Stepan Svetlov is 22 years old and -- despite not having been in Belarus for two years -- has played an outsize role in the weeks of protests there that have sought to push its authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, from power.
Stepan Svetlov, a 22-year-old blogger, runs NEXTA, a social media channel based in Poland that has been used as an organizing tool for protests against Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.
The internet shutdown incapacitated most social media and messaging services. But NEXTA, based in Poland, is equipped with some anti-censorship safeguards and was able to keep posting. It gathered videos of the crowds and then the savage assaults by police. “We do feel that to a certain extent we are the organizers and coordinators of these protests because who else could do it?” Svetlov told ABC News in a recent interview at the Warsaw office. “But we understand it’s the people themselves who took to the streets. We just help in the first stages, so they can gather, so they know at what time. We just assist people but they are the ones who actually go out and protest.
NEXTA’s operation in Warsaw is tiny, run by Svetlov and a handful of other Belarusian exiles with a couple of laptops. Svetlov has not visited Belarus since 2018, when authorities raided his home. Since then he has been based in Poland, where he was a student and which, thanks to frequent trips as a child, he said he sees as a “second home.” Poland’s government has been a strong advocate for the protesters in Belarus, pressing the European Union from early on to support the demonstrations.
Svetlov began developing what would become NEXTA in 2015 while studying television and film production at Poland’s Katowice University. The original plan was to make it a music channel on YouTube but it didn’t see much success until Svetlov added a news section and began publishing events in Belarus. After the channel gained over 100,000 subscribers, the authorities started paying attention, he said.
NEXTA’s success makes it an obvious target for Lukashenko’s government. Svetlov said the team is under the protection of the Polish government.Police officers detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, Sept. 13, 2020.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
List: The top 22 femtech startups in Europe 2020 | Sifted'Based on our research as well as the nominations we have received, here is Sifted’s (subjective) list of the top femtech companies in Europe in 2020.'
Read more »
22 Tops You'll Probably Want To Add To Your Fall WardrobeThe days are getting shorter, but sleeves are getting longer.
Read more »
Iman Looks Like She's Legit 22 Years Old In Her Latest Glowing Instagram SelfieThe 65-year-old model is a fan of selfcare and golden eye patches.
Read more »
Gabrielle Union Surprises Young Fan on Steve Harvey's Show: WatchTen-year-old Kaylin is rendered speechless as soon as the actress pops up on screen.
Read more »
Amid Democratic Street Uprising, Belarusian Strongman Gets Support From RussiaRussian President Vladimir Putin announced a $1.5 billion loan for Belarus' struggling economy and reaffirmed existing security guarantees — a limited lifeline for embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Read more »
Naomi Osaka Celebrates Her US Open Victory With One Last Style StatementSporting a traditional headwrap made from Ghanaian kente cloth while holding up her trophy, naomiosaka paid tribute to the Haitian side of her family.
Read more »