain the reasoning behind the ruling, which also affects several other digital media outlets. The lack of transparency has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates, who see the move as an attempt to isolate Belarusians from European perspectives.
Tsikhanouskaya, who has been living in exile since 2020, has repeatedly called on the international community to hold Lukashenka's regime accountable for its human rights abuses. Her condemnation of the Euronews ban is likely to resonate with European institutions, which have already imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials over the crackdown on dissent.
The designation also raises practical concerns for Belarusians who rely on Euronews for balanced reporting on European affairs. With state media tightly controlled, independent outlets like Euronews have become a vital source of information for many in the country.
As the situation develops, European Pulse will continue to monitor the impact of this ruling on press freedom in Belarus and the wider region. For more on related developments, see our coverage of Belarus's ban on Euronews and Lithuania's tightening of restrictions on pro-Kremlin individuals.
