A/HRC/26/44 73. Belsat, located in Poland, remains the only independent TV channel broadcast in Belarus. It has been refused permission to open an editorial office in Belarus.49 In 2013, a positive step saw the authorities prolong the accreditation of the editorial office of EURORADIO, which broadcasts in Belarusian from Poland.50 74. In early 2014, a State subsidy of nearly 5 million EUR was given to 400 Stateowned newspapers.51 They enjoy exclusive advertising support from the 70 per cent-strong State economy. Privately owned companies are intimidated into following the patterns of State advertising. The supply of printing paper, printing, subscription and distribution systems are all State-guided and systematically discriminate against the independent print press.52 75. Article 13 of the law on mass media provides for the obligatory registration of any printed publication with a circulation of more than 299 copies; even publications under 300 copies have to rent offices, pay taxes and employ editors. An editorial board must be registered as a legal entity, and only then can apply to register as a media outlet. As a precondition, it must have separate offices on non-residential premises.53 Editors of new media outlets must have higher education and at least five years of work experience.54 These restrictions contradict the guidelines issued by the Human Rights Committee on small-circulation publications.55 76. Article 51 of the law on mass media allows for the closure by the Ministry of Information or the Prosecutor-General of any media outlet in case of either a single violation of provisions or the issuance of two or more written warnings in one year.56 While the number of warnings diminished in 2013, regulations were not eased. 77. The online media continued to be severely affected by a new trend of applying extrajournalistic regulations to web activities (A/HRC/23/52, para. 79), as well as specific Internet-related restrictions.57 78. In 2013, 40 websites were banned in a non-judicial procedure, including the sites of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, Charter’97 and Belarusian Partisan.58 The website of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” is blacklisted on a decision of the Prosecutor-General, the rationale being that it is an unregistered organization and that “the materials posted on the website do damage to the Republic of Belarus”. The Human Rights Center “Viasna” has appealed the decision. 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 14 Belsat, “Belsat denied registration yet again”, 12 April 2013 (http://belsat.eu/en/aktualnosci/a,13489,belsat-denied-registration-yet-again.html). EURORADIO, “Belarus extends accreditation for Euroradio bureau”, 15 November 2013 (http://euroradio.fm/en/euroradio-correspondent-office-prolongs-accreditation-belarus). http://pravo.by/main.aspx?guid=3871&p0=H11300095&p1=1&p5=0. Civic Solidarity, Belarus: Time for Media Reform: Policy Paper on Media Freedom in Belarus (2014) (http://civicsolidarity.org/sites/default/files/idx_belarus_eng_webres_final.pdf). http://mininform.gov.by/_modules/_cfiles/files/Postanovlenie_MI_n_18_ot_07.10.2009.doc. http://law.by/main.aspx?guid=3871&p0=H10800427e. Vladimir Petrovich Laptsevich v. Belarus, Communication No. 780/1997, U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/68/D/780/1997 (2000). http://law.by/main.aspx ?gid=3871&p0=H10900427e. Index, Belarus: Pulling the Plug: Policy Paper on Digital Challenges to Freedom of Expression in Belarus (2013) (http://www.indexoncensorship.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/01/IDX_Belarus_ENG_WebRes.pdf). http://www.belgie.by/node/216.