Information ministry issues warning to non-state newspaper

Belarus' Ministry of Information has issued a written warning to Bukas Media Center company - the publisher of Borisov News newspaper and website Borisovnews.by. The publisher has been punished for disseminating banned information, namely a mention about the unauthorized street rally organized by opposition activist Mikalai Statkevich "March of Outraged Belarusians 2.0". The ministry also spotted on the newspaper's website a mention about yet another Statkevich's protest action against the West-2017 joint Belarus-Russia military games.

The warning signed by Minister Alexander Karlyukevich notes that the information ministry acted in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The publisher has 8 days to remove the violations.

The press office of Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reports that Borisov News editor-in-chief Anatol Bukas on Tuesday was summoned to a police station. It turned out that the information ministry's warning is connected with the administrative proceedings against the independent publisher. He will appear in court soon.