The Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC) is an independent media outlet from

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

that operates in exile. The center offers five core types of content:

investigative journalism Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, racial injustice, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend m ...

fact-checking Fact-checking is the process of verifying the factual accuracy of questioned reporting and statements. Fact-checking can be conducted before or after the text or content is published or otherwise disseminated. Internal fact-checking is such che ...

, analytical reporting, news, and economic analysis.

History

The Belarusian Investigative Center was established in 2018. The team of the center left Belarus in 2021 amid a crackdown on media outlets and the arrest of journalists by Belarusian authorities. Following a search of the BIC studio in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

, most of the team relocated abroad. On June 29, 2021, the website of the BIC was blocked in Belarus. In October 2022, the Minsk city prosecutor's office designated the information products of the Belarusian Investigative Center, as well as logos featuring the abbreviation "BIC" and the words "Belarusian Investigative Center," as "extremist materials." In December 2022, the Belarusian Investigative Center joined the

Global Investigative Journalism Network The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) is "an international association of nonprofit organizations that support, promote and produce investigative journalism." The association is headquartered in the United States, and its membership ...

, and became a member center of the

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) is a global network of Investigative journalism, investigative journalists. It was founded in 2006 and specializes in organized crime and corruption. It publishes its stories through ...

. On September 15, 2023, the Belarusian Supreme Court designated the Belarusian Investigative Center as an "extremist organization." In late July 2024 it became known that several current and former BIC members were put on the wanted list.

Investigations

In January 2022, the Belarusian Investigative Center together with Re:Baltica, Delfi Estonia published an investigative report revealing a threefold increase in oil exports from Belarus to

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

between 2020 and 2021. Consequently, on February 4, 2022, Estonia announced additional sanctions against Belarus, including the suspension of coal and oil transit. Following a joint investigation by BIC and

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, British authorities froze the London property of Said Gutseriev, valued at $200 million. Said Gutseriev is the son of

Mikhail Gutseriev Mikail (Mikhail) Safarbekovich Gutseriev (born 9 March 1958) is a Russian billionaire businessperson of Ingush descent. Gutseriev earned his fortune after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He is the former owner of Russneft, one of Russia's l ...

, a key financial supporter of Belarusian authoritarian leader

Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (also transliterated as Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka; born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making hi ...

. In December 2022, Lithuanian businessman Saulius Girčys was expelled from his political party following an investigation by BIC, which revealed his involvement in the illegal sale of Belarusian timber to the EU via

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

and

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

. After a joint investigation with the Lithuanian media outlet Siena into ways of circumventing sanctions against

Grodno Azot Grodno Azot ( ''Belarusian'' «Гро́дна Азо́т») is an open joint-stock company, Belarusian state-run producer of nitrogen compounds and fertilizers located in Grodno, Belarus. History The construction of temporary auxiliary faci ...

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

seized Belarusian fertilizers worth millions of euros and strengthened border controls. In November 2023, the Belarusian Investigative Center collaborated with the

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Inc. (ICIJ), is an independent global network of 280 investigative journalists and over 140 media organizations spanning more than 100 countries. It is based in Washington, D.C., with ...

, Paper Trail Media, and 69 media partners, alongside over 270 journalists from 55 countries, to produce the "

Cyprus Confidential Cyprus Confidential is a journalism project investigating financial services in Cyprus and their role in allowing avoidance of international sanctions, and implementation of Russian state goals. It is conducted by the International Consortium of In ...

" report. This investigation uncovered a financial network supporting Vladimir Putin's regime, primarily through connections in

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

. The report revealed that Cyprus has significant ties with high-ranking Kremlin figures, some of whom have been sanctioned. GWithin 24 hours of the investigation's release, government officials, including Cyprus President

Nikos Christodoulides Nikos Christodoulides (; born 6 December 1973) is a Cypriot politician, diplomat, and academic who has served as the 8th President of Cyprus since 2023. He previously served as Government Spokesman from 2014 to 2018 and List of Ministers of Fore ...

and European lawmakers, responded by calling for reforms and initiating probes into the findings. The BIC has also conducted investigations into numerous Belarusian companies and high-profile individuals, including

Belaruskali Belaruskali (, ) is one of the largest state-owned companies of Belarus. It is one of the largest producers of potash fertilizers in the world, accounting for 20% global supply as of 2019.BelAZ BelAZ (, ) is a Belarus, Belarusian automobile plant and one of the world's largest manufacturers of large and especially large dump trucks, as well as other heavy transport equipment for the mining and construction industries. ''BelAZ'' is a ...

Belshina Belshina (, ) is a tire, tyre manufacturer in Belarus. The name is an abbreviation for "Belaruskaya shina", or "Belarusian Tyre". The Belarusian tyre works is located in the Belarusian industrial city Babruysk. Belshina produces over 180 tyre s ...

, ,

, , , Aliaksei Aleksin,

Yury Chyzh Yury Chyzh (, , Yury Chizh, born 1963) is a Belarusian businessman, believed to be one of the country's richest people. According to estimates, he is the second-wealthiest businessman in Belarus, the first being Vladimir Peftiev. On March 23, 2012 ...

, Aliaksandr Shakutsin,

Viktor Sheiman Viktor Vladimirovich Sheiman (, ; born 26 May 1958) is a Belarusian politician. Sheiman has been a close ally of Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko since Lukashenko came to power in 1994. Sheiman was Belarus’ prosecutor general in 2004. S ...

, , , Mikalai Varabei and . The BIC has also investigated the Belarus–EU migration crisis, the abductions of the Ukrainian children a Russian filtration camp for Ukrainians in Belarus, and the Russian looting of Ukrainian grain, including Belarusian involvement in it. Some of the BIC's investigations have been conducted in collaboration with

OCCRP The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) is a global network of investigative journalists. It was founded in 2006 and specializes in organized crime and corruption. It publishes its stories through local media and in Englis ...

ICIJ The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Inc. (ICIJ), is an independent global network of 280 investigative journalists and over 140 media organizations spanning more than 100 countries. It is based in Washington, D.C., with ...

Cyber Partisans Cyber Partisans (, ) is a Belarusian decentralized anonymous hacktivist collective emerged in September 2020, known for its various cyber attacks against the authoritarianism, authoritarian Government of Belarus, Belarusian government. The group ...

Belsat TV Belsat (; ; stylised as B☰LSAT) is a Polish free-to-air terrestrial and satellite television channel aimed at Belarus. The channel is a subsidiary of Telewizja Polska, TVP S.A. From the outset, it has been co-funded by the Ministry of Foreign ...

Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...

Rzeczpospolita () is a traditional Polish term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "rzeczpospolita", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage" "thing, matter" and "common" is analogous to the Latin ''rēs pūblica' ...

and local investigative media outlets, such as

15min ''15min'' () is one of the largest news websites in Lithuania, attracting over one million unique users per month. JSC "15min" is owned by the Lithuanian company "4 Bees," which is owned by Tomas Balžekas, Martynas Basokas, Gabrielė Burbien� ...

Armando.Info Armando.Info is a Venezuelan investigative journalism website that was founded in 2014. Armando.info is a long-term partner of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and has worked on many projects, including the Panama Paper ...

Gazeta Wyborcza (; ''The Electoral Gazette'' in English) is a Polish nationwide daily newspaper based in Warsaw, Poland. It was launched on 8 May 1989 on the basis of the Polish Round Table Agreement and as a press organ of the Solidarity (Polish trade union), t ...

Heimildin ''Heimildin'' is an Icelandic weekly newspaper known for investigative journalism Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, racial injustice, ...

iStories iStories or Important Stories () is an independent Russian website specialising in investigative journalism. The website was founded in 2020 by Russian journalists Roman Anin and Olesya Shmagun. IStories published a number of high-profile inve ...

Kloop Kloop is an independent media organization based in Kyrgyzstan known for its news website and journalism investigations. Founded in 2007, Kloop gained prominence in Kyrgyzstan three years later, when it investigated criminal activities of the son o ...

L'Espresso () is an Italian progressive weekly news magazine. It is one of the two most prominent Italian weeklies; the other is the conservative magazine . Since 2022, it has been published by BFC Media. From 7 August 2016 to 10 September 2023, it was ...

, Paper Trail Media, Re:Baltica,

Süddeutsche Zeitung The ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' (; ), published in Munich, Bavaria, is one of the largest and most influential daily newspapers in Germany. The tone of ''SZ'' is mainly described as centre-left, liberal, social-liberal, progressive-liberal, and ...

Programs

The Belarusian Investigative Center produces several notable video programs, including "News with Chaly" and "Chaly: Economics." Their show "Weekly Top Fake" stands out for its dedication to debunking fake news in Belarusian and Russian media.

Awards

Journalists from the Belarusian Investigative Center have been honored with the national "Free Word" award from the

Belarusian Association of Journalists The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) (; ) is a Belarusian professional association of journalists from independent media, created in 1995 to protect freedom of speech, freedom of information, promote the professional standards of journ ...

in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. At the "Free Word" awards in 2021, the BIC team also secured first place in the Analytics category.

External links

Official website

Twitter

References

{{reflist Censorship in Belarus Mass media in Belarus Belarusian opposition Belarusian-language mass media Investigative journalism 2018 establishments in Belarus