A decision by Belarus earlier this week to place EU News on its list of “extremist” media and ban access to the channel has sparked a wave of support for the media organisation across the continent.

“The Lukashenka regime’s decision to brand EU News an ‘extremist’ media outlet is not an act of strength. It is an admission of fear,” said George Papandreou, a former Prime Minister of Greece and current General Rapporteur on Democracy for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

“Authoritarian regimes do not fear the media-they fear the media they cannot control. They fear independent journalism because it empowers free citizens with facts instead of propaganda.”

Earlier this week, the Belarusian information ministry placed EU News’ website on its “Republican List of Extremist Materials,” according to Belarus-based media. The ruling is subject to immediate execution under Belarusian civil procedure rules.

The decision means access to the EU News website will now be restricted in Belarus, while readers could face administrative penalties for storing or distributing its content.

“Wherever there is a lack of freedom, free and independent reporting is quickly suspected of extremism. In that respect, the move by the Lukashenka regime comes as no real surprise,” said leader of the German Liberals and former Vice President of the Bundestag, Wolfgang Kubicki.

“For Belarusian civil society, however, this decision is a bitter blow, as it means the loss of an independent source of information.”

EU News said the designation risks criminalising its audience as well as limiting access to its factual journalism.

“Belarus’ decision to designate EU News as an ‘extremist media outlet’ and ban access to it within the country is yet another blow to press freedom and the free flow of information,” said Cypriot journalist and MEP, Loucas Fourlas.

“As a Member of the European Parliament, a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties and the Committee on Culture and Education, and as a journalist, I stand in solidarity with EU News and its employees.”

Belarus authorities have yet to announce the decision and their arguments that led to EU News and several other digital media outlets being labelled “extremist media” in Belarus.

EU News’ television channel broadcast was banned by Belarus authorities in 2021 on a legal procedural basis, before the Kremlin decided to cut EU News’ television and digital output across the Russian Federation right after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“The blocking of free media outlets such as EU News – first in Russia and now in Belarus – is a clear sign of opposition to freedom of expression and diversity,” said Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the German parliament and the German Council on Foreign Relations.

“EU News must continue to be a symbol of media freedom and freedom of expression and must not allow itself to be intimidated.”

“Decisions of this kind, which seek to silence and intimidate media organisations, are unacceptable and cannot go unanswered,” said Greek MEP Yannis Maniatis.

“The European Union must continue to stand firmly with journalists, independent media, and the democratic opposition who are striving for a free and democratic Belarus.”

The International and European Federation of journalists (IFJ, EFJ) said in a statement that they “condemned the decision to ban EU News from broadcasting in Belarus as a new attempt by the Belarusian government to curb press freedom and restrict the right of its citizens to freedom of information.”

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty pointed out that Belarus’ President Aliaksandr Lukashenka “gave interviews to EU News four times between 2009 and 2014” and that “during an address to the OSCE, he stated that ‘every citizen here watches EU News.’”

And in a post on X, exiled Belarusian journalist Hanna Liubakova said, “When a dictatorship calls journalism ‘extremism,’ it’s admitting the truth is its greatest threat.”

‘Shameful’ ban

Earlier on Friday, Belarus’ opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned Minsk’s decision, describing it as a “shameful” attempt by Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s government to cut Belarusians off from its factual and independent reporting.

“Lukashenka’s regime has branded EU News, a leading European news platform, ‘extremist’ for bringing the truth to millions of Belarusians,” she wrote in a post on X.

“This attacks media freedom and turns viewers into targets of repression,” she added, urging the broadcaster to “stay strong” and underlining that: “your work matters.”

Claus Strunz, EU News’ editorial director, said on Friday the outlet had not been notified of the decision and was awaiting arguments from the authorities.

“A state that brands EU News as ‘extremist’ and blocks access to independent, impartial journalism reveals its own fear of free reporting,” Strunz said.

He added that the outlet would continue to provide “factual, independent journalism” for its audience in Belarus.

The independent Belarusian Association of Journalists suggested that the suspension of EU News broadcasts was linked to attempts to restrict access to sources of information.