In December 2024, EED, in collaboration with the European Economic and Social Committee, organised an event titled “The Role of the Belarusian Independent Media in Fostering a Resilient and Democratising Society: Combatting Disinformation in the Context of Presidential 'Elections' and War in Ukraine.” The event brought together journalists, policymakers, and civil society representatives to examine the challenges facing Belarusian media, the impact of state propaganda, and the upcoming January 2025 presidential "elections."
Discussions highlighted the severe repression faced by independent journalists, with Belarus ranking among the worst countries for journalist imprisonment. Censorship remains rampant, with over 500 websites classified as extremist, while state propaganda continues to expand, for example, by using lifestyle influencers to project normalcy and suppress dissent.
The upcoming elections were characterised as a façade to reappoint Lukashenko, with no democratic alternatives, real debates, or credible process. Civil society called for the international community to reject the elections’ legitimacy, increase support for Belarusian NGOs and independent media, and pressure the regime to release political prisoners and end repression.
