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. |
How Will China Consolidate Poverty Alleviation Feats?Marriages Fall in 2021 Leading to Lower Birth Rates in China, Despite Declining Divorce RateFarmers Busy with Spring Farming Across ChinaChina Calls for More Efforts to Protect Revolutionary Cultural RelicsChina to Offer 1 Mln Internship Posts for Job SeekersChinese University to Compile Textbooks for Intangible Cultural Heritage StudiesXinhua Headlines: From Serfdom to Freedom — Tibet's Progress on Democracy, Human RightsPeople Pay Tribute to Deceased on TombChina Issues Guideline on Commending Martyrs, Supporting Martyrs' FamiliesEthnic People Dance to Celebrate Festival in SW China