charter97.org

Key factors

• + Long operational history — Active since 1998, with consistent coverage of Belarusian affairs.
• + Press-freedom recognition — Associated with human rights advocacy and has faced state persecution, lending credibility to its anti-authoritarian framing.
• − Strong political bias — Functions as an opposition/advocacy outlet against the Lukashenko government; coverage is one-sided by design.
• • Banned in Belarus — Blocked by the Belarusian government as 'extremist,' which reflects authoritarian suppression rather than a credibility judgment, but signals its contested status.
• • Operates in exile — Runs from outside Belarus (historically Poland/Lithuania), limiting on-the-ground verification capacity.
• • Founder's murder — Co-founder Aleh Byabenin was found dead in 2010 under disputed circumstances widely believed to be political, underscoring the high-stakes adversarial environment it operates in.

Editorial standards

Operates as an opposition online news platform rather than a traditional newsroom with formal editorial guidelines. Editorial stance is openly pro-democracy and anti-Lukashenko, blending news with activism. Transparency about ownership, funding, and editorial process is limited, partly due to security concerns from operating in exile under an authoritarian regime.

Fact-checking

No formal published fact-checking or corrections policy is prominent. The outlet's core factual claims about Belarusian repression are frequently consistent with international human rights reporting, but its partisan framing, lack of balance, and advocacy orientation mean individual claims should be cross-checked. It is not rated extensively by mainstream Western fact-checkers (MBFC/Ad Fontes) due to its regional/non-English focus.