Russian paper shuts Belarus branch after journalist’s arrest

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A popular Russian newspaper has shut down its branch in Belarus after one of its local staff was arrested. Komsomolskaya Pravda announced the decision to close its Belarusian subsidiary on Tuesday night, citing “the events of the past year and especially the past week.” Last Wednesday, the Belarusian Ministry of Information blocked access to the newspaper’s Belarusian website, and two days later one of its Belarusian journalists was detained. Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus came under pressure after it ran a story about a shootout in an apartment in Minsk, during which an opposition supporter and a security officer were killed. The news outlet published a comment from a friend of the opposition supporter describing him a positive light.