Belarusian Internet service providers start blocking independent news sites


Internet service providers IP Telcom, Delovaya Set, adsl.by, Garant and Life have restricted access to the website Charter’97, the news website reported Friday. Belaruspartisan.org claims being blocked by ‘a number of providers’. The media never received any official warnings on potential restrictions.

The website of HRC ‘Viasna’ is not accessible either, Internet users say.

Visiting the sites mentioned above one sees message ‘Access to the resource is blocked in accordance with the decree of the Operative and Analytical Centre of the Republic of Belarus No 6/8 as of February 19, 2015.’

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When reached by belsat.eu the help desk of ADSL company said that they have nothing to do with the blockage of the websites and recommended asking the Belarusian Information Ministry to explaing the situation. In their turn, Delovaya Set states that it is the Ministry of Communications that is responsible for all restrictions of access.

But the Ministry of Communications refused to take responsibility for blocking mentioned web pages.

“The Ministry of Communications  is not the body that takes decisions on block websites. We are responsible for technical support. According to amendments to the Law on Information websites are also considered as mass media now, and therefore, you should the Ministry of Information,” Natallia Alyashkevich, Deputy Communications Minister, told Belsat.eu.

As it was reported on Thursday, amendments to the decree ‘On Measures to Improve the Use of the National Segment of the Internet’ were drafted. In accordance with them, owners of websites will take responsibility for the content of comments that are left by users on their sites.

www.belsat.eu/en/

 

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