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Posted courtesy of theInstitute for the Study of War.

The Kremlin and Alexander Lukashenko consolidated control over the international information space ahead of a likely crackdown.Belarusian authoritiesstripped accreditation from at least 17 international journalists working in Minsk and demanded they leave the country on August 29.[1]The journalists worked formajor Western news organizations including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL),the BBC, the Associated Press, Reuters,Agence-France Presse, Germanys ARD television, DeutscheWelle, and Radio France.[2] Belarusian authorities arrested at least two RFE/RL journalists while they were reporting live on air in Minsk on August 29.[3]Belarusian authorities additionally blocked Naviny and Nasha Niva two of Belarus remaining independent news agencies-and arrested the operator of theKYKYBelarusian news siteon August 28.[4]Independent Belarusian media and foreign journalists are crucial for covering protests and security force responses in the absence of a free media space. Lukashenko partially blocked the internet on August 9 and Russian personnel began running Belarusian state media on August 19.[5] Lukashenkos coordinated effort to consolidate control over the Belarusian information space, primarily targeting international coverage, may be a prelude to a crackdown against protesters.

Belarusian authorities did not try to disperselargeprotestsin Minskfor the first time in a week on August 29.Approximately ten thousand women marched in Minsk on August 29.[6]Riot police and security troops cordoned off the protest route and blocked at leastfourmetro stationsonthe route but did not detain or disperse protesters.[7]Security forces detained at least one male protester but did not use force against female protesters.[8]Belarusian forces contained and dispersed small protests and resumed detaining protesters between August 19-28.[9]The absence of crackdowns on August 29 may encourage more Belarusians to participate inthe largeplanned protestsin Minskon August30.

ISW will continue monitoring the situation and providing updates.

[1] https://www.voanews.com/press-freedom/belarus-revokes-accreditation-least-17-journalists-covering-post-election-turmoil

[2] https://www.voanews.com/press-freedom/belarus-revokes-accreditation-least-17-journalists-covering-post-election-turmoil

[3] https://twitter.com/HannaLiubakova/status/1299703908500230148

[4] https://lenta;https://kyky(.)org/news/ne-nadetsya-na-peremeny-a-delat-ih-nadya-zelenkova-o-tom-chto-budet-s-delom-sashi-vasilevicha

[5] http://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/warning-moscow-sets-conditions-kinetic-intervention-belarus-through-new-information

[6] https://meduza(.)io/feature/2020/08/29/desyat-tysyach-zhenschin-proshli-marshem-po-tsentru-minska-omon-pytalsya-im-pomeshat-no-ne-smog

[7] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belarus-election-protests-women/women-march-through-belarusian-capital-calling-for-lukashenko-to-step-down-idUSKBN25P0OP;https://twitter.com/HannaLiubakova/status/1299705163909869575

[8] https://twitter.com/HannaLiubakova/status/1299705163909869575

[9] http://www.iswresearch.org/2020/08/warning-lukashenkos-security-forces.html;https://www.iswresearch.org/2020/08/warning-lukashenko-appears-to-resist.html;https://www.iswresearch.org/2020/08/warning-opposition-continues-to-unify.html;https://www.iswresearch.org/2020/08/warning-lukashenko-targets-opposition.html

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The rest is here:
Warning: Lukashenko and the Kremlin Consolidate Control of Belarusian Media Space - Critical Threats Project