Lukashenko in power for 31 years: Why is Belarusian leader called 'Europe's last dictator'?
Trending News
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Lukashenko in power for 31 years: Why is Belarusian leader called 'Europe's last dictator'?

Firstpost  

Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 31-year rule by winning a controversial seventh term in Belarus. File Image/Reuters Alexander Lukashenko, often referred to as “Europe’s last dictator,” has ruled Belarus for over three decades. Why Lukashenko is called “Europe’s last dictator” Lukashenko’s political journey began in 1994 when he was elected as Belarus’s first president after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Western governments have condemned the electoral process, with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock calling it “a bitter day for all those who long for freedom and democracy.” Human rights organisations reported that political prisoners, estimated at 1,250, remain behind bars, while leading opposition figures, such as exiled leader Tsikhanouskaya, continue to speak out against Lukashenko’s rule from abroad. Speaking on this decision, he told AFP, “I do not regret anything,” calling Putin an “older brother.” Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko shake hands.

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History of this topic

Belarus opposition and Western leaders reject election result that extends strongman’s rule
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Belarus opposition and Western leaders reject election result that extends strongman’s rule

Associated Press  

Belarus’ opposition activists and Western officials on Monday denounced an orchestrated election that extends the more than three-decade rule of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. The country’s exiled opposition leader called the result “sheer nonsense.” The Central Election Commission declared that Lukashenko won Sunday’s election with nearly 87% of the vote after a campaign in which four token challengers on the …

Lukashenko wins Belarus presidential election
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Lukashenko wins Belarus presidential election

China Daily  

Xinhua | Updated: 2025-01-27 09:07 Belarusian President and presidential candidate Alexander Lukashenko visits a polling station during the presidential election in Minsk, Belarus Jan 26, 2025. MINSK - Incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko has won the presidential election of Belarus, according to the preliminary results released early Monday by the country's Central Election Commission. The preliminary data from the Central Election …

Belarus strongman Lukashenko secures 7th term with 87.6% of votes: Exit poll
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Belarus strongman Lukashenko secures 7th term with 87.6% of votes: Exit poll

Firstpost  

Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, won re-election Sunday in an election without real competition and slammed by the EU as a “sham”, a state exit poll said. Image- AFP Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was on track to win a seventh five-year term with 87.6% of the vote in Sunday’s election, according to an exit poll broadcast on state television. …

EU rejects Belarus election, threatens new sanctions
1 month, 3 weeks ago

EU rejects Belarus election, threatens new sanctions

Firstpost  

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said that the decision to invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe only 10 days ago prevented the group from monitoring the full electoral process. “This sham election in Belarus was neither free nor fair,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and enlargement commissioner Marta …

Amid criticism over 'farce' elections, Lukashenko calls Belarus a 'brutal democracy'
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Amid criticism over 'farce' elections, Lukashenko calls Belarus a 'brutal democracy'

Firstpost  

‘We have a brutal democracy in Belarus,’ the authoritarian leader Lukashenko, a staunch ally of the Putin’s, told reporters after casting his vote in an election expected to secure him a seventh term in office Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday described his country as a “brutal democracy” and said political prisoners could be released if they request pardons, while …

Belarus strongman wins a 7th term in an election the opposition calls a farce
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Belarus strongman wins a 7th term in an election the opposition calls a farce

Associated Press  

The smiling face of President Alexander Lukashenko gazed out from campaign posters across Belarus on Sunday as the country held an orchestrated election virtually guaranteed to give the 70-year-old autocrat yet another term on top of his three decades in power. “It’s better to have a dictatorship like in Belarus than a democracy like Ukraine,” Lukashenko said in his characteristic …

Belarus presidential election: Who’s taking on Lukashenko, does it matter?
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Belarus presidential election: Who’s taking on Lukashenko, does it matter?

Al Jazeera  

President Alexander Lukashenko will be running to secure a seventh term, hoping to extend his 30-year rule over Belarus. The president, who has not engaged with an election campaign this run, told factory workers last week, “To be honest I don’t follow it. I simply don’t have time for it.” But after the last election in 2020, when the leader …

Exit poll shows Lukashenko with 87.6% of vote in Belarus presidential race
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Exit poll shows Lukashenko with 87.6% of vote in Belarus presidential race

Al Jazeera  

Longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko is set to win a seventh term as he runs unopposed by genuine challengers. Sunday’s vote was the country’s first presidential election since Lukashenko crushed mass protests against his government in 2020 and permitted Russia to use Belarusian territory for its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. ‘Tough democracy’ Speaking to reporters after casting his ballot in …

Belarus election is poised to extend 30-year rule of ‘Europe’s last dictator’
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Belarus election is poised to extend 30-year rule of ‘Europe’s last dictator’

The Hindu  

The last time Belarus staged a presidential election in 2020, authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner with 80% of the vote. Mr. Lukashenko was dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” early in his tenure, and he has lived up to that nickname, harshly silencing dissent and extending his rule through elections that the West has called neither free nor fair. …

Lukashenko: ‘A hostage of the system that he himself created’
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Lukashenko: ‘A hostage of the system that he himself created’

Al Jazeera  

On January 26, Belarusians will cast their ballots in a presidential vote. While Vladimir Putin’s Russia tolerated a degree of open dissent, at least until the invasion of Ukraine, Lukashenko was described for many years as “Europe’s last dictator” – a reputation which didn’t seem to faze him. ‘Afraid to look him in the eye’ Karbalevich believes that back then, …

Belarus: Putin's ally Lukashenko frees eight political prisoners in 'act of mercy' before elections
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Belarus: Putin's ally Lukashenko frees eight political prisoners in 'act of mercy' before elections

Firstpost  

Belarus has more than 1,000 political prisoners, many of them detained during the mass protests that erupted after Lukashenko’s contentious re-election in 2020 Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed eight political prisoners on Friday, an “act of mercy” his office said came just days before an election expected to extend his nearly three-decade rule. In addition to the eight political prisoners, …

Belarus: Pro-Putin Lukashenko eyes another term in election rivals dub as ‘sham’
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Belarus: Pro-Putin Lukashenko eyes another term in election rivals dub as ‘sham’

Firstpost  

With many of his political opponents either jailed or exiled abroad, the 70-year-old Lukashenko is back on the ballot, and when the election concludes on Sunday, he is all but certain to add a seventh term as the only leader most people in post-Soviet Belarus have ever known. Human rights activists say Belarus holds about 1,300 political prisoners, including Nobel …

Belarus election is poised to extend the 30-year rule of ‘Europe’s last dictator’
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Belarus election is poised to extend the 30-year rule of ‘Europe’s last dictator’

Associated Press  

The last time Belarus staged a presidential election in 2020, authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner with 80% of the vote. Human rights activists say Belarus holds about 1,300 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, the founder of the country’s top rights group, Viasna. Lukashenko’s maneuvers before the election Although Lukashenko’s current term doesn’t expire …

Imprisoned Belarus activist resurfaces after no contact with her family for 20 months
Trending News
4 months, 1 week ago

Imprisoned Belarus activist resurfaces after no contact with her family for 20 months

Hindustan Times  

TALLINN, Estonia — Imprisoned Belarusian opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova has resurfaced after more than 20 months without any communication with relatives or friends and met with her father, a human rights group said Tuesday. Imprisoned Belarus activist resurfaces after no contact with her family for 20 months Kolesnikova, one of the most popular and charismatic figures who helped lead protests …

Belarus's Lukashenko pardons 31 people convicted over 'extremism'
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Belarus's Lukashenko pardons 31 people convicted over 'extremism'

Firstpost  

“Two women and 29 men have been pardoned,” the Belarusian presidency said in a statement, adding that 17 of them had “chronic illnesses” and seven were parents of small children Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 31 political prisoners, the latest such move that comes two months before an election in which he is set to extend his 30-year rule. …

Belarusian-American has his prison sentence extended amid continuous crackdown on dissent in Belarus
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Belarusian-American has his prison sentence extended amid continuous crackdown on dissent in Belarus

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Belarusian-American has had his …

Terrified dictator Lukashenko pleads with Putin and Zelensky to agree a peace deal - with the Belarus leader fearing Ukraine's troops now plan an incursion into his nation
7 months ago

Terrified dictator Lukashenko pleads with Putin and Zelensky to agree a peace deal - with the Belarus leader fearing Ukraine's troops now plan an incursion into his nation

Daily Mail  

Terrified dictator Alexander Lukashenko has urged Russia and Ukraine to agree a peace deal to avoid the war spilling over into Belarus. President Lukashenko, a key ally of Vladimir Putin, said he fears Kyiv's troops are now planning an incursion into his nation after they launched a cross-border offensive in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko …

Key events in Alexander Lukashenko’s 30 years as the iron-fisted leader of Belarus
8 months ago

Key events in Alexander Lukashenko’s 30 years as the iron-fisted leader of Belarus

Associated Press  

Key events in the 30-year rule of Belarus’ hard-line President Alexander Lukashenko: July 20, 1994 — Lukashenko is inaugurated as president after a landslide victory in what international observers say was the post-Soviet country’s first and only genuinely free election. 1996 — Alarmed by Lukashenko’s increasingly authoritarian turn, thousands of protesters fill the streets in what became known as the …

Leader of Belarus marks 30 years in power after crushing all dissent and cozying up to Moscow
8 months ago

Leader of Belarus marks 30 years in power after crushing all dissent and cozying up to Moscow

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Lukashenko has turned Belarus into a fragment of the USSR, …

Leader of Belarus marks 30 years in power after crushing all dissent and cozying up to Moscow
8 months ago

Leader of Belarus marks 30 years in power after crushing all dissent and cozying up to Moscow

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — For three decades, European leaders have come and gone by the dozens, but Alexander Lukashenko remains in absolute control of Belarus. “Lukashenko has turned Belarus into a fragment of the USSR, dangerous not only for its own citizens but also threatening its Western neighbors with nuclear weapons,” said independent political analyst Valery Karbalevich. He describes the Belarusian …

Belarus’ authoritarian leader names new foreign minister and reshuffles other top officials
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Belarus’ authoritarian leader names new foreign minister and reshuffles other top officials

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday reshuffled his top officials in what observers saw as part of maneuvering ahead of the 2025 presidential election. As part of the government changes announced Thursday, Lukashenko named Maksim Ryzhankou as the new foreign minister to replace Sergei Aleinik, who had spent less than two years on the job. Pavel Latushkа, …

Hungary’s foreign minister visits Belarus despite EU sanctions, talks about expanding ties
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Hungary’s foreign minister visits Belarus despite EU sanctions, talks about expanding ties

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — Hungary’s top diplomat visited Belarus on Wednesday for talks on expanding ties despite the European Union’s sanctions against the country. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó declared that “our position is clear: the fewer sanctions, the more cooperation!” The EU has slapped an array of sweeping sanctions on Belarus for the repression, which followed mass protests fueled by …

Belarus’ election reinforces the authoritarian leader’s 30-year rule. Only loyalists could run
1 year ago

Belarus’ election reinforces the authoritarian leader’s 30-year rule. Only loyalists could run

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — Belarusian authorities on Monday announced preliminary results from parliamentary and local elections in which only candidates loyal to the country’s authoritarian leader were allowed to compete and the opposition called for a boycott. The vote further cemented the 30-year rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, who declared his intention to seek another five-year term in a presidential election …

As Belarusians vote in ‘sham’ polls, Lukashenko reveals re-election plan
1 year ago

As Belarusians vote in ‘sham’ polls, Lukashenko reveals re-election plan

Al Jazeera  

As the opposition boycotts the parliamentary and local elections, the president in power since 1994 says he intends to run next year. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has held power since 1994, says he intends to seek re-election next year, which could extend his grip on the country to 36 years. He spoke on Sunday as the country, a neighbour …

As Belarus votes in tightly controlled elections, its leader accuses the West of fueling unrest
1 year, 1 month ago

As Belarus votes in tightly controlled elections, its leader accuses the West of fueling unrest

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — The authoritarian leader of Belarus on Tuesday accused the West of trying to foment protests during parliamentary and local elections this month in order to undermine his rule, while the country’s opposition leader-in-exile denounced the vote as a “cynical farce” and called for its boycott. “Belarusians inside the country hate this regime, but they can’t openly say …

President of Belarus gives himself immunity from prosecution and limits potential challengers
1 year, 2 months ago

President of Belarus gives himself immunity from prosecution and limits potential challengers

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus signed a new law Thursday that gives him lifelong immunity from criminal prosecution and prevents opposition leaders living abroad from running in future presidential elections. The new measure appears aimed at further shoring up Lukashenko’s power and eliminating potential challengers in the country’s next presidential election, which is due to take place …

Belarus leader asks Hungary’s Orban to visit and seeks a dialogue with EU amid country’s isolation
1 year, 4 months ago

Belarus leader asks Hungary’s Orban to visit and seeks a dialogue with EU amid country’s isolation

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — The authoritarian president of Belarus invited Hungary’s prime minister to visit his country, which has faced increasing isolation over the government’s relentless crackdown on dissent and support of ally Russia’s war with Ukraine. Lukashenko expressed readiness “for a dialogue with European countries” and invited Orban over “to discuss serious matters.” Orban’s press chief, Bertalan Havasi, said the …

Putin not pushing Belarus to join Ukraine war, Lukashenko says
1 year, 7 months ago

Putin not pushing Belarus to join Ukraine war, Lukashenko says

Al Jazeera  

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko says Russian leader has achieved ‘goals’ in Ukraine and it is now time to negotiate. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not pushing Belarus into joining the war in Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said, but he warned that Minsk would respond to external aggression including the use of Russia’s nuclear weapons deployed in his country. In …

Putin, Lukashenko to meet after Russia warns about aggression against Belarus
1 year, 7 months ago

Putin, Lukashenko to meet after Russia warns about aggression against Belarus

India Today  

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko will meet on Sunday, the Kremlin said, two days after Moscow warned that any aggression against its neighbour and staunchest ally would be considered an attack on Russia. After Poland decided earlier this week to move military units closer to its border with Belarus in response to the arrival in Belarus …

Lukashenko reveals the astonishing conversations he had at the weekend with Prigozhin
1 year, 8 months ago

Lukashenko reveals the astonishing conversations he had at the weekend with Prigozhin

Daily Mail  

Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko has revealed the astonishing conversations he had at the weekend with Yevgeny Prigozhin, noting that Vladimir Putin was furious that the Wagner chief wouldn't take his calls during the brief uprising. Lukashenko warned Prigozhin that the Kremlin would never fulfill his demand to oust Russian defence miniter Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, General …

Wagner chief Prigozhin has moved to Belarus, its President Alexander Lukashenko says
1 year, 8 months ago

Wagner chief Prigozhin has moved to Belarus, its President Alexander Lukashenko says

The Hindu  

Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the private army of prison recruits and other mercenaries who have fought some of the deadliest battles in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, escaped prosecution for his abortive armed rebellion against the Kremlin and is in Belarus, that country’s president said. Like Putin, Lukashenko portrayed the war in Ukraine as an existential threat, saying, “If Russia collapses, …

Belarus role in Russia-Wagner feud ‘boosts Lukashenko’s clout’
1 year, 8 months ago

Belarus role in Russia-Wagner feud ‘boosts Lukashenko’s clout’

Al Jazeera  

President Alexander Lukashenko has trumpeted his ‘peacekeeping’ role in quelling the Wagner mercenary group’s rebellion in Russia, raising questions about his motives. So when Lukashenko’s press service on Saturday night trumpeted his “peacekeeping” role in quelling the Wagner private army’s rebellion in neighbouring Russia, the biggest question was: What’s in it for him? “If Prigozhin stays in Belarus and manages …

Putin’s failure should be a warning to ‘strongmen’ leaders around the world
1 year, 8 months ago

Putin’s failure should be a warning to ‘strongmen’ leaders around the world

The Independent  

The uprising in Russia by Wagner group leader and long-time Kremlin crony Yevgeny Prigozhin’s forces was no anomalous blip. The Russian armed forces’ vastly superior size, combined with the ideological allegiances of a Wagner force drawn largely from that same military, make a civil war between the two sides all but impossible. Prigozhin, on the other hand, led contingents of …

Belarus leader Lukashenko’s purported mediation in Kremlin crisis stretches credibility to the limit
1 year, 8 months ago

Belarus leader Lukashenko’s purported mediation in Kremlin crisis stretches credibility to the limit

CNN  

CNN — Nearly three years ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin stood by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in his hour of need, backing Europe’s longest-running dictator as he faced a wave of street protests. A quick recap: A major crisis shook the foundations of the Russian state Saturday, as forces loyal to Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin marched toward Moscow. The …

Lukashenko health rumours swirl amid claim he was hospitalised after meeting Putin
1 year, 9 months ago

Lukashenko health rumours swirl amid claim he was hospitalised after meeting Putin

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Valery Tsepkalo, a 2020 Belarusian presidential candidate and opposition …

Alexander Lukashenko health: Belarus leader misses key state event prompting ill health rumours
1 year, 10 months ago

Alexander Lukashenko health: Belarus leader misses key state event prompting ill health rumours

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Belarus’s president Alexander Lukashenko has …

This woman could have stopped Vladimir Putin invading Ukraine. Now she's in exile and a jail sentence awaits her in Belarus
1 year, 11 months ago

This woman could have stopped Vladimir Putin invading Ukraine. Now she's in exile and a jail sentence awaits her in Belarus

ABC  

It's the European country that jails journalists, presidential candidates and human rights activists, including last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski. "In 2020, Lukashenko managed to stay in power only thanks to violence and thanks to the support of Putin and he had to show his loyalty," Ms Tsikhanouskaya says. Exiled Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya holds a picture of her husband …

Hungary FM’s Belarus visit 1st from EU country since 2020
2 years, 1 month ago

Hungary FM’s Belarus visit 1st from EU country since 2020

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Monday became the first senior official from a European Union country to visit Belarus since the authoritarian Belarusian regime imposed a harsh crackdown on opposition in 2020. The EU has slapped an array of sanctions on the country already, both for the repression that followed mass protests against the 2020 presidential …

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya: How a former teacher with no political ambitions is taking on Belarus' strongman
2 years, 2 months ago

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya: How a former teacher with no political ambitions is taking on Belarus' strongman

Firstpost  

Moscow: Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has gone from soft-spoken political newcomer to world-renowned Belarusian Opposition figure despite never having had political ambitions. Since being forced to flee Belarus in 2020, she has urged greater Western pressure on Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko who has lent his country as a staging ground for Russia’s operations in Ukraine. Like thousands of Belarusians, Tikhanovskaya was forced …

Putin on 'extremely difficult situation' as Ukraine seeks end to war: Top 10
2 years, 3 months ago

Putin on 'extremely difficult situation' as Ukraine seeks end to war: Top 10

Hindustan Times  

Ten months into the Ukraine war and with no end in sight, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to demonstrate a defiant stand over the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a news conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following their meeting in Minsk, Belarus December 19, 2022. The situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, in the Kherson and …

Vladimir Putin heads for Belarus amid fears of new assault on Ukraine
2 years, 3 months ago

Vladimir Putin heads for Belarus amid fears of new assault on Ukraine

The Hindu  

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin flies to Belarus on Monday amid fear in Kyiv that he intends to pressure the former Soviet ally to join a new ground offensive against Ukraine and reopen a new front. Foreign diplomats say Mr. Lukashenko, a pariah in the West who relies heavily on Russian support, understands it would be a deeply unpopular step at …

As Vladimir Putin gets desperate in Ukraine, could he force an indebted friend to send help from Belarus?
2 years, 3 months ago

As Vladimir Putin gets desperate in Ukraine, could he force an indebted friend to send help from Belarus?

ABC  

With Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, humiliated again and again on the battlefields of Ukraine, he may be preparing to cash in a favour owed to him by one of his closest allies, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. Mr Lukashenko claimed that his and Putin's men are working as a "single army" prepared to "repel any aggression". However, Mr Lukashenko — the …

Belarus activist gets 25-year sentence for opposing regime
2 years, 5 months ago

Belarus activist gets 25-year sentence for opposing regime

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — A leading Belarusian political activist was handed a 25-year prison sentence on Monday for opposing President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, the latest move in a relentless crackdown on dissent in the ex-Soviet nation. Investigators accused Autukhovich and others who faced trial alongside him in the western city of Grodno of setting alight a car belonging to a police …

Belarus warns against pushing nuclear-armed Russia ‘into corner’
2 years, 5 months ago

Belarus warns against pushing nuclear-armed Russia ‘into corner’

Al Jazeera  

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, days after reigniting concerns he could commit his army to support Russian forces in Ukraine, has warned against forcing his key ally “into a corner”, saying Russia has nuclear weapons for a reason. You can’t cross them.” In recent weeks, there has been growing concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin may resort to nuclear weapons since …

Belarus sentences journalist to eight years for ‘state treason’
2 years, 8 months ago

Belarus sentences journalist to eight years for ‘state treason’

Al Jazeera  

Belarus has sentenced a journalist, who covered protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, to an additional eight years in prison for “state treason”, according to the channel she worked for. Katerina Bakhvalova – who used the pen name Katerina Andreyeva – was already serving a two-year sentence for “violating public order” and was due to be released in September. “Our colleague …

Putin says Western sanctions pushing Russia-Belarus unification
2 years, 8 months ago

Putin says Western sanctions pushing Russia-Belarus unification

Al Jazeera  

The two countries signed a treaty in support of integration in 1997, and have sped up that process in recent years. President Vladimir Putin has said that “unprecedented political and social pressure” from the West, and a raft of sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine, are pushing Belarus to integrate more quickly with Russia. Last week, Russian Defence Minister …

Volunteers who fled authorities in Belarus fight for Ukraine in hopes it will help change things in their homeland
2 years, 9 months ago

Volunteers who fled authorities in Belarus fight for Ukraine in hopes it will help change things in their homeland

ABC  

One is a restaurateur who fled Belarus when he learned he was about to be arrested for criticising President Alexander Lukashenko. Key points: Mr Lukashenko has stood by his ally Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling Mr Putin his "big brother" After Mr Lukashenko was elected to a sixth term in elections seen as fraudulent, massive street protests were met with …

Belarus urges Russia-led military alliance to unite against West
2 years, 10 months ago

Belarus urges Russia-led military alliance to unite against West

Al Jazeera  

Lukashenko, a key ally of Moscow, accused the West of supporting Nazi ideas and of being ‘at war with Russia’ in Ukraine. “Without a united front, the collective West will build up pressure on the post-Soviet space,” Lukashenko said, addressing President Putin and the leaders of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Sanctions imposed on Belarus have blocked $16-$18bn worth of …

Stanislav Shushkevich, post-Soviet leader of Belarus, dies
2 years, 10 months ago

Stanislav Shushkevich, post-Soviet leader of Belarus, dies

Associated Press  

LVIV, Ukraine — Stanislav Shushkevich, who steered Belarus to independence, served as its first leader and is reported to have taught Russian to John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in the 1960s, has died. “When the occupation of Belarus ends, when peace, the law and sovereignty return to Belarus, streets and monuments to Stanislav Shushkevich will certainly appear in …

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