In Latest Salvo Against Media, Belarus Takes Euronews Off Air

MINSK - Belarusian authorities have stopped the European news network Euronews from broadcasting inside the country amid a campaign to muzzle independent media and journalists as part of the government's crackdown on dissent following a disputed presidential election that returned strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka to power.

The Information Ministry said in a  statement on Monday that the right given to Euronews — a 24-hour television channel covering world news in 12 language editions, including Russian — to distribute its programs in Belarus had expired. It added that Russia's Pobeda (Victory) channel focusing on World War II had commenced broadcasting in Euronews's place. In recent years, Russia has been promoting the victory of the Soviet Union and allies over Nazi Germany in 1945 in its state propaganda against the West. A ministry spokeswoman was quoted by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti as saying that Euronews's license had not been renewed because the channel violated legislation by running advertisements in English, instead of Russian or Belarusian.