Economic Court of Minsk Completes Liquidation of Independent News Agency BelaPAN

Finalization of Liquidation Proceedings

The Economic Court of Minsk has officially completed the liquidation proceedings for the independent news agency BelaPAN, with Judge Alyaksandr Khaneuski issuing a 'ruling on the completion of liquidation proceedings' on December 23, 2025. This decision marks the definitive end for one of Belarus's most significant independent media outlets. The liquidation was initially announced by the Prosecutor General's Office on March 11, 2024, based on a court decision from February 1, 2024.

BelaPAN's Legacy as an Independent Voice

Founded on November 19, 1991, by journalists Aleś Lipaj and Vital Cyhankoŭ, BelaPAN (Belarusian Private News Agency) emerged as a crucial non-governmental independent news agency in Belarus. It provided comprehensive coverage of politics, economy, and sports in Russian, Belarusian, and English. The agency was widely recognized for its balanced, objective, and impartial reporting, earning the highest rating for being free from state propaganda in 2019. BelaPAN's commitment to independent journalism made it a vital source of information within the country.

Official Allegations and Broader Crackdown

The official grounds for BelaPAN's liquidation were cited as 'repeated and gross violations of tax legislation, as well as legislation on state social insurance'. The Prosecutor General's Office claimed the agency had accumulated significant debts, including over 590,000 rubles to the social protection fund and more than 417,000 rubles to the tax inspection for the period between 2014 and 2021. The court ultimately declared BelaPAN insolvent and unable to meet its financial obligations.

However, this action is widely seen in the context of a broader and intensified crackdown on independent media and civil society in Belarus following the disputed 2020 presidential election. In November 2021, the KGB designated BelaPAN as an 'extremist organization'. The agency's websites were blocked, and its editorial offices and journalists' homes were subjected to multiple searches, including on January 14, 2021, and August 18, 2021.

Legal Repercussions for Staff

The crackdown extended to BelaPAN's staff, with several journalists and former leaders facing severe legal consequences. Notable sentences include:

• Andrei Aliaksandrau, former deputy director, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on charges of high treason, organizing illegal rallies, and tax evasion.
• Iryna Zlobina, Aliaksandrau's partner, received a 9-year prison sentence for high treason and organizing illegal rallies.
• Dzmitry Navazhylau, former director, was sentenced to 6 years in prison for tax evasion.
• Iryna Leushyna, editor-in-chief, received a 4-year prison sentence on tax evasion charges, though she has since been released.

Additionally, the court imposed a substantial debt, reportedly exceeding one million Belarusian rubles, on the agency's former management. Despite these challenges, some former members of BelaPAN and Naviny.by have launched a new news agency, Pozirk, and its online platform, Pozirk.online, in October 2023, continuing efforts to provide independent news.