Editing European Broadcasting Union (section)

===Belarusian state broadcaster (2021)===
The [[Belteleradio|Belarusian Television and Radio Company]] (BTRC) has been accused of repressing its own employees, having fired more than 100 people since a wave of [[2020–2021 Belarusian protests|anti-Lukashenko protests]] in 2020 following alleged election fraud. Many of them have also been jailed. Many voices have been raised against the participation of BTRC in the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2021]] representing Belarus, the argument being that the EBU would make a political statement if it did endorse BTRC by essentially and silently saying that democracy is unimportant and so are basic human rights such as freedom of speech.<ref>{{Cite web|date=28 January 2021|title=Belarus: Protestors Call for the EBU To Remove BTRC From Eurovision|url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2021/01/28/belarus-protestors-call-ebu-remove-btrc-from-eurovision/259115/|access-date=18 February 2021|website=wiwibloggs|language=en-US|archive-date=4 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204144539/https://wiwibloggs.com/2021/01/28/belarus-protestors-call-ebu-remove-btrc-from-eurovision/259115/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 28 May 2021, the EBU suspended the BTRC's membership as they had been "particularly alarmed by the broadcast of interviews apparently obtained under duress". BTRC was given two weeks to respond before the suspension came into effect, but did not do so publicly.<ref>{{cite press release|last=Rainford|first=Claire|date=28 May 2021|title=EBU Executive Board agrees to suspension of Belarus Member BTRC|url=https://www.ebu.ch/news/2021/05/ebu-executive-board-agrees-to-suspension-of-belarus-member-btrc|location=Switzerland|website=ebu.ch|publisher=EBU|access-date=31 May 2021}}</ref> The suspension of the broadcaster was made effective on 1 July 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://euroradio.fm/belteleradyyokampaniyu-vyklyuchyli-z-eurapeyskaga-vyashchalnaga-sayuza|title=Белтэлерадыёкампанію выключылі з Еўрапейскага вяшчальнага саюза|date=30 June 2021|website=euroradio.fm|access-date=30 June 2021|archive-date=1 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701100520/https://euroradio.fm/belteleradyyokampaniyu-vyklyuchyli-z-eurapeyskaga-vyashchalnaga-sayuza|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Granger|first=Anthony|date=27 August 2021|title=Belarus: BTRC Reveals EBU Suspension Scheduled to Expire in 2024|url=https://eurovoix.com/2021/08/27/btrc-ebu-suspension-2024/|access-date=27 August 2021|website=Eurovoix|archive-date=27 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827083627/https://eurovoix.com/2021/08/27/btrc-ebu-suspension-2024/|url-status=live}}</ref> Although initial reports mentioned that it would expire after three years, in April 2024 the EBU confirmed that the suspension had been made indefinite.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Farren |first=Neil |date=23 April 2024 |title=Belarus: BTRC Indefinitely Suspended From EBU |url=https://eurovoix.com/2024/04/23/belarus-btrc-indefinitely-suspended-from-ebu/ |access-date=23 April 2024 |website=Eurovoix |archive-date=23 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423210446/https://eurovoix.com/2024/04/23/belarus-btrc-indefinitely-suspended-from-ebu/ |url-status=live }}</ref>