Belarus blocks popular news site, raids its office and staff

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Authorities blocked a popular news site in Belarus that extensively covered months of protests against the country's authoritarian president, and they also raided the site's office and the homes of some of its journalists.

Belarusian authorities maintained that Tut.by violated media laws by publishing content on behalf of BYSOL, a foundation that helps victims of political repression. They said the foundation lacked proper state registration. Officials also accused Tut.By of tax evasion and launched a criminal probe of the site's top staff members, who could face charges that carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

The authorities raided Tut.by’s offices in Minsk and other regions, and the homes of some of its journalists on Tuesday, breaking the door to enter the apartment of Maryna Zolatava, the site’s chief editor. At least four more Tut.by employees — a journalist, an editor and two top managers — were taken in for questioning, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said.

Independent media in Belarus came under pressure in the wake of mass protests triggered by President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed reelection. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, won his sixth term in office in an August election. Opposition supporters and some poll workers said the election was riddled with fraud, and the opposition rejected the results.

Lukashenko also unleashed a harsh crackdown on the demonstrations, the largest of which drew up to 200,000 people. More than 34,000 people have been arrested since August, and thousands were brutally beaten.

The authorities have also targeted independent media outlets, detaining journalists covering the protests and leveling criminal charges against some of them. According to the...