Latest Belarus News

A 22-year-old political prisoner has died in Belarus, rights campaigners say

Nov. 02, 2024 15:22 PM EDT

A 22-year-old political prisoner has died behind bars in Belarus, the country's oldest human rights group said Saturday. Russian-born Dmitriy Schletgauer, who had been serving a 12-year sentence for espionage and “facilitating extremist activities” is the seventh dissenter to...

A dissident film director from Belarus is released after 1 year of detention in Serbia

Nov. 01, 2024 09:22 AM EDT

BERLIN (AP) — A noted Belarusian film director and dissident who was held in Serbia for a year while Belarus sought his extradition has been released and gone to Germany. Andrei Hniot told The Associated Press that Serbian authorities released him from house arrest on Thursday,...

Belarus commission approves Lukashenko's 7th term bid but rejects opposition candidates

Oct. 29, 2024 21:07 PM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The national elections commission in Belarus on Tuesday registered an initiative group for authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to seek a seventh term in office, but rejected the attempts of two opposition politicians to get on the ballot. The...

Lithuanians vote in the final round of parliamentary election

Oct. 27, 2024 17:02 PM EDT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuanians headed to the ballots Sunday in the second and final round of parliamentary elections, with the conservative governing party still in contention despite first-round gains for the left-leaning opposition. Strict COVID-19 measures during the...

Lithuania votes in the 2nd round of its parliamentary election, with change uncertain

Oct. 25, 2024 00:13 AM EDT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuanians will vote Sunday in the second and final round of parliamentary elections, with the conservative governing party still in contention despite first-round gains for the left-leaning opposition. Strict COVID-19 measures during the pandemic,...

Ukrainian father-son pair sentenced to 20 years in Belarus prison for terrorism

Oct. 24, 2024 10:57 AM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A father and son from Ukraine were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment each in Belarus after being convicted of preparing terrorist acts. A court in the city of Gomel decreed the conviction and sentencing on Wednesday of Serhiy Kabarchuk and his son Pavlo. ...

Belarus sets a Jan. 26 election that's almost certain to extend its authoritarian leader's rule

Oct. 23, 2024 09:20 AM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Lawmakers in Belarus on Wednesday set the next presidential election for Jan. 26, a vote almost certain to extend the three-decade rule of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has suppressed all political dissent. Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana...

Belarus arrests well-known analyst as crackdown on opposition continues

Oct. 22, 2024 13:52 PM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Police in Belarus have arrested a well-known political analyst who is the husband of an imprisoned journalist in the country's relentless crackdown on opposition to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. The Interior Ministry on Tuesday showed Ihar...

An independent journalist arrested on treason charges in Belarus

Oct. 17, 2024 10:14 AM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — An independent journalist in Belarus has been arrested on charges of high treason, the latest move in a relentless crackdown on media and free speech by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko's government, a media rights watchdog said Thursday. Danil...

Poland's president criticizes the planned suspension of the right to asylum as a 'fatal mistake'

Oct. 16, 2024 09:29 AM EDT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's president on Wednesday condemned the government’s contentious plan to suspend the right to asylum for irregular migrants, calling it a “fatal mistake.” President Andrzej Duda, whose approval is needed for the plan to take effect, argued in...