Lukashenko signed the law: Limited work of the media, it is possible to shut them down without a court decision

The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, today signed a law restricting the work of the media and allowing them to be shut down without a court decision.

The move came a day after Belarusian authorities diverted a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius to Minsk, allegedly because of a bomb threat, and arrested 26-year-old Roman Protasevich, an opposition activist.

Western countries condemned the arrest and diversion of the flight.

According to the new law, the media is prohibited from reporting live from unauthorized mass gatherings.

The Ministry of Information will also be able to order the shutdown of the media without a court decision, which has been the case until now.

It will also be prohibited to publish the results of public opinion polls that have not been approved by the Belarusian government.

"This is the most repressive media law in Europe, which turns the work of journalists in Belarus into a minefield," said the president of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Andrey Bastunets.

Last year, mass demonstrations took place on the streets of Belarusian cities for several weeks after the presidential elections in which Lukashenko won a sixth term.

More than 30.000 people were arrested then, many of whom were beaten by the police.

The pressure was also felt by the non-regime media that reported on the protests, which Lukashenko labeled as "extremist".