State Belarusian media outlets BelTA, ONT and STV reacted to the removal of their channels from the YouTube video-hosting platform.
STV said its channel had been removed because of sanctions:
“ATTENTION! The CTVBY YouTube channel has been removed because of sanctions! At the same time, Stolichnoye Televideniye CJSC and the company’s management are not under sanctions! So much for the much-praised ‘democracy’ in action…”
ONT stressed that this was not about blocking access, but about the removal of its entire archive built up over many years, and said this had been done without any explanation:
“The platform provided no additional explanations. Such blocking means not merely a temporary restriction of access, but the complete physical removal from servers of vast archives of news broadcasts, analytical programmes and documentary series that had been accumulated over the years and had collected tens of millions of views”.
The state news agency BelTA reacted in a restrained manner. It recalled that it is not under sanctions and urged people not to trust fake channels using the same name.
The Information Ministry of Belarus said it reserved the right to take retaliatory measures. Belteleradiocompany warned that YouTube could be designated as extremist and fully blocked in Belarus.
