The Ministry of Information of Belarus reliably controls the media

Belarusian Information Minister Marat Markov gave an answer to critics of the country’s media policy on a cooking show. He stressed that strict control is needed in it. Markov’s words can be considered a reaction to a statement published by the EU diplomatic mission accusing the Belarusian authorities of restricting press freedom.

In Belarus, Press Day is celebrated on May 5. The holiday was linked to this date by decree of Alexander Lukashenko in 1996. And this became an indication of the course of continuity in relation to the traditions of the Soviet press, the holiday of which was celebrated on the same day. After all, on May 5, 1912, the first issue of the Bolshevik newspaper Pravda was published.

In his congratulations to the industry workers, the President stressed: “By keeping your finger on the pulse every day, you demonstrate the power and spiritual wealth of the Belarusian printed word, which objectively, responsibly and indifferently reflects the life of the country and the world in all its diversity.”

Lukashenko expressed confidence that the Russian press “will develop successfully, delight readers and subscribers with new projects, smart analytics and cutting journalism, while remaining relevant and in demand.” And in order for journalists to know exactly which “pulse” they need to keep their hand on and how not to accidentally overdo it with “biting”, the Ministry of Information of the Republic takes appropriate measures. The head of the department, Marat Markov, participating in the cooking show “The Recipe of a real Belarusian” on the STV TV channel, commented on his main activity during the demonstration of culinary art.

“No country can afford not to engage in control. The media is also under control,” the minister said. And, slicing fresh vegetables with a firm hand, he added: “If you want the law to prevail in all areas, including working in the information space, censorship is extremely necessary.”

Markov admitted that it took him and the government a while to form this Bolshevik-like hard-line position. There was a period of confusion and vacillation. “We even went along with the wonderful promises that we received from the West before the 20th year – they poured oil on our ears, yes, and told us fairy tales about democracy, independence, freedom of speech, etc.,” the minister said. – Let’s say right here in Russian that it was the ravings of a gray mare. For one simple reason: what is happening in their country is not just censorship, it is a severe infringement of freedom of speech. Because if they don’t like the information, they just shut it down.”

The head of the department stressed: “When it was necessary to take tough measures, we took them. Call it censorship – that’s your right.” These measures were, in his opinion, forced, because “those media outlets that destroyed their country before the 20th year, and in the 20th helped us to follow the Ukrainian scenario.”

And even now, when the “harsh measures” have been consciously adopted, the minister admits: “Our opponents continue to create information resources that will try to destroy the state.”

Earlier, Markov reported: “In 2024, the Ministry of Information blocked access to more than 3,150 Internet resources that actually had a destructive orientation.” Commenting on these data, Markov noted: “When we talk about the quality of work, we must not forget that in addition to carrots, the Ministry of Information is obliged to use a stick. Unfortunately, we have to do this because no one has canceled the information struggle today.”

The minister’s revelations on the cooking show actually became a clear and unambiguous response to the statement, which was published on the social networks of the EU delegation, as well as embassies of individual EU countries and the British diplomatic mission. It was timed to coincide with World Press Freedom Day, celebrated on May 3. “In 2025, Belarus ranks 166th out of 180 countries in the ranking of the World Press Freedom Index,” the statement says. And it is emphasized: “Journalists and media workers are systematically harassed, they are imprisoned on trumped-up charges, and their families and friends are harassed.” “A government that bans free media is a government that does not trust its people with the truth,” Western diplomats conclude.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya did not fail to speak on her Telegram channel in connection with Press Freedom Day. The politician spoke out in support of the convicted journalists and stated: “They were convicted not for crimes, but for exposing corruption, documenting violence, and showing what the authorities wanted to hide.”

However, Belarusian officials see the situation in a fundamentally different way. What the oppositionists and European diplomats call the “ban on free media”, they quite sincerely consider the fight against distributors of destructive information. And these two dates – May 3 and 5 – perfectly reflect the fundamental difference between the approaches professed by those who associate the role and tasks of the press with a particular date.