May 03 Dissident journalist sentenced to 8 years in prison in Belarus By Associated Press Activist Raman Pratasevich's dramatic arrest in May 2021 elicited outrage in the West, with some leaders saying the plane's diversion was tantamount to state-sponsored hijacking. Continue reading
Apr 26 Belarusians wary of being drawn into Russia’s war in Ukraine By Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press Recently, Belarusian men have been called to attend military training, and this has raised fears that the staunch ally of Moscow could be drawn into the war. Continue reading
Apr 02 Russia to place tactical nukes near Belarus’ western border, ambassador says By Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press Russian tactical nuclear weapons will be deployed close to Belarus' borders with NATO neighbors, the Russian ambassador to Belarus said Sunday amid simmering tensions between Russia and the West over Moscow's war in Ukraine. Continue reading
Mar 31 Belarusian president confirms Russian nuclear weapons might be deployed in his country By Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press The president of Belarus says Russian strategic nuclear weapons might be deployed in his country along with part of Russia’s tactical nuclear arsenal. Continue reading
Mar 26 Ukraine demands emergency UN security meeting over Putin’s nuclear plans By Karl Ritter, Associated Press 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. Continue reading
Mar 24 U.S. sanctions Belarus election officials, President Lukashenko’s plane By Fatima Hussein, Associated Press 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. Continue reading
Mar 23 Watch 6:08 Exiled Belarus opposition leader speaks out against country’s crackdown on dissent By Nick Schifrin, Teresa Cebrian Aranda The U.S. and its allies initiated an international investigation into human rights abuses in Belarus. For years, the Belarus government has imprisoned anyone seen as a threat. It has also become increasingly reliant on Russia and supports its war in… Continue watching
Mar 09 Belarus passes law to execute officials convicted of treason By Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press The authoritarian leader of Belarus has signed a bill introducing capital punishment for state officials and military personnel convicted of high treason. Continue reading
Mar 03 Watch 4:41 News Wrap: Israeli troops disrupt rally in occupied West Bank In our news wrap Friday, Israeli troops used stun grenades and tear gas to disrupt a rally by Israeli left-wing activists in the occupied West Bank, the besieged city of Bakhmut in Ukraine appears to be on its last legs… Continue watching
Mar 03 Belarusian court sentences Nobel laureate Bialiatski to 10 years in prison By Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press A Belarusian court has sentenced Ales Bialiatski, Belarus' top human rights advocate and one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, to 10 years in prison. Continue reading