Belarus blocks again Internet websites

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

On 25 March 2006, several Belarusian web-sites: ucpb.org, svaboda.org,
charter97.org, belhelcom.org, belaruspartisan.org, gazetaby.com and
livejournal.com providing independent news and information were unavailable
from 9.00 till 16.00 within the country borders.

Belarusian authorities have the technical and legal possibility to restrict
access because of Beltelecom monopoly. According to article 44 of the
national Law On Electronic Communication adopted in 2005: ” The national
operator of electronic communications is the operator having the duties of
the mandatory rendering of the universal electronic communications services
on the whole territory of the Republic of Belarus according to the
instructions of the Ministry of Communication and Information of the
Republic of Belarus, and who will have the exclusive right for passage of
the international traffic and connection to the electronic communications
networks of the foreign states. ”

Amendments to the law are planned to be made in order to meet WTO membership
requirements. However, there are no plans to make any changes in the above
article.

Belarusian authorities restrict internet access (26.03.2007)
http://www.e-belarus.org/news/200703261.html

EDRI-gram: Censorship in Belarusian Internet cafes (28.02.2007)
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number5.4/belarus

(Thanks to Mikhail Doroshevich – e-belarus.org)