Latest Alexander Lukashenko News

US sanctions Belarus' election officials, president's plane

Mar. 24, 2023 12:38 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (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...

Reporter for Russian paper sentenced to 3 years in Belarus

Mar. 23, 2023 10:33 AM EDT

TALLINN, 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. Hienadz Mazheyka was sentenced for a 2021 article in...

Russia, Belarus barred from next season's ice hockey worlds

Mar. 22, 2023 15:57 PM EDT

ZURICH (AP) — Russia and Belarus teams were excluded by the International Ice Hockey Federation on Wednesday from all its world championships next season, including the women’s event in the United States. The IIHF cited security concerns for players, competition staff and fans...

Belarus says it's discovered weapons for 'terrorist' attacks

Mar. 21, 2023 11:05 AM EDT

Belarusian 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. The reported discovery followed Belarus'...

UN rights chief decries 'systematic repression' in Belarus

Mar. 17, 2023 10:45 AM EDT

GENEVA (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. The comments from Volker Türk came as his...

EU lawmakers ask UEFA to ban Belarus from Euro 2024

Mar. 15, 2023 11:09 AM EDT

BRUSSELS (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...

Belarus rights group says scores detained in new clampdown

Mar. 14, 2023 16:36 PM EDT

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, Belarus' oldest and most prominent rights...

Anti-Russia guerrillas in Belarus take on 'two-headed enemy'

Mar. 10, 2023 03:02 AM EST

After 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. In the most recent sabotage to make...

Belarus passes law to execute officials convicted of treason

Mar. 09, 2023 14:35 PM EST

TALLINN, 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...

Leader of Belarus acknowledges attack on Russian warplane

Mar. 07, 2023 11:59 AM EST

TALLINN, 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. President Alexander Lukashenko said a Beriev A-50...