In Belarus, the possibility of blocking internet resources has existed for some time. On 4 September 2025, however, the Government of Belarus adopted a resolution setting out the detailed procedure for blocking internet resources in the course of investigative actions by authorities, based either on reports or on notifications of a crime or in connection with an ongoing criminal case. Although the authorities have long held this power, the procedure for its exercise has only now been formally established.
Blocking may apply not only to individual web pages but also to entire websites, forums, blogs, chatrooms, and other resources connected to the Internet. This may extend to foreign internet resources.
Importantly, blocking may occur not only where a crime is committed using the internet resource – such as the creation of phishing websites – but also, for example, where advertising is published for activities constituting a criminal offence, such as microloans whose true purpose is fraudulent. The grounds for blocking are therefore not limited to the establishment of a legal violation but also include the presence of causes and conditions facilitating the commission of a crime, which constitutes a broad criterion. For instance, this may include the posting of a job vacancy for a company engaged in criminal activity as part of its operations.
A key question may arise as to whether a website will be blocked if employees of a company are detained in the context of an ongoing criminal case. There is no definitive answer, as the website and its “role” in the alleged criminal conduct will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Blocking is carried out on the submission of the Prosecutor General, the Chairperson of the Investigative Committee, the Chairperson of the State Security Committee, the Minister of Internal Affairs, or other authorised persons acting on their behalf.
The submission must be sent no later than one working day following the date of the decision to the State Communications Inspectorate for blocking and to the owner of the internet resource if it belongs to the national segment of the Internet (i.e., domains “.by” or “.бел”). Technically, blocking is implemented within four hours of the inclusion of the internet resource in the list of restricted internet resource identifiers.
Reference: The State Communications Inspectorate’s website allows verification of whether a resource has been blocked and the grounds for its blocking. This can be accessed at https://sod.belgie.by/ru/search_sod.
Information about the blocking may also appear directly on the internet resource itself, where technically feasible.
Access may be restored within 24 hours of the removal of the internet resource identifier from the restricted list. To effect this, the owner of the internet resource must submit an application for access restoration. It is important to note that restoration of access is not linked to the issuance of a criminal conviction. Following this, the internet resource will undergo a re-evaluation to ensure that content violating the law is removed and to reassess the causes and conditions that facilitated the commission of the offence. The review period is one month.
Accordingly, when posting any content, it is recommended to assess it not only from a marketing perspective but also in terms of compliance with applicable law. When publishing information regarding the activities of other organisations, an internal compliance review is advisable.
Reference: Belarusian legislation also establishes other grounds for restricting access to an internet resource, including:
- Distribution via an internet resource of information that is prohibited (e.g., improper advertising) or failure to comply with requirements issued by national mass media authorities;
- Violation of tax legislation by foreign organisations when selling goods or providing services remotely in electronic form to Belarusian consumers, including intermediaries receiving payments. Such an internet resource may be blocked if there is an outstanding tax liability in Belarus exceeding 3,000 base units (approximately USD 42,000 / RUB 3,410,000) that remains unpaid within 90 calendar days from the date of notification.
Reference: For the purposes of tax legislation, an internet resource is understood to include a website, a webpage, or a mobile application.