Belarus slows down internet during opposition leader’s New Year’s address

January 1, Pozirk. Belarus restricted internet access five minutes before Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja’s New Year’s video address and lifted the restriction half an hour after it ended.
Users started experiencing problems at 11:43 p.m. YouTube and other websites run the opposition leader’s speech between 11:48 p.m. and midnight. At 0:28 a.m. the internet functioned unimpeded.
For 45 minutes, the internet speed was slow and YouTube was only accessible via VPN services.
Cichanoŭskaja dedicated her New Year’s speech to family and called for unity.
The address was viewed 100,000 times in the first 12 hours after its release on YouTube. Her last year’s address has 614,000 views and the 2022–2023 address 526,000 views.
Alaksandar Łukašenka does not have a YouTube channel. His speeches can be seen on state television and pro-government websites.
In yesterday’s address, he talked about generational change and said that the next five years of his rule will be dedicated to the quality of life.
The previous New Year’s Eve was also marked by internet access problems.
Lithuania's new foreign minister assures Cichanoŭskaja of support for pro-democracy forces
- Economy, PoliticsLatvia expands ban on imports from BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security, Society
- Politics
- EconomyLoss of EU customers shifts Belarusian berry sales to Russia — officialThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyMan posing as police officer arrested in MinskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics, Security
- Economy
- SocietyVilnius asks Minsk to extradite Lithuanian convicted of financial crimesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsUpdate on digital censorship, pressure on dissidentsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityUkraine sanctions two Belarusian companies over Russia military tiesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsBelarus sends two trainloads of wood to Central Asia via route used to bypass EU sanctionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityLukašenka dismisses deputy commander of Interior TroopsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityLatvian ministry suggests closing border with Belarus over irregular migrationThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityUkraine to keep eye on new Belarusian air assault brigade, Kyiv saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security, Society1990s serial killer case referred to prosecutorThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus reports fastest agricultural growth in H1 among EAEU countriesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyNational Bank reports inflation slowdownThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Economy
- Society



