The Belarus government closed two daily newspapers after warning them for “their political coverage,” the New York Times reported. The newspapers, Nasha Niva and Narodnaya Volya, are independent newspapers.
Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported that Narodnaya Volya’s deputy editor in chief, Maryna Koktysh plans to “do everything to save the newspaper,” including publishing “from abroad” or “in underground conditions” if necessary.
According to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, “Belarusian law allows the Supreme Economic Court to shut a media outlet after it receives three warnings from the Information Ministry. ”
Nasha Niva received its first two warnings for reporting on a documentary that criticized Belarus’s president. Its third warning came after it reporting on an April subway bombing.