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inanna

(3,547 posts)
Sun Dec 21, 2014, 07:21 PM Dec 2014

Belarus blocks online sites and closes shops to stem currency panic

Source: The Guardian

Belarus blocked online stores and news websites on Sunday, in an apparent attempt to stop a run on banks and shops as people rushed to secure their savings.

The Belarussian currency was dragged down by the slide of the Russian ruble last week, leading authorities to impose draconian measures, forbid price increases even for imported goods, and warn people against panic.

In a statement Sunday, BelaPAN news company, which runs popular independent news websites Belapan.by and Naviny.by, said that the sites were blocked on Saturday without any warning.

“Clearly the decision to block the IP addresses could only be taken by the authorities because in Belarus the government has a monopoly on providing IPs,” it said.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/21/belarus-blocks-online-websites-shops-currency-panic-rouble

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