24 June 2007
Global watchdog includes Belarus in 10-country list of "worst press freedom abusers"
Freedom House has included Belarus in the 10-country list of "the worst press freedom abusers."
In its survey looking at the situation in 195 countries, the US-based global human rights watchdog has blasted the Belarusian government's move to pass a bill criminalizing efforts to "discredit Belarus in the eyes of international organizations and foreign governments" and introducing a two-year prison sentence as punishment for the offense. "The same prison terms apply to those convicted of distributing "false information" about Belarus' political, economic, social, or international situation," Freedom House says.
The watchdog also has accused Minsk of moving to control the Internet, in particular regularly block the websites of independent media outlets, opposition parties and non-governmental organizations.
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