Latest Belarus government News
Putin lowers threshold of nuclear response as he issues new warnings to the West over Ukraine
MOSCOW (AP) — In a strong, new warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that any nation’s conventional attack on Russia that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country. The threat, outlined in a revision of Moscow’s...
The Clintons pitch philanthropic commitments as pro-democracy work at their 2024 foundation meeting
NEW YORK (AP) — With the backdrop of elections worldwide that highlight strains on democracy, former President Bill Clinton urged attendees of his foundation's annual meeting to meet their communities' needs through collective action. Strong democratic institutions, Clinton argued,...
A Belarus government critic appeals to the Serbian president against his extradition
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A prominent Belarus filmmaker and a critic of Minsk's authoritarian government handed a letter to the Serbian presidency signed by hundreds of artists on Monday, appealing against his extradition to his home country where he says he could be tortured and killed. ...
Authoritarian Belarus president pardons 37 political prisoners out of more than 1,300
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday pardoned 37 people serving prison sentences for “extremist" crimes, his office said. It is the fourth time since July that the authoritarian leader has pardoned dozens of political prisoners in what some...
Serbian appeals court overturns ruling to extradite to Belarus a critic of its authoritarian regime
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — An appeals court in Serbia on Wednesday overturned an earlier court ruling that a prominent critic of the authoritarian government in Belarus should be extradited to that country, and said that the case must be retried. Serbian authorities arrested...
Belarusians fleeing repression at home say they face new threats and intimidation abroad
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — 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. Some of them, however, are discovering that they can't escape intimidation and threats in their new...
Poland's cybersecurity experts foil Russian and Belarussian attacks
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s security officials said Monday they have foiled cyberattacks and online blackmail attempts by groups acting for Russian and Belarusian services. Poland has registered up to 1,000 online attacks daily targeting government institutions and agencies,...
Poland charges 3 Belarusian officials with diverting a plane to Minsk in 2021 to arrest a dissident
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — 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...
Japanese man arrested in Belarus on charges of acting as special services agent
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Japanese man has been arrested in Belarus and is facing charges of working for Japan's special services by photographing military and civilian infrastructure near the border with Ukraine. A report on Belarusian state TV on Thursday said suspect Masatoshi...
Belarus' president pardons 30 political prisoners
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 30 people Wednesday who were serving prison sentences for "protest-related crimes,” his press service said. It's the third time in three months that the authoritarian leader has pardoned prisoners. The...