Belarus’ isolation grows after journalist’s dramatic arrest
3 years, 6 months ago

Belarus’ isolation grows after journalist’s dramatic arrest

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — Belarus’ isolation deepened Tuesday as commercial jets avoided its airspace, the European Union worked up new sanctions, and officials expressed concern for the welfare of an opposition journalist who was arrested after being pulled off a plane that was diverted to Minsk in what the West called a state- The dramatic developments put a spotlight on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s iron-fisted rule and suppression of dissent — but it was not clear what effect more sanctions or other measures would have. “The West must understand that only increasing pressure and really tough sanctions could impact Lukashenko and limit repressions.” EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc will introduce more sanctions targeting “businesses and economic entities that are financing this regime.” Added Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte: “We know that in this country, the major state companies make the money. “Most leaders of Belarus’ political parties have been either jailed or forced to flee the country,” said Ales Bialiatski, head of the Viasna human rights center. Colville, the U.N. human rights official, said Pratasevich’s appearance on Belarus state TV “was not reassuring, given the apparent bruising to his face, and the strong likelihood that his appearance was not voluntary and his ‘confession’ to serious crimes was forced.” Pratasevich’s 23-year-old Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, who also was removed from the flight and detained, spoke in a video from custody shown on state TV.

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History of this topic

Belarusians fleeing repression at home say they face new threats and intimidation abroad
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Belarusians fleeing repression at home say they face new threats and intimidation abroad

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — More than a half-million Belarusians have fled their country in the past four years as the authoritarian government launched a harsh crackdown on its political opponents. In a letter to the Belarusian opposition office, she said Serbian authorities were told Hniot’s case “was politically motivated” and he “would face reprisals” if returned to his homeland. “Belarusians need …

Belarusians fleeing repression at home say they face new threats and intimidation abroad
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Belarusians fleeing repression at home say they face new threats and intimidation abroad

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. Dziana Maiseyenka, 28, was detained without warning while crossing …

Poland charges 3 Belarusian officials with diverting a plane to Minsk in 2021 to arrest a dissident
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Poland charges 3 Belarusian officials with diverting a plane to Minsk in 2021 to arrest a dissident

Associated Press  

WARSAW, Poland — Polish prosecutors on Friday charged three Belarusian officials with using a ruse to divert a Poland-registered plane while in flight three years ago and violating the freedom of 132 people on board as they sought to arrest a dissident. The three officials are accused of ordering the plane carrying a dissident blogger to make an unplanned landing …

Poland charges 3 Belarusians who forced the diversion of a plane to Minsk in 2021
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Poland charges 3 Belarusians who forced the diversion of a plane to Minsk in 2021

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 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. Please try again later {{ …

Serbian court rules to extradite to Belarus a critic of its authoritarian regime
6 months, 1 week ago

Serbian court rules to extradite to Belarus a critic of its authoritarian regime

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — A Serbian court has ruled to extradite a Belarusian filmmaker and pro-democracy political activist to the authoritarian government in Minsk where he could face prison and torture, his lawyers and supporters said Friday. “Today, the lawyers of movie director Andrei Hniot received the decision of the Higher Court in Belgrade on Andrei’s possible extradition to Belarus,” said …

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

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

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 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. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó …

Hungary’s foreign minister visits Belarus despite EU sanctions, talks about expanding ties
6 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 targets opposition activists with raids and property seizures
7 months, 1 week ago

Belarus targets opposition activists with raids and property seizures

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — Authorities in Belarus on Thursday announced raids and the seizure of property belonging to 104 opposition activists who have fled the country, the latest step in a crackdown on dissent that has continued unabated for nearly four years. Belarus’ Investigative Committee said Thursday the latest raids and seizures targeted activists who criticized Belarusian authorities abroad and rallied …

Belarus to pull away from Europe conventional forces treaty already abandoned by Russia
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Belarus to pull away from Europe conventional forces treaty already abandoned by Russia

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — The authoritarian president of Belarus on Friday said the country would suspend participation in the troubled Conventional Forces in Europe treaty that once was a key security doctrine for the continent. However, Russia withdrew entirely from the treaty in 2023 and NATO countries that were parties to it responded by suspending their participation. “The suspension of Belarus’ …

More Ukrainian children from Ukraine’s Russia-held regions arrive in Belarus despite global outrage
11 months, 3 weeks ago

More Ukrainian children from Ukraine’s Russia-held regions arrive in Belarus despite global outrage

LA Times  

Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk, Belarus, in November. Belarus’ leader has attended a meeting with children from Russia-controlled areas of Ukraine, defying international outrage over his country’s involvement in Moscow’s deportation of Ukrainian children. Belarus’ authoritarian president on Thursday attended a government-organized meeting with children brought from Russia-controlled areas of Ukraine, openly defying …

Activist hands ICC evidence he says implicates Belarus president in transfer of Ukrainian children
1 year, 1 month ago

Activist hands ICC evidence he says implicates Belarus president in transfer of Ukrainian children

Associated Press  

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An exiled Belarus activist on Tuesday presented a second dossier of evidence to the International Criminal Court that he said proves the personal involvement of President Alexander Lukashenko in the illegal transfer of children to Belarus from Russian-occupied towns in Ukraine. “We share additional evidence proving Lukashenko’s direct participation in the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children …

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

Belarus says Wagner chief who staged mutiny is in Russia, raising questions about Kremlin’s strategy
1 year, 5 months ago

Belarus says Wagner chief who staged mutiny is in Russia, raising questions about Kremlin’s strategy

Associated Press  

MINSK, Belarus — The mercenary leader who led a short-lived mutiny against the Kremlin is in Russia and his troops are in their field camps, the president of Belarus said Thursday, raising new questions about the deal that ended the extraordinary challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s rule. Last week, Lukashenko said the mercenary leader was in Belarus, but on Thursday …

Prigozhin arrives in Belarus as Lukashenko takes credit for rescuing Russia from coup
1 year, 5 months ago

Prigozhin arrives in Belarus as Lukashenko takes credit for rescuing Russia from coup

The Telegraph  

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mutinous Wagner private army, arrived for his apparent exile in Belarus as his fighters were handed a new role training the country’s army. “The security guarantees that he gave were offered: It’s true that he is in Belarus today,” Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarussian president, said after taking credit for rescuing Russia from a coup. …

Belarusian dissident who was pulled off forced-down plane says he has been pardoned
1 year, 7 months ago

Belarusian dissident who was pulled off forced-down plane says he has been pardoned

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — The Belarusian state news agency on Monday reported that a dissident journalist who was pulled off a flight that was forced to land in the country and was later sentenced to eight years in prison says he has received a presidential pardon. He ran a Telegram messaging app channel that was widely used by participants in mass …

10-year sentence asked for journalist forced down in Belarus
1 year, 8 months ago

10-year sentence asked for journalist forced down in Belarus

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — Prosecutors requested a 10-year prison sentence Friday for a dissident Belarusian journalist who was arrested after a warplane forced down a commercial airliner he was taking to Lithuania. Pratasevich ran a Telegram messaging app channel that was widely used by participants in mass protests against the disputed August 2020 election that gave authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko …

US sanctions Belarus’ election officials, president’s plane
1 year, 9 months ago

US sanctions Belarus’ election officials, president’s plane

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The U.S. imposed sanctions Friday on seven Belarusian elections officials, two state-owned automotive manufacturers and President Alexander Lukashenko’s aircraft. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, intensified his repression after a wave of protests in 2020 following a presidential election that the West and Belarus’ opposition denounced as a sham. Lukashenko’s aircraft, a Boeing 737 that he uses …

UN rights chief decries ‘systematic repression’ in Belarus
1 year, 9 months ago

UN rights chief decries ‘systematic repression’ in Belarus

Associated Press  

GENEVA — The U.N. human rights chief called on Belarus Friday to end its “systematic repression” of critics and immediately release people held on political grounds, saying some violations may amount to crimes against humanity. Authorities targeted opposition activists, journalists, medical workers, members of shooting sports clubs and people working with drones, according to Viasna, Belarus’ oldest and most prominent …

Belarus rights group says scores detained in new clampdown
1 year, 9 months ago

Belarus rights group says scores detained in new clampdown

Associated Press  

Rights advocates in Belarus sounded the alarm on Tuesday about a new heavy crackdown on dissent by the authoritarian government that saw over 100 people — including several psychologists and psychiatrists — detained in a week. Viasna’s Pavel Sapelka told The Associated Press that Belarus’ security forces are waging “sweeping raids and searches” on those suspected of involvement in a …

Leader of Belarus acknowledges attack on Russian warplane
1 year, 9 months ago

Leader of Belarus acknowledges attack on Russian warplane

Associated Press  

TALLINN, Estonia — The authoritarian leader of Belarus said Tuesday that an alleged Ukrainian saboteur and more than 20 accomplices were detained over an attack on a Russian warplane stationed near his country’s capital. Belarusian guerrillas from the Association of Security Forces of Belarus claimed responsibility for the attack last week, saying the group, also known as BYPOL, used two …

Suspects of group that destroyed Russian plane detained: Belarus
1 year, 9 months ago

Suspects of group that destroyed Russian plane detained: Belarus

Al Jazeera  

Belarusian anti-government activists said last month that they had blown up a Russian military surveillance aircraft in a drone attack. Belarusian anti-government activists said last month that they had blown up a sophisticated Russian military aircraft – a Beriev A-50 surveillance plane – in a drone attack at an airfield near the Belarusian capital Minsk, a claim disputed by Moscow …

Hungary FM’s Belarus visit 1st from EU country since 2020
1 year, 10 months 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 …

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

Belarus, Ukraine ‘interconnected’; must fight together to safeguard their existence: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
2 years, 3 months ago

Belarus, Ukraine ‘interconnected’; must fight together to safeguard their existence: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

The Hindu  

The fate of Belarus and Ukraine are “interconnected,” and both countries must fight together to safeguard their very existence because Russia doesn’t view them as independent sovereign states, Belarus' Opposition leader said on September 23. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya said the war in Ukraine was “extremely unexpected” and some Belarusians are especially opposed to the war “against Ukrainians, our brothers and sisters.” …

Will Western pressure trigger Russia’s ‘merger’ with Belarus?
2 years, 5 months ago

Will Western pressure trigger Russia’s ‘merger’ with Belarus?

Al Jazeera  

Putin and Lukashenko have suggested furthering the ‘union state’ will protect their nations from the effects of sanctions. A week earlier, his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko urged leaders of other ex-Soviet nations to get closer to the “union state” of Russia and Belarus – or face the loss of their independence. “The matter has been solved in the light of …

Putin says Western sanctions pushing Russia-Belarus unification
2 years, 5 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 …

Woman forced to land in Belarus gets 6 years in prison
2 years, 7 months ago

Woman forced to land in Belarus gets 6 years in prison

Associated Press  

LVIV, Ukraine — A woman who ran a Belarusian opposition messaging app channel and was arrested along with her activist boyfriend when an airliner they were on was forced to land in Belarus was convicted Friday of charges that included inciting social hatred. Sapega and Raman Pratasevich were flying from Athens to Vilnius, Lithuania a year ago when their plane …

Belarus sentences dissident’s girlfriend to six years in prison
2 years, 7 months ago

Belarus sentences dissident’s girlfriend to six years in prison

Al Jazeera  

Sofia Sapega, whose flight was forced to land in Belarus last year, was convicted for inciting social hatred. A Belarusian court sentenced Sofia Sapega, the girlfriend of a dissident arrested after their commercial flight was forced to land in Belarus last year, to six years in prison on Friday for inciting social hatred, according to the Viasna Human Rights Center. …

U.S. charges Belarus officials with air piracy in reporter's arrest
2 years, 11 months ago

U.S. charges Belarus officials with air piracy in reporter's arrest

NPR  

U.S. charges Belarus officials with air piracy in reporter's arrest Enlarge this image toggle caption ONT /AP file photo ONT /AP file photo NEW YORK — U.S. prosecutors charged four Belarusian government officials on Thursday with aircraft piracy for diverting a Ryanair flight last year to arrest an opposition journalist, using a ruse that there was a bomb threat. In …

Who is benefitting from the Poland-Belarus border crisis?
3 years, 1 month ago

Who is benefitting from the Poland-Belarus border crisis?

Al Jazeera  

Over the past few weeks, tensions along the Belarusian-Polish border have escalated, as thousands of asylum seekers try to cross into Poland, a member of the European Union. The latter exists largely on paper, but it does provide for a common defence policy and free movement between the two countries, which means the Belarusian border with Poland and the two …

An Engineered Migration Crisis On The Belarus-Poland Border : Consider This from NPR : NPR
3 years, 1 month ago

An Engineered Migration Crisis On The Belarus-Poland Border : Consider This from NPR : NPR

NPR  

How A Dictator Engineered A Migration Crisis At The Belarus-Poland Border Enlarge this image toggle caption Oksana Manchuk/TASS via Getty Images Oksana Manchuk/TASS via Getty Images Migrants from faraway countries are stuck in Belarus, just across its border with Poland. EU leaders say Lukashenko and his backers in Russia are 'weaponizing' migration in retaliation for sanctions placed on Belarus last …

Live updates: Belarus-Poland border crisis traps thousands in ‘catastrophic’ conditions
3 years, 1 month ago

Live updates: Belarus-Poland border crisis traps thousands in ‘catastrophic’ conditions

CNN  

Migrants sit by a fire near the Poland-Belarus border on Wednesday, November 10. Here’s what else you need to know: Migrants are trapped in terrible conditions: The situation at the border remains fluid, with at least 800 people currently camped out in a makeshift camp on the Belarusian side of the closed Kuznica border crossing, Polish authorities told CNN on …

Poland-Belarus border: What you need to know about the crisis
3 years, 1 month ago

Poland-Belarus border: What you need to know about the crisis

Al Jazeera  

Thousands of migrants and refugees are stranded along the Belarus border with Poland amid a raging geopolitical row. Months earlier, the EU and the United States penalised Lukashenko’s government for cracking down on dissent after a disputed August 2020 election which handed the 67-year-old a sixth term and provoked mass anti-government protests. Angered by the toughened measures, Lukashenko hit back …

Belarus court gives opposition activists lengthy sentences
3 years, 3 months ago

Belarus court gives opposition activists lengthy sentences

Associated Press  

KYIV, Ukraine — A court in Belarus on Monday sentenced two leading opposition activists to lengthy prison terms, the latest move in the relentless crackdown that Belarusian authorities have unleashed on dissent in the wake of last year’s anti-government protests. “It’s not a verdict, but rather the revenge of the authorities.” Belarus was rocked by months of protests fueled by …

How sports became a ‘battleground for reprisals’ in Belarus
3 years, 4 months ago

How sports became a ‘battleground for reprisals’ in Belarus

Al Jazeera  

Olympic athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya joined a group of defecting Belarusian sportspeople when she spurned her homeland. Lukashenko’s tenure as head of the Belarusian Olympic Committee was only slightly shorter than his ongoing presidency – he terminated it last November after the International Olympic Committee barred him from attending the Tokyo Games. “Belarusian athletes have paid a high price for daring …

Lukashenko says Belarusian Olympic defector was ‘manipulated’
3 years, 4 months ago

Lukashenko says Belarusian Olympic defector was ‘manipulated’

Al Jazeera  

Belarus president comments on Tsimanouskaya as he defends election victory and accuses opponents of plotting ‘coup’. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said the Belarusian sprinter who defected at the Olympic Games in Tokyo had been “manipulated” by outside forces and would not have fled abroad otherwise. “Today, Belarus is in the focus of the attention of the whole world,” Lukashenko …

Belarus runner used quick thinking to avoid being sent home
3 years, 4 months ago

Belarus runner used quick thinking to avoid being sent home

Associated Press  

WARSAW, Poland — A Belarusian Olympic sprinter who feared reprisals back home after publicly criticizing her coaches at the Tokyo Games used quick thinking to get help, using her phone to translate a plea and show it to Japanese police as she tried to avoid being forced onto a plane. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, tweeted to …

‘Freedom is worth fighting for’: Belarus activists go on trial
3 years, 4 months ago

‘Freedom is worth fighting for’: Belarus activists go on trial

Al Jazeera  

Key opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova is accused of conspiring to seize power over her role in anti-government protests. Leading members of the Belarusian opposition went on trial on Wednesday, part of a multi-pronged crackdown on dissent in the ex-Soviet nation that was rocked by months of protests over a disputed presidential election. The trial of Kolesnikova and lawyer Maxim Znak, …

Opinion: The ugly reality behind Belarusian Olympian Kristina Timanovskaya’s defection
3 years, 4 months ago

Opinion: The ugly reality behind Belarusian Olympian Kristina Timanovskaya’s defection

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Michael Bociurkiw is a global affairs analyst, author of the book “Digital Pandemic” and co-host of the podcast,”Global Impact.” He is a regular contributor to CNN Opinion. CNN — After forcing down a civilian airliner from European skies in May to detain a journalist who was on board, perhaps it was only a matter of time before “Europe’s …

Is political repression worsening in Belarus?
3 years, 4 months ago

Is political repression worsening in Belarus?

Al Jazeera  

Belarusian Olympic athlete asks Poland for protection, while activist is found hanged in Ukraine. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya went to the Tokyo Olympics with dreams of representing Belarus at the world’s biggest sporting event. As Tsimanouskaya’s case unfolded, a Belarusian activist in Ukraine was found hanged in a park. Presenter: Hazem Sika Guests: Anatol Kotau – International relations manager, Belarusian Sports Solidarity …

Belarus opposition leader seeks new US, European sanctions
3 years, 4 months ago

Belarus opposition leader seeks new US, European sanctions

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The leader of Belarus’ embattled opposition hopes the United States and Europe will impose new sanctions on money-making government enterprises that will lead to the collapse of President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime and a peaceful transition that pro-democracy supporters are preparing for because “it can happen very fast.” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition challenger to Lukashenko in last …

Belarus scales up crackdown on independent media
3 years, 5 months ago

Belarus scales up crackdown on independent media

Associated Press  

VILNIUS, Lithuania — Belarusian authorities have raided the offices of several media outlets and the homes of scores of journalists under a multi-pronged crackdown on dissent and free speech in the ex-Soviet nation, a media watchdog said Friday. The Belarusian Association of Journalists, or BAJ, said the country’s law enforcement agencies have conducted nearly 30 searches at media outlets and …

EU sanctions Belarus over flight incident, alleged rights abuses
3 years, 6 months ago

EU sanctions Belarus over flight incident, alleged rights abuses

Al Jazeera  

Bloc announces a new and wide-ranging package of punitive measures in response to the ‘escalation of serious human rights violations’. The European Union has imposed wide-ranging economic sanctions on Belarus in response to what the bloc called the “escalation of serious human rights violations”, including the detention of Roman Protasevich. The 27-nation bloc, which views Lukashenko’s win last year as …

Arrested Belarus dissident weeps in interview on state TV
3 years, 6 months ago

Arrested Belarus dissident weeps in interview on state TV

Associated Press  

KYIV, Ukraine — The dissident Belarusian journalist and opposition activist who was arrested after his airline flight was diverted to Minsk wept Thursday in an interview on state television, saying he was fully cooperating with investigators and declaring that he respects the authoritarian president he opposed for years. Asked by the interviewer if he respects Lukashenko, Pratasevich said “certainly.” Pratsevich, …

The Belarus plane hijacking reflects appeasement of tyranny
3 years, 6 months ago

The Belarus plane hijacking reflects appeasement of tyranny

Al Jazeera  

Lukashenko hijacked a European civil aircraft because he thought he could get away with it. On May 23, the world watched as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko used his air force to intercept a civilian airliner on the pretext of a bogus bomb threat, grounded it in Minsk, and kidnapped prominent opposition journalist Roman Protasevich and his fiancé before eventually freeing …

Belarusians increasingly cornered after EU cuts air links
3 years, 6 months ago

Belarusians increasingly cornered after EU cuts air links

Associated Press  

KYIV, Ukraine — As fear of repression rises among Belarusians following the arrest of a dissident journalist whose plane was forcibly diverted to Minsk, those who want to leave the country are feeling increasingly cornered. “The authorities have divided all citizens into loyalists and enemies, and treat us accordingly.” Hatsura-Yavorska’s Ukrainian husband was ordered to leave Belarus along with their …

The brazen arrest of a Belarusian activist has terrified dissidents all over the world
3 years, 6 months ago

The brazen arrest of a Belarusian activist has terrified dissidents all over the world

CNN  

CNN — The chilling story of a Belarusian dissident being plucked from the sky while traveling on a passenger jet over the country’s airspace sent a message to other opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko: you’re not safe anywhere. “What’s more common is states using the institutions of other states in order to get to people,” says Nate Schenkkan, co-author of …

Belarus opposition leader calls on Dutch to back economic sanctions
3 years, 6 months ago

Belarus opposition leader calls on Dutch to back economic sanctions

Dutch News  

Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was in The Hague on Friday afternoon for talks with prime minister Mark Rutte and foreign minister Sigrid Kaag, just days after Belarus kidnapped a leading activist by forcing a Ryanair plan to divert. Tikhanovskaya, who claimed victory in last year’s Belarus elections, currently lives in the Lithuanian capital Vilnuis after being forced to flee …

Belarus opposition leader calls on Dutch to back economic sanctions
3 years, 6 months ago

Belarus opposition leader calls on Dutch to back economic sanctions

Dutch News  

Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was in The Hague on Friday afternoon for talks with prime minister Mark Rutte and foreign minister Sigrid Kaag, just days after Belarus kidnapped a leading activist by forcing a Ryanair plan to divert. Tikhanovskaya, who claimed victory in last year’s Belarus elections, currently lives in the Lithuanian capital Vilnuis after being forced to flee …

At 26, Belarus journalist has spent a decade in opposition
3 years, 6 months ago

At 26, Belarus journalist has spent a decade in opposition

Associated Press  

KYIV, Ukraine — Raman Pratasevich has been part of the Belarus political opposition for over a decade and has long feared the authorities would try to abduct him, even though he was living abroad. Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials alleged Pratasevich fought as a “mercenary” in eastern Ukraine, but Andriy Biletskiy, who led the Azov volunteer battalion in the region, …

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