Belarus disqualified from Eurovision Song Contest 2021 after Galasy ZMesta ‘breached rules’ with new track

Belarus has been disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest, over their ‘political’ lyrics.

Galasy ZMesta were internally selected to represent Belarus in the 2021 Song Contest, with their song Ya Nauchu Tebya (I’ll Teach You).

However, just weeks before the ceremony is set to kick off – in Rotterdam in May – the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced that they would no longer be appearing, after the group were asked to change the track.

‘On Wednesday 10 March we wrote to the broadcaster BTRC, which is responsible for Belarus’ entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, to request that they take all steps necessary to amend their entry to this year’s event to ensure it is compliant with the rules of the competition,’ bosses said in a statement.

‘Following this BTRC submitted a new song, by the same artists, within an agreed timeframe.

‘The EBU and the Reference Group, the Contest’s governing board, carefully scrutinised the new entry to assess its eligibility to compete.

‘It was concluded that the new submission was also in breach of the rules of the competition that ensure the Contest is not instrumentalised or brought into disrepute.

‘As BTRC have failed to submit an eligible entry within the extended deadline, regrettably, Belarus will not be participating in the 65th Eurovision Song Contest in May.’