Belarus has no immediate plans to adopt Russian currency, its strongman leader Lukashenko says
May 29, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus and Russia have no plans to adopt a joint currency in the near future, Belarus’ strongman leader announced on Monday.
Speaking at a meeting with the head of Russia’s central bank, Alexander Lukashenko said that introducing the Russian ruble in Belarus would not be “an easy process,” and that the authorities in Minsk had no intentions so far of doing so.
Poland imposes sanctions on 365 Belarusians over ‘draconian’ verdict against journalist
May 29, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland imposed sanctions Monday on 365 Belarusian citizens and froze the financial assets of 20 entities and 16 other people associated with Russian capital in reaction to what it condemned as a “draconian” verdict against a journalist.
Migrants with children stuck at Poland’s border wall; activists say Belarus won’t let them turn back
May 29, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — A group of some 30 migrants seeking asylum, including small children, has been stuck at Poland's border wall with Belarus for three days, Polish human rights activists said Sunday.
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus' Supreme Court on Friday upheld an eight-year prison sentence handed to a prominent member of the country’s sizable Polish minority and a correspondent for a top newspaper in Poland.
Were Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Belarus? Ukraine’s top prosecutor is investigating
May 24, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's prosecutor-general says it's investigating the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Belarus, adding to allegations that Russia is also transferring them to its territory.
Belarusian jailed for satirical drawing dies behind bars
May 8, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Belarusian man sentenced to jail over a satirical drawing of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has died behind bars, the country’s leading rights organization reported on Monday.
Dissident pulled off plane by Belarus gets 8 years in prison
May 3, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court in Belarus convicted a dissident journalist who was arrested after being pulled off a commercial flight that was diverted to the country and sentenced him Wednesday to eight years in prison.
Belarusians wary of being drawn into war with Ukraine
April 26, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — For Ruslan, an engineer in the Belarus capital of Minsk, Russia's war in neighboring Ukraine suddenly seemed closer than ever when a conscription office recently sent him a summons for military training.
European lawmakers urge for Olympics ban on Russia, Belarus
April 25, 2023 GMTGENEVA (AP) — European lawmakers urged the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Paris Games rather than keep seeking ways to let them compete as neutrals in international sport.
10-year sentence asked for journalist forced down in Belarus
April 21, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — 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.
Former Belarus politician gets 17-year sentence in absentia
April 7, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Belarusian opposition leader and former ally of President Alexander Lukashenko received a 17-year prison sentence in absentia Friday on charges that included forming an extremist group and discrediting Belarus.
Activist who ran for Belarusian presidency pleads guilty
April 5, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — An opposition politician who ran against authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the controversial 2020 presidential election pleaded guilty Wednesday at the start of his trial on charges of public order breaches.
Belarus drops charges against Polish minority activist
April 4, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A prominent Polish minority activist has been released from custody in Belarus after authorities dropped criminal charges against her following a two-year criminal probe, officials said Tuesday.
Russia might put strategic nukes in Belarus, leader says
March 31, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russian strategic nuclear weapons might be deployed to Belarus along with part of Russia's tactical nuclear arsenal, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday, ramping up his rhetoric amid tensions with the West over the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.
Ukraine demands emergency UN meeting over Putin nuclear plan
March 26, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's government on Sunday called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to “counter the Kremlin's nuclear blackmail” after Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed plans to station tactical atomic weapons in Belarus.
US sanctions Belarus’ election officials, president’s plane
March 24, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — 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.
Reporter for Russian paper sentenced to 3 years in Belarus
March 23, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court in Belarus on Thursday sentenced a reporter for the now-closed local edition of one of Russia's most popular newspapers to three years in prison for insulting the country's authoritarian leader.
Belarus says it’s discovered weapons for ‘terrorist’ attacks
March 21, 2023 GMTBelarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Tuesday that his country's security forces have discovered an arsenal of weapons intended for “terrorist” attacks, two days after they killed a terrorism suspect near the Polish border.
Belarus tightens border with Poland after ‘terrorist’ shot
March 20, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus has stepped up security along its border with Poland after security forces killed a foreigner in the region who allegedly was planning a terrorist attack, the Belarusian human rights group Viasna said Monday.
UN rights chief decries ‘systematic repression’ in Belarus
March 17, 2023 GMTGENEVA (AP) — 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.
EU lawmakers ask UEFA to ban Belarus from Euro 2024
March 15, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — A group of more than 100 European Union lawmakers is urging European soccer's governing body to ban Belarus from qualifying for the 2024 European Championship.
MEPs from across the political spectrum wrote in a letter sent to UEFA president Alexander Ceferin that the Belarusian national team should not be able to compete because of the country's terrible human rights record.
Belarus rights group says scores detained in new clampdown
March 14, 2023 GMTRights 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.
Anti-Russia guerrillas in Belarus take on ‘two-headed enemy’
March 10, 2023 GMTAfter Russia invaded Ukraine, guerrillas from Belarus began carrying out acts of sabotage on their country's railways, including blowing up track equipment to paralyze the rails that Russian forces used to get troops and weapons into Ukraine.
Belarus passes law to execute officials convicted of treason
March 9, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus' authoritarian president on Thursday signed a bill introducing capital punishment for state officials and military personnel convicted of high treason.
The amendments to the country's criminal code endorsed by President Alexander Lukashenko envisage death sentences for officials and servicemen who caused “irreparable damage” to Belarus' national security through acts of treason.
Leader of Belarus acknowledges attack on Russian warplane
March 7, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — 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.
Belarus sentences exiled opposition leader to 15 years
March 7, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court in Belarus on Monday sentenced exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in prison after a trial in absentia on charges including conspiring to overthrow the government, the latest move in a months-long effort by the Belarusian government to suppress dissent.
Belarus court jails Nobel laureate Bialiatski for 10 years
March 3, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court on Friday sentenced Belarus’ top human rights advocate and one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize to 10 years in prison, the latest move in a yearslong crackdown on dissent that has engulfed the ex-Soviet nation since 2020.
China, Belarus presidents call for Ukraine cease-fire, talks
March 1, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — The presidents of China and Belarus joined Wednesday in urging a cease-fire and negotiations to bring about a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict.
The joint call came in a meeting in Beijing between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
Belarus seeks lengthy prison terms for opposition leaders
February 27, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian authorities on Monday demanded lengthy prison terms for the country's exiled opposition leaders, amid a continued crackdown on dissent in the ex-Soviet republic.
Prosecutors demanded 19-year prison sentences for Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Pavel Latushka, as well as fines of $15,000 and $10,000 respectively.
Belarus leader and Putin ally Lukashenko to visit China
February 26, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and a close ally of the Russian leader, will visit Beijing this week, China's Foreign Ministry said, as U.S.
Poland expels Belarus diplomat in retaliatory move
February 23, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that a Belarusian diplomat was asked to leave the country amid swelling tensions over the imprisonment of a prominent ethnic Polish journalist in Belarus.
Belarus to form new paramilitary force amid Ukraine conflict
February 20, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Belarus' authoritarian president said Monday that the ex-Soviet nation will form a new territorial defense force amid the fighting in neighboring Ukraine.
Russia, Belarus discuss closer military, economic ties
February 17, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted neighboring ally Belarus' leader on Friday for talks on expanding military and economic cooperation amid the fighting in Ukraine.
Russia used Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine nearly a year ago at the start of what the Kremlin calls its “special military operation.”
Journalist grabbed in Belarus flight diversion goes on trial
February 16, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — A Belarusian court on Thursday opened the trial of a dissident journalist whose arrest nearly two years ago after a forced diversion of his flight to Minsk caused international outrage.
Hungary FM’s Belarus visit 1st from EU country since 2020
February 13, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — 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.
Belarus seeks to jail Nobel Peace Prize winner for 12 years
February 9, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian authorities on Thursday requested a lengthy prison sentence for jailed human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.
Belarus hands 8-year term to journalist for top Polish paper
February 8, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Belarusian court on Wednesday sentenced a journalist and prominent member of the country’s sizable Polish minority to eight years in prison, amid an ongoing crackdown on critics of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko's regime.
Funeral held for Belarusian activist killed in Ukraine
February 4, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A funeral for a Belarusian military volunteer and activist who died fighting on the frontlines in eastern Ukraine was held in Kyiv on Saturday.
Eduard Lobau was killed in fierce artillery battles in Vuhledar against Russian troops as part of a small but dynamic regiment of Belarusian dissidents fighting alongside the Ukrainian armed forces.
Lukashenko: Belarus willing to offer more help to Russia
January 31, 2023 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said Tuesday that his country is willing to offer more assistance to close ally Russia in its war against Ukraine.
But Lukashenko stressed that Russia does not need “any help” right now.
Belarus’ Lukashenko visits fellow Russia ally Zimbabwe
January 30, 2023 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Belarusia's authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Zimbabwe to pomp and fanfare on Monday, in a visit that seeks to cement economic and political ties between the two countries that are both close allies of Russia.
Belarus’ opposition leader denounces her trial as a farce
January 17, 2023 GMTDAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — A trial in absentia opened Tuesday for Belarus' top opposition leader, who denounced the proceedings as a farce and urged the West to bolster support for the country's beleaguered opposition.
Belarus opens trial of journalist for prominent Polish paper
January 16, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus on Monday opened the trial of a journalist and prominent member of the country's sizable Polish minority, the latest in a series of court cases against critics of the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko.
Russia, Belarus launch joint air force drills
January 16, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Russia and Belarus on Monday launched joint air force drills, an exercise that underlines close defense ties between the two allies amid the fighting in neighboring Ukraine.
The Belarusian Defense Ministry said that Russia has deployed its warplanes to Belarus for the maneuvers, which will last until Feb.
Photo with Clinton used against jailed Belarus politician
January 13, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian investigators are using a photo of an opposition politician shaking hands with former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as evidence in a criminal case tied to the mass protests after Belarus’ disputed 2020 presidential election.
Activist who ran for Belarusian presidency in 2020 detained
January 12, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — An opposition politician who ran against authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the controversial 2020 presidential election has been arrested in Minsk, a human rights group said Thursday.
Belarus opens trial of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Bialiatski
January 6, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Belarusian court on Thursday opened the trial of jailed human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.
Bialiatski and two other top figures of the Viasna human rights center he founded face up to 12 years in prison if convicted of financing anti-government protests.
Nobel Peace Prize winners blast Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
December 10, 2022 GMTOSLO, Norway (AP) — The winners of this year's Nobel Peace Prize from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine shared their visions of a fairer world and denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine during Saturday’s award ceremony in the Norwegian capital.
Ukrainian Nobel Prize winner says Putin must face tribunal
December 9, 2022 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — A representative of one of the organizations sharing this year's Nobel Peace Prize said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin should face an international tribunal for the fighting in Ukraine.
Jailed Nobel laureate Bialiatski barred from sending speech
December 8, 2022 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Imprisoned Belarusian human rights campaigner Ales Bialiatski, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with rights groups in Russia and Ukraine, hasn't been allowed by Belarus authorities to hand over his speech for the award ceremony, his wife said Thursday.
Nobel laureate: No lasting peace in Ukraine without justice
December 8, 2022 GMTCOPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — There will be no lasting peace in Ukraine until there is justice and human rights, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties said Thursday as she arrived in Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize with fellow human rights campaigners from Belarus and Russia.
Belarus bans Western imports, airlines from EU and UK
December 6, 2021 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus on Monday announced retaliatory restrictions on airlines from the European Union and the U.K., as well as a ban on imports of Western goods from countries that have introduced sanctions against the former Soviet nation.
EU calls for action to beef up Lithuania’s Belarus border
July 29, 2021 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s top migration official is urging member countries to help Lithuania beef up surveillance on its border with Belarus and not to give in to political pressure from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Belarus government blocks media outlet, detains reporters
July 8, 2021 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarusian authorities blocked the website of a leading online media outlet and detained some of its journalists and several reporters from other news organizations Thursday, the latest moves in a sweeping crackdown on dissent and independent media in the ex-Soviet nation.
EU weighs Belarus sanctions at sectors close to leader
May 27, 2021 GMTLISBON, Portugal (AP) — European Union nations sketched out plans Thursday for new sanctions against Belarus, targeting economic sectors close to its authoritarian leader, as they sought to strike back at him for the diversion of a passenger jet to arrest a dissident journalist.