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Top Belarusian media website removes social media posts to protect employees · Global Voices

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2021-06-29 17:30:04

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Tut.by, a popular independent news website in Belarus, has reportedly removed all of its social media posts for the past 18 months to protect its staff and readers from the ongoing state crackdown on independent media.

The Tut.by editors removed virtually all of the content published on most of their social media channels in 2020 and the first half of 2021, at the height of the post-election protests. They said the archives were still in their possession and were simply “hidden” from “public view”.

Tut.by is currently under investigation after a mid-June request by the Interior Ministry officials to recognize the news portal and its social media accounts as “extremist.” The initial hearing at a Minsk court, scheduled for June 24, has been postponed to a later date.

The newsroom also removed the log-in verification option from its Telegram channel so as to be able to rename the channel on short notice in case the news outlet or its Telegram channel is officially labeled as “extremist” by Belarusian courts. “We wouldn't be able to do this immediately after the court verdict, so we decided to prepare in advance”, said the editors in a Telegram post.