Belarusian government shut down the Minsk offices of Russia's NTV television

Belarusian government shut down the Minsk offices of Russia's NTV television following allegations that the broadcaster slandered the government in a report on writer Vasil Bykau's funeral on 25 June. The NTV offices will be closed until the station apologizes, Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Savinykh told Belapan. Savinykh insisted the closure of the NTV office should not be regarded as a restriction on freedom of expression but rather in light of journalists' responsibility for the content of their reporting. "To our regret, such incidents are characteristic of states with a totalitarian form of governance," Russia's Media Ministry announced the same day. The Belarusian authorities' decision was slammed by representatives of most caucuses in Russia's State Duma, according to Belapan. "The decision to close the NTV office should prompt Russian authorities to rethink the regime with which we have decided to unite," said Russia's State Duma Deputy Speaker Irina Khakamada.