OREANDA-NEWS The Belarusian authorities have declared the editorial staff of the independent newspaper Nasha Niva to be an «extremist formation». According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the «list of organizations, formations, individual entrepreneurs involved in extremist activities» has been updated.

«An extremist group has been recognized as a group of citizens from among the Private Publishing Company Sorodichi (the newspaper Nasha Niva), united through Internet resources, including social networks and messengers», the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country said on Thursday, January 27.

At the end of November, the authorities in Minsk recognized the Telegram channel of Nasha Niva and its accounts in other social networks as extremist. The decision was made by the court of the Central District of Minsk based on the materials of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus.

On July 8, access to the newspapper's website was restricted in Belarus. On the same day, a number of media employees were searched. In the case initiated under part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (organization or preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or participation in them), the editor-in-chief of the portal Egor Martinovich, the head of the advertising department Andrei Skurko, the chief accountant Olga Rakovich and the editor-in-chief of children's and popular science magazines published by Nasha Niva, Andrei Dynko were detained.

In July, the media, founded in 1906 and restored in 1991, stopped working in the country, citing security concerns. Its head Anastasia Rovdo announced her intention to revive the publication outside of Belarus. The private publishing unitary enterprise Sorodichi founded the restored edition of Nasha Niva.