NEPLP bans the distribution of the Radio Belarus audio program in Latvia

The National Electronic Media Council (NEMC) has decided to ban the distribution of the audio program “Radio “Belarus””. Decision No. 281/1-2 was published in the official gazette “Latvijas Vēstnesis” on September 23, 2026, issue No. 183, with the official reference OP 2026/183. The notice was placed in the “INSTITUTIONS” section of the publication as entry No. 4, and its publishing body is the National Electronic Media Council.

What is being banned and who determines it

• Institution making the decision: National Electronic Media Council.
• Subject: ban on the distribution of the audio program “Radio “Belarus””.
• Official identifier: council decision No. 281/1-2.
• Publication: “Latvijas Vēstnesis”, September 23, 2026, No. 183, OP 2026/183.
• Public reference: https://www.vestnesis.lv/url/16983?content=1

Previous decision regarding the website radiobelarus.by

The ban on the distribution of the audio program is not the first NEMC decision directed at this media outlet. On September 3, 2026, in “Latvijas Vēstnesis” No. 169 (OP 2026/169), in the “INSTITUTIONS” section as entry No. 3, council decision No. 264/1-2 “On denying access to the website “radiobelarus.by”” was published. Both decisions relate to the same media brand and the availability of its content in Latvia.

Publication of sanctions in the same issue

In the same issue No. 183 of September 23, 2026, in the “CONSTITUTIONAL INSTITUTIONS” section, two Cabinet of Ministers orders on the determination of national sanctions were also published:

• Cabinet of Ministers order No. 580 “On the determination of national sanctions” (entry No. 1).
• Cabinet of Ministers order No. 581 “On the determination of national sanctions” (entry No. 2).

These are separate government decisions published in the same issue as NEMC decision No. 281/1-2, and they are not part of the council’s decision regarding “Radio “Belarus””.

Where and how the decision becomes binding

• Official publisher: “Latvijas Vēstnesis”, the official gazette of the Republic of Latvia.
• Publication date and number: September 23, 2026, No. 183.
• Official reference to the publication: OP 2026/183.
• Entry in the institutions section: No. 4.
• Document reference in the corpus: vestnesis-2026-09-23-183.full.md.

What this means for readers

The ban on the distribution of the audio program “Radio “Belarus”” means that this program is no longer distributable in Latvia, and the decision has been published in the official gazette, thereby becoming publicly available and verifiable by anyone. Together with decision No. 264/1-2 published at the beginning of September regarding the denial of access to the website “radiobelarus.by”, it constitutes two consecutive NEPLP decisions restricting the availability of this medium’s content within the Latvian information space. This is a significant signal for the media environment and the security of the information space: the regulator is consistently exercising its powers against both online resources and audio channels.

Official source: Decision No. 281/1-2 of the National Electronic Media Council “On the ban on the distribution of the audio program “Radio “Belarus”””, published in “Latvijas Vēstnesis” on September 23, 2026, No. 183, OP 2026/183; related decision No. 264/1-2 “On the denial of access to the website “radiobelarus.by””, published in “Latvijas Vēstnesis” on September 3, 2026, No. 169, OP 2026/169.